Aussie soda water and tonic brand Long Rays has developed a fountain-pouring system that aims to remove seven million single-serve bottles from circulation in hospitality venues over the next three years.

The company will launch its first fountain at Patient Wolf Distilling Co during the Tapped in G&T Festival in Melbourne on April 17-18.

Patient Wolf founder and distiller Dave Irwin said: “We’re thrilled to be the first distillery door in Victoria to introduce this kind of system into our service. The Long Rays Fountain will be dispensing tonic and soda into hundreds of G&Ts and cocktails every week.

“Long Rays Tonic and Patient Wolf Gin is a winning combination, proven successful in our G&T Can partnership. Now the tap will allow us to save over 6200 glass bottles from waste each year. We think that’s worth celebrating.”

Over two days at the Tapped In G&T Festival, expect creative gin spritzes including the Pear, Rhubarb & Lemon Verbena Spritz, a Yuzu & Wattle Pollen Spritz, and the Burnt Mandarin & Geraldton Wax Spritz.

There will be Long Rays and Patient Wolf gin and tonic and soda classics flowing and guests will be invited to customise with their garnish of choice. The DJ will be sharing sweet tunes and good vibes, while the food truck slings delicious bites to eat.

Founder of Long Rays Shivam Reddy said: “We can’t wait to see the Long Rays Fountain make its debut in Victoria at Patient Wolf Distilling Co. Our cutting-edge rose gold tap not only looks the part on the bar and complements their German-made copper still, but the new system allows for premium Australian gin and tonics to be crafted without wasting single glass bottles. We proudly make tonic and soda with simple, natural ingredients which balance beautifully with the unique characteristics of Australian gin.”

Long Rays aims to drive innovation by implementing more sustainable practices in Australia’s hospitality industry.

“Our aim was to provide a premium mixer while reducing our environmental footprint,” Reddy said. “We’re proud to say
that we’ve found a solution that will dramatically reduce glass bottle wastage across Australian hospitality venues. We will create 100 Long Rays Fountains for high volume Australian venues with the view to remove seven million bottles out of circulation over the next three years. On average, that equates to about 1872 bottles per venue, per month.”