Pioneering Indigenous bush foods specialist, Kakadu Kitchen, has partnered with Sydney-based alcohol-free specialists ALDT Spirits to produce a new limited-edition non-alcoholic beverage based on an-marabula, the Kakadu Native Peach.
The An-marabula Native Peach Bellini – Limited Edition is the first ever beverage to use an-marabula, a rare cousin of the renowned ‘superfood’, Kakadu plum.
The native peaches were harvested ethically by Kakadu Kitchen owner and Bininj man Ben Tyler and his extended family at their Murdudjurl community on Murumburr country in the heart of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.
This non-alcoholic Bellini is a sophisticated balance of native peach nectar, botanical extracts and a crisp de-alcoholised Australian sparkling wine.
The debut run is limited to just 300 cases, with small quantities available at Kakadu’s two premier hotels – Cooinda Lodge and Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel – as well as at specialist retailers including PNV Merchants in Newtown and Paddington (NSW), Porkin in Nightcliff (NT) and via the websites of Kakadu Kitchen and ALTD Spirits.
Kakadu Kitchen’s Ben Tyler said that while Kakadu Plum had become known world-wide for its rich vitamin C content and health credentials, the an-marabula native peach – which is fuzzy, like a peach, but the size of a grape – had never been harvested for use in commercial products.
“Fortunately, the bush around our remote family community at Murdudjurl produces large quantities of an-marabula, so my mum and respected senior Murumburr Elder, Jessie Alderson, her great-grandson Ngarridj (Dave), and I were able to harvest a considerable quantity which I brought to Sydney for the production,” said Ben Tyler.
“Tim Triggs from ALTD and I experimented with a range of recipes before coming up with the final version, and I really think it makes the most of the native ingredient, an-marabula. This was the first commercial production of Kakadu native peaches, so we had to work out the best way of using such an exotic bush food while creating a Bellini-style drink.
“Unlike most peaches, the an-marabula is not very fruity, rather it is earthy in taste with distinct botanical tones. Almost bittersweet.
“We created an extract from the Kakadu native peaches to capture the unique flavour and then combined it with peach and vanilla flavours to create a really distinctive, native and refreshing Bellini.
“It really is a ‘taste of Kakadu’ – wild, aromatic and a beautiful mouth feel.
“Importantly, the production and ingredients are totally in line with our sustainable principles. That’s how my family have lived in Kakadu for generations, and I wanted to bring that heritage to this product.”
Ben Tyler and Tim Triggs said the debut Bellini was the first of a range of seasonal beverages that they were planning to capture the exotic tastes of Kakadu. Tim and Ben are already working on the next drink in the line-up, a smoked bush white apple with native spices just in time for the 2023 Australian winter.
This non-alcoholic Bellini is an ideal summer drink, with low sugar, all natural ingredients, gluten free and vegan friendly.
Cartons of 4 x 250ml cans are available from $25.00 from ALTD Spirits: https://altdspirits.com/
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