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Natural Flavours for Spirits, Liqueurs and RTDs
Metarom Australia manufactures natural flavours for spirits, liqueurs, RTD cocktails and no-alcohol spirits, including gin, rum, whisky, vodka and tequila character flavours. Made in Banksmeadow, Sydney, with an ethanol carrier suited to high-alcohol matrices, ACO organic compliance, a 10kg minimum order and a 5 business day lead time plus transit.
Distillers and RTD producers use our ethanol-carrier Beverage range, which is designed to stay in solution in an alcoholic matrix. Alongside single fruit and botanical profiles, we make spirit character flavours - Gin, Rum, Rum Spiced, Whisky, Vodka, Tequila, Kirsch, Ouzo Anise and Marsala Wine - which are used both to build flavoured spirits and to carry spirit character into no-alcohol expressions.
For liqueurs and syrups, dosage sits higher than for a soft drink: the published ladders put confectionery, liquor and syrup applications at around 0.5%. Caramel is the workhorse of the category, which is why two caramels lead our spirits selection.
Recommended flavours for spirits
Every code below links to its own page with the full specification, dosage ladder, price breaks, PIF and SDS. Codes marked 2026 pick are the flavours Metarom selected for this category in the 2026 market newsletter.
| Code | Flavour | Tasting notes | Dosage here | Carrier / solubility | MOQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMC91252026 pick | Caramel | burnt sugar, tonka, toffee | 0.5% Confectionery, liquor, syrup | Mpg, water soluble & heat stable | 10kg |
| AMC97122026 pick | Caramel | butterscotch, roasted, honeycomb | 0.5% Confectionery, liquor, syrup | Mpg, water soluble & heat stable | 10kg |
| AMP96492026 pick | Pear | true-to-fruit, beurre-bosc, floral | 0.5% Confectionery, liquor, syrup | Mpg, water soluble & heat stable | 10kg |
| AME90022026 pick | Elderflower | floral, musky, herbal | 0.5% Confectionery, liquor, syrup | Mpg, water soluble & heat stable | 10kg |
| AAM46202026 pick | Mandarin | tanguy, juicy, true-to-fruit | 0.1% Beverages | Ethanol, water soluble | 8kg |
| AAC9125 | Caramel | burnt sugar, tonka, toffee | 0.1% Beverages | Ethanol, water soluble | 8kg |
| AAP9649 | Pear | true-to-fruit, “beurre bosc”, floral | 0.1% Beverages | Ethanol, water soluble | 8kg |
| AAE9002 | Elderflower | floral, musky, herbal | 0.1% Beverages | Ethanol, water soluble | 8kg |
| AAG0821 | Gin | juniper, pine, peppery | 0.1% Beverages | Ethanol, water soluble | 8kg |
| AAR7200 | Rum | orange, tropical, vanilla | 0.1% Beverages | Ethanol, water soluble | 8kg |
| AAR1308 | Rum Spiced | spicy, smoke, wood | 0.1% Beverages | Ethanol, water soluble | 8kg |
| AAW5221 | Whisky | oak, spice, leather | 0.1% Beverages | Ethanol, water soluble | 8kg |
| AAV3119 | Vodka | dry, woody, hay | 0.1% Beverages | Ethanol, water soluble | 8kg |
| AAT4921 | Tequila | agave, fruity, spicy | 0.1% Beverages | Ethanol, water soluble | 8kg |
This is a selection, not the full range. Browse the complete flavour catalogue or ask us for a shortlist against your brief.
What is driving spirits flavour choices in 2026
European spirits launches between January 2024 and December 2025 leaned on lemon, strawberry, orange and lime, with lemon, raspberry, pistachio and spicy profiles rising through 2025.
The category is under real economic pressure, with volumes and value both softening, so innovation has shifted towards range extensions, limited editions and premium one-offs rather than new brands. Small-batch flavour work with a low MOQ fits that pattern better than a bulk import.
Ready-to-drink is where the growth is. RTD cocktails are positioned as a more interesting alternative to a straight spirit, and they need flavour systems that hold up in a sweetened, acidified, often carbonated pack.
No and low alcohol spirits are developing quickly - 0.0% gin made by hydrodistillation, rum reimagined for mocktails. Nearly all of the people buying them still drink alcohol; they are moderating, not abstaining, so the taste reference point is the full-strength original.
Read the full market newsletter
Spirits market newsletter 2026 (PDF)European launch data, January 2024 to December 2025
Technical notes for distillers and RTD producers
- Carrier. Ethanol-carrier flavours are the right choice for spirits and liqueurs: they are water soluble and stay stable in a high-alcohol matrix.
- Organic. The alcohol-based range is ACO approved for organic products, so it can be used in a certified organic spirit or RTD.
- Dosage. Liqueur and syrup applications generally sit near 0.5% of the finished product, against 0.1% for a soft drink. Each flavour page publishes its own ladder.
- No-alcohol builds. Masking flavours and Alcohol Booster are used to replace the warmth and weight that ethanol contributes, which is the main gap in 0.0% products.
Ordering, lead time and shipping
- Minimum order: 10kg for natural liquid flavours. Some ethanol-carrier beverage flavours are packed in an 8kg drum; each flavour page states its own figure.
- Lead time: 5 business days plus transit, Australia-wide. We aim to confirm a purchase order the same business day.
- Price breaks: published in every flavour guide on this site, so you can cost a formulation before contacting us.
- Shipping: DAP fees are charged per purchase order - A$100 flat to metropolitan Australia, and A$100 plus A$5 per kg to regional Australia and New Zealand. Delivery only, no pick-ups.
- Samples: individual 50g samples and curated sample kits are available from the samples page.
Frequently asked questions
Which flavours are suitable for high-alcohol products?
Use the ethanol-carrier Beverage range. Those flavours are formulated to stay in solution and remain stable in spirits and liqueurs, unlike oil soluble flavours.
Can you make a flavour that tastes like an aged spirit?
We make spirit character flavours including Rum, Rum Spiced, Whisky, Gin, Vodka, Tequila and Kirsch, and our NPD team can develop a profile to your brief if none of the standard codes is close enough.
Are your flavours usable in a 0.0% spirit?
Yes. The usual approach combines a botanical or fruit profile with a masking flavour and Alcohol Booster to rebuild the warmth and body that the alcohol would otherwise provide.
What dosage is used in a liqueur?
Published ladders put liquor and syrup applications at around 0.5% of the finished product, adjusted on tasting. Beverage dosing is much lower, at about 0.1%.
Do you hold organic certification?
Our alcohol-based ranges are ACO approved for organic products, and our Sydney site is ISO 22000 certified. Kosher certification is held, with Halal available on selected flavours.
Talk to us about your spirits brief
Send us the application, the profile you are chasing and your target dose rate, and we will come back with a shortlist and samples. Our NPD team also develops flavours to brief, and our ESG matching service can reverse-engineer a flavour you already use.
Request samplesContact the teamDevelopment services