Summary
Founded in 2020 by Murray Paterson, a UK expat living in Copenhagen, Muri is pushing the realm of possibility in non-alcoholic drinks through fermentation, foraging, and blending. Muri is informed and inspired by the gastronomic community in Copenhagen, particularly the city’s expertise in fermentation techniques. Muri Drinks is obsessed with flavor and relentless in its pursuit of a quality beverage that is complex and deeply satisfying, with or without alcohol, and changing perceptions around the no- and low-alcohol space.
Originally from Northern Scotland, Murray left his first career as a corporate analyst to pursue his passion for drinks, beginning with his work with UK cideries and eventually ending up at Empirical Spirits in Copenhagen. Gaining essential experience as a distiller at Empirical, he was inspired by their innovative techniques and beverages that defy categorization. Branching out on his own in 2020, he founded Muri Drinks to bring his blend of traditional and innovative techniques to the world of non-alcoholic beverages.
Muri Drinks is extremely Copenhagen in its style and approach to drinks. Their method is a natural result of the gastronomic energy in Copenhagen, particularly the city’s accumulated expertise in fermentation. Ioakeim Goulidis, their head of research and production, worked previously in the Noma fermentation lab, soaking in their blend of precision and experimentation. Combined with Murray’s experience at Empirical Spirits, they have spent time at some of the city’s best beverage and fermentation companies, which informs the precision and innovation of their work at Muri Drinks.
Muri crafts naturally non-alcoholic beverages without the aid of dealcoholization —a process that can strip flavor as well as alcohol— or the addition of flavor or coloring agents. Although the beverage is inspired by wine, Murray didn’t want to create a drink that was merely imitating something else. Unlike other no- and low-alcohol brands, which start with a beverage and remove the alcohol from it, Muri is creating something wine-adjacent to “reimagine the wine occasion.” Muri is meant to be drunk when wine would otherwise be offered, so they are bottled in wine bottles to inspire customers to drink them as an aperitif, and especially with food.
Muri is exclusively made with natural ingredients of verified provenance and utilizes ancient techniques to craft their natural, non-alcoholic drinks. Each batch is hand-made in their Copenhagen workshop in limited runs; however, their experience over the years in producing each cuvée means there is also consistency in flavor and quality from one bottling to the next. In the same manner that a Champagne house has a style with its non-vintage bottling, Muri crafts distinct styles with quality and flavor consistency
