Grown up drinks with no alcohol? Finally someone has found the Holy Grail of Sobriety
We’ve all been there, not just at Xmas. In a bar, a restaurant or in someone’s home we’ve asked for a non alcoholic drink because we’re having a bit of a break from the sauce, or we have to drive later.
And what do we get? Some yukky, sugary drink that looks childish, tastes terrible and does nothing for any food.
Ben Branson, founder of Seedlip was often in that situation and rather than suffer any longer he began experimenting to create a sophisticated non-alcoholic drink that an adult could really enjoy.
The search began in 2013 and took him back down the centuries to the recipes of a physician called John French who distilled his own herbal remedies back in 1651. Two years of trial and error followed and then Seedlip hit the market in 2015, and sold out in days. It was a winning formula.
There are three main Seedlip products – Seedlip Grove 42, Seedlip Spice 94 and Seedlip Garden 108.They are all vegan of course, calorie and sugar free as well as allergy friendly. Production is carbon neutral and packaging comes from sustainable sources and bio degrades easily.
You use them just as you would vodka or gin in a cocktail, about 50 ml per serving either in traditional cocktails or in one of the many exciting recipes in the Seedlip Cocktail Book
The bottles are rather beautiful with colourful labels, sometimes in limited editions. You can certainly bring these out with a flourish and await admiring comments.
This kind of adult drink is particularly good for the xmas party season when many guests will be mindful of the need for staying stone cold sober for the drive home, but at the same time don’t want to stand out holding a glass of something gloopy.
Spice 94 is a blend of Allspice berries and Cardamom and is very bright and zesty. Perfect for a G& T with no G.
Grove 42 is citrus-forward blend of three types of orange and spice distillates. Simply serve with tonic and a twist of orange peel.
Garden 108 is a floral blend of peas and hay with traditional garden herb distillates, perfect with ice, topped off with tonic and garnished with a Sugar Snap Pea or Mint sprig.
You can tell these are adult drinks as the price per bottle is not that far off from a decent gin or vodka, but the price reflects the care and attention that goes in to making such a seriously good drink.
A Gift For Giving
On the Seedlip Website you’ll find a wide variety of gift pack ideas including the Cosno Cocktail Bundle and an Espresso Martino Gift Set, ideal for sending someone on their way home enervated and, importantly, sober.
Seedlip are one of the sponsors of Wildlife Photographer of the Year