GRAPES & GRAINS
A NEW GENERATION OF PREMIUM MOCKTAILS BRINGS SOBER SOPHISTICATION TO YOUR GLASS.
NEW WAVE, NO ALCOHOL A new generation of premium mocktails brings sober sophistication to your glass.
Iused to feel sorry for the designated driver at a cocktail party: the one who had to watch the rest of us piling into fine wines, premium gins, or fancy cocktails, while he or she was offered the paltry choice of sparkling water, cranberry juice, or, if very lucky, an elderflower pressé. I felt especially sorry for that person when it was me. And surely all of us, even the bons viveurs, have had to be the abstainers many times, whether it was because we were pregnant, taking certain medicines, doing “dry January” or attempting a halfmarathon the next morning.
But being the sober one has gotten a whole lot better over the past few years. Why? Simply because the drinks offered to the
temporary and permanent teetotaller have become far more diverse and appealing — so much so that it’s encouraging a lot of us, including me, to switch to a “mocktail” or no-alcohol wine from time to time.
PALATABLE PIONEERS
There’s been a sea change then, and it’s in no small part thanks to one brand of drink that has thoroughly shaken and stirred up the market for grown-up soft drinks: Seedlip. The brainchild of young U.K. entrepreneur Ben Branson, Seedlip is a range of three distilled but non-alcoholic spirits. They are made by steeping botanicals (natural seeds, barks, flowers, roots, etc.) in a mixture of alcohol and water. The alcohol is steamed off (alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water) and the infused liquid is left behind. The finished drink has subtle and complex flavors — the essential oils of the chosen botanicals, no sugar, no sweetener, no alcohol and no calories.
Crucially, Seedlip drinks are dry. Thank goodness, as far too many soft drinks are stuffed full of sugar. Instead, Seedlip Garden 108 tastes (unusually) of fresh peas and soft-leaf herbs. It’s delicious, redolent
THE FINISHED DRINK HAS SUBTLE AND COMPLEX FLAVORS.
of early summer when poured neat, over ice or topped up with a mixer, especially elderflower tonic. The Seedlip Spice 94 has a more woody, cinnamon and sweetclove vibe, slightly astringent and subtly bitter, while the newer Seedlip Grove 42 champions zesty citrus, lemongrass with a peppery twist in the tail. That one is especially good as a mocktail ingredient.
First launched in 2015, this range was influential. There are now several other non-alcoholic spirits hitting the shelves and bars. I especially like Borrago, which is fresh and aromatic, slightly floral and with a cucumber hint. It’s named after the blue borage flower; founder Tom Tuke-Hastings created it after deciding that most soft drinks were “overly sweet, childish and downmarket.” Be aware, neither Borrago or Seedlip is cheap, at $30 to $40 a bottle off-trade — but, like a strong spirit, they go a long way.
VIRTUOUS VINTAGE
Over in the wine world, it’s been striking to see many attempts to make wines with somewhat lower alcohol levels, mainly by managing vineyards better and picking slightly earlier (grapes that are less ripe contain less sugar to turn into alcohol). But what about completely no-alcohol wines?
Some taste an awful lot like simple sweet grape juice (and at their price, you’d be far better off buying the straight juice).
However, two labels I can recommend are Torres Natureo Muscat from Spain and The Bees Knees Alcohol-Free Sparkling Rosé from Germany. Neither is complex or terribly serious, but both offer refreshing, fruity and not-too-sweet natural flavors … with no boozy element.
FINE AND FIZZY
And there’s another side to the new world of grown-up soft drinks — smart, sparkling softies such as flavored tonics that are much more refined than they used to be. Take the range from Fever-Tree. Their normal tonic is hugely popular, and now you can buy the Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic, which has a dash of angostura bark, cardamom, pimento and ginger. It pours with a light salmon-pink tone and hint of flavor.
It’s delicious in a pink gin and tonic, and I enjoy it on its own over ice from time to time. Likewise, the delicious flavored tonics from Devon-based company Luscombe, created two years ago in grapefruit, elderflower and cucumber editions. You are more likely to see these in a West Country bar or restaurant than a shop.
OUT ON THE TOWN
Talking of which, the mocktail list in your favorite bar is likely to have grown rather extensive of late. The world-famous American Bar at London’s Savoy Hotel has a hugely fashionable Nearly Negroni this year, made with Seedlip 94, non-alcoholic aromatized wine and sweet bitter cordial. Sounds delicious — and something we could happily sip with lunch, before going back to work. And ask for an interesting grown-up soft drink or mocktail in any decent bar these days and the staff are more likely to look inspired than to stifle a yawn.
Helen McGinn, the drinks columnist for The Daily Mail, brought out a whole book of non-alcohol concoctions in 2016, called Teetotal Tipples. She cleverly spotted the trend relatively early on, and her book features such healthy treats as the No-Jito —a mojito recipe without the rum — a Warm Apple Punch and a great recipe for a simple Virgin Mary. Although McGinn also helpfully lists her favorite pre-made soft drinks to buy off the shop shelves, she declares that she sometimes “wants a drink with a bit of theater to it — something I could make and enjoy the ritual of making,” hence the mocktail recipes and lots of tips on how to create them.
No longer having to make do with a plain juice or sugary big-brand soda, now the abstainer stands at the booze-fuelled party with a beautiful tumbler in hand, filled to the rim with a glorious non-alcoholic cocktail, crafted from a fine Seedlip or similar, a topnotch premium tonic, ice and garnish. It not only looks like everyone else’s drink, it tastes really good. So good, in fact, that she orders several more in quick succession. Even after remembering that it isn’t in fact her turn to drive tonight, after all.