Roots Spirits are meticulously handcrafted, drawing inspiration from age-old herbal remedies, a rich family distilling tradition dating back to 1850, and the finest 100% natural ingredients sourced from Greece.
Celebrated in some of the world’s top bars, Roots embody a new era of liqueurs—where heritage meets innovation.
In 2013, brothers Manos & Nikolas Smyrlakis, inspired by their deep-rooted connection to Greece’s oldest distillery, set out to revive traditional spirit making. Combining time-honored recipes with rare, native ingredients, they created Roots—a distinguished collection of premium liqueurs and non alcoholic spirits that honor the past while redefining the future.
Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of working with talented brand ambassadors and hosting numerous activations, bar takeovers, and presentations.
Our journey began with our first brand ambassador, the Italian maestro Gabriele Manfredi from Oriole London. In New York, we collaborated with el cantinero, Hector Videla from Bathtub Gin, while in New England, we partnered with Dimitrios Zahariadis. In London, Gabriele was later succeeded by Mihai Ostafi, also from Oriole Bar. Today, we continue to work with top bartenders across our key markets, leading trainings, tastings, and cocktail development programs.
Roots Spirits has been recognized as one of Greece’s most promising startups and is already available in over 20 markets worldwide. Featured on the cocktail menus of top bars across the globe, Roots is at the forefront of the new wave of craft liqueurs.
We have received numerous awards over the years. Our most recent and most important one is the best in Show Non Alcoholic Spirit, at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Association of America (WSWA) in Las Vegas in February 2024!
Best Non Alcoholic Spirit 2024
– WSWA Las Vegas
We’ve organized numerous cocktail competitions worldwide and are excited to continue our journey. Along the way, we’ve made lasting friendships and shared stories that connect us to the roots of the global bartending community!
Our past competitions include memorable events such as the UK-Italy-France “Back to the Roots” Cocktail Competition in 2019, the ROOTS US Cocktail Competition in 2018, the UK Cocktail Competition in 2017, and the Italy “Know Your Roots Competition” in 2016. Most recently, we took part in our home market’s NOLO Competition in Greece in 2023.
You can also find us at a variety of events around the world! Some of our recent appearances include:
• WSWA Las Vegas 2024
• Mindful Drinking Festival DC 2024 & 2025
• Bar Convent Brooklyn 2018 & 2023
•Roma Bar Show 2023
•Athens Bar Show (2013–2025)
• Bar Convent Berlin (2013, 2014, 2016)
• Aperitivi Experience Milano (2014–2016)
• Imbibe Live London (2014–2016)
We also host multiple tastings every month, so stay tuned for updates!
© Finest Roots 2024
