AFL legend Barry Hall co-founds Nectar to reinvent the vodka game in Australia

Infused with real fruit, curated with consciousness and made with plenty of TLC (tender loving care) on the shores of Burleigh Heads, AFL legend Barry Hall and his media personality wife Lauren Brant Hall have unveiled plans to bring their premium vodka drinks to a national audience. 

Nectar Vodka, which is made from 100% Australian all-grain vodka infused with lemon, lime and sea salt, was officially launched this week. 

The business venture was born through a partnership between Hall, Brant Hall and award-winning Black Hops founder Michael ‘Govs’ McGovern, who has over 15 years of brewing experience and a suite of industry accolades, including Champion Australian Brewer and Gold Coast Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

From the beginning, the trio of co-founders set out to create a vodka without all the nasties by crafting a spirit they say is smoother, cleaner, and fresher than any on the market. This has been done by developing a six-times distilled drop from 100% Australian grain spirit locally made on the shores of Burleigh Heads in Queensland. 

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Passionate about enjoying a balanced lifestyle, both Hall and Brant Hall were intrigued by the idea of a cleaner vodka that aligned with their 80/20 mantra — work hard 80% of the time, while using the other 20% to enjoy the good times along the way.

Since retiring from the AFL in 2011, Hall has been an advocate for health and wellness.

“I’ve been candid about how I prioritise my holistic wellbeing, particularly since leaving professional footy. Lauren and I live a life centered in balance and the prospect of creating a brand that embodies this was intriguing,” he said in a statement. 

“Nectar champions quality ingredients and a considered approach to what we consume, something we refer to as the 80/20 mentality. We created Nectar to provide a premium, light vodka that goes down smooth and doesn’t undo all your hard work.”

Hall told SmartCompany that the founders believe Nectar will be well received. 

“We want to stamp it out already in the Gold Coast, but we are certainly looking to expand nationwide, spread the word and get people to try it because it’s a really good clean drink,” he says.

As well as being infused with lemon, lime, and sea salt, Nectar is made from 100% real fruit and is sugar-free, preservative-free, carb-free and gluten-free.

How to start a vodka brand

Speaking to SmartCompany, Brant Hall said she and Hall initially met with McGovern and tasted a small batch of the vodka that he handcrafted. They were impressed and the rest, as they say, was history.

“We tasted it and we spoke about what we would like to see for the brand and together we decided this is a product that just fits what we believe in so much and we think it will serve our customers so well,” she says.

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“So when they are saying, ‘okay, I’m going to consciously choose to consume, I want to have something that tastes delicious, but it’s also not going to undo all my hard work. I want to have something that’s artisanal and handcrafted and a small batch and Aussie-made’, then they can turn to Nectar and know that it’s been made for them with love and that it’s sugar-free, preservative-free and carb-free. Basically what we call clean vodka.”

Brant Hall says the founders are passionate about being able to reinvent the vodka game for Australians.

“We think it’s extremely important. There’s been a huge shift especially in the last five years on clean eating and also clean living. So people are really starting to take notice of what is in their everyday consumption. So whether it be something they’re eating, they’re reading their packaging. If it’s cleaning products, they’re looking into natural options for that. In their clothes they’re buying, they’re looking for natural fabrics and fibers,” she says. 

“It’s really been a big shift and people are becoming conscious about what industry they support, where they spend their money and what they consume in their lifestyle. And so we found that there wasn’t really much offering anything in this space or alcohol and obviously it is a huge industry, people do enjoy having a drink. 

“So part of Nectar’s conscious consumption philosophy is choosing what to drink. So you’re drinking a clean drink, choosing when to drink it, you know after you’ve smashed your 80% of hard work, but we say work smart, play clean.”

McGovern said Nectar has been designed to be kinder on the body and smoother on the taste buds.

“Having spent well over a decade in the craft beer brewing industry, it was time to shift gears and turn my attention to a new love affair. Marrying expertise with my passion for quality craftsmanship, Nectar was curated with the purpose to be kinder on the body and smoother on the taste buds,” he said in a statement. 

Nectar Vodka has launched with 700mL bottles and Nectar Vodka & Soda 375mL cans nationwide, with the website the first point of call Australia-wide at the moment. The brand is also available at selected venues in Queensland.