Our story
For some, drinking is more than alcohol. It’s an art. An obsession. It’s our culture.
Mission
OPIUS was founded in 2020 by two restless cocktail enthusiasts, Leander Beuckels and Lucas Lambrechts. They were brought together by the shared belief that an exciting drink shouldn’t always be alcoholic. That, above all, a drink should be bold and magical. Ever since, they‘re on a mission to bring people together and redefine their perception of “spirits”.
A New Chapter
The art of making cocktails, an obsession for many all over the world - and part of our culture since the early ages. However, recently, a revolution has started. Rooted in a shared belief that exciting drinks shouldn’t always be alcoholic, OPIUS means the dawn of a new chapter. A range of fine spirits created through a special formulation of plants and herbs capturing all the experience and sensation - without a drop of alcohol.
A range of fine spirits created through a special formulation of plants and herbs.
In Alchemy Veritas
OPIUS originates from secret techniques used in the world of alchemy. From reviving old lost methods and deciphering ancient manuscripts. Our master distiller, professor at the university of Ghent, spent his life studying long forgotten alchemical techniques. He created our unique triple phased method which normal souls can’t even begin to comprehend. To create the worlds best NA spirits, you need exceptional ingredients. We source only the best botanicals and spices known by alchemist for their stimulating effects. Every batch, 200 bottles at a time, is handcrafted with an obsession for temperatures and timings. This results in our unique taste profile with a unique body and after-bite.
Our Roots
To most of us, the word “alchemy” calls up the picture of a medieval and sinister laboratory in which an aged and black-robed wizard is trying to discover the Philosopher’s Stone, and with that the transmutation of metals into gold. But one cannot dismiss the science — or art – that won the lifelong devotion of men from every race and culture over a period of thousands of years. The motive behind their constant strivings and never-failing patience in the unravelling of the mysteries, however, is something far greater than a mere desire to make gold. These were men inspired by a vision of man made perfect, freed from the limitations of both the mental and physical body: the creation of the “Elixir of Life”. The alchemical term used to describe the chemical phases linked to creating the elixir of life is referred to as the “Magnum Opus”. There was, untill now, no clarity on the exact processes within the Magnum Opus. This is due to the obscurity in alchemical communication where alchemists devised many ways to hide their precious findings. They used codes and symbols to conceal the identity of key ingredients and techniques.
The Four Phases in Alchemy
Nigredo, or blackness, is referred to as a first step in the pathway to the Elixir of Life, all ingredients are cleansed and processed extensively to a uniform dark matter. This phase, which is symbolized by the raven, became a metaphor for the confrontation with our inner darkness
Following the Nigredo stage, the alchemist performed a purification process in Albedo (= whiteness), the washing away of impurities. Albedo is symbolised by the white queen, and has as goal to bring light into in the darkness, to awaken once’s soul.
The third "Amaro" or “Yellow” stage, was referred to by alchemists as the "transmutation of silver into gold" or the philosophical “rise of one’s internal sunlight”. This is considered as a phase in which a person's soul has become wise. Alchemists used the "wise old man" as a symbol for this process.
For the creation of the "Elixir of Life", legend has it the three previous phases should be followed to be granted access to the fourth and last, "Rubedo", phase...
