Murray Paterson founded Muri in 2020 after working as a distiller at the groundbreaking Empirical Spirits distillery in Denmark. Ioakeim Goulidis then joined after a spell at the Noma Fermentation Laboratory.
Muri is inspired by - and a product of - the gastronomic community in Copenhagen, particularly the city’s expertise in fermentation. They use culinary techniques and unusual ingredients to create blends with real craft and story.
They are fixated with flavour development and changing perceptions around the No & Low space.
FERMENTATION
Fermentation is our starting point. Wine is a fermented drink, so it makes sense that fermentation is the foundation of what MURI does. Many No & Low producers shy away from fermentation as it naturally creates alcohol, but MURI's expertise is in layering together varied types, allowing them to bring the funk without the ABV.
Copenhagen has become the centre of fermentation knowledge in global gastronomy, and MURI draws on their experience here to showcase different types for different purposes.
TECHNIQUE
Many brands rely on lots of ingredients to make liquids interesting, but MURI goes way, way further. Technique is their point of difference. Rather than simply making a kombucha or infusion, they might use special cultivated yeasts, kefir grains, and sourdough starter as separate cultures within the same drink.
They use techniques like dry carbonic maceration, wood smoking, and lacto fermentation to boost flavour and texture. MURI forages and dries their own herbs. They also grind their own malt. They freeze-thaw tougher fruits to break down fibers. They blanch and toast botanicals. If they can extract flavour by applying technique, they do it.
BLENDING
Murray’s experience as a distiller at Empirical Spirits taught him the value of blending drinks. He learned to view the composition of a drink much like the composition of a dish. MURI uses different liquids for specific purposes relating to taste and structure. They carefully piece these together to build up layers of flavour, funk and complexity.
As a wine or cidermaker does, elements are used for acidity, tannin, body or structure. MURI believes that you cannot replicate the complexity of wine in non-alc drinks without blending.
