20 Jun When You Need a Break from Alcohol, Try Seedlip Distilled Non-Alcoholic Spirits
Have you ever needed a break from drinking but still want to go out and socialize? I know that I sometimes need a break from drinking alcohol but am still so tempted when I go out and see a great cocktail list.
If I want to eliminate the alcohol, many places offer a ‘mocktail’ list but that is usually a selection of doctored sodas or juices and they tend to lack the creativity and layers that a good cocktail can provide.
So, what if I told you that there is a product that is non-alcoholic yet complex and flavorful and that you can use it to make a cocktail that is 100 percent guilt-free?
Check out Seedlip distilled non-alcoholic spirits. I, too, was skeptical at first when I heard about it. I had thought of all of the other gimmicky products out there that promise “skinny,” “low fat,” “all natural,” etc. But Seedlip distilled non-alcoholic spirits is not only non-alcoholic, it is sugar-free and allergen-free with no artificial flavoring, no calories and no carbs. Sounds pretty good, right?
Seedlip is the brainchild of Ben Brand. Ben comes from the north of England where his family has had a pea farm for 320 years. With the idea of keeping the family farm going, Ben began actively looking for better options. He started researching interesting herbs to grow when, in 2013, he found a book from 1664 called “The Art of Distillation.” This book was a recipe book for alcoholic and non-alcoholic medicinal remedies.
Ben began playing with recipes in the book but had no ambition in mind. That was, until he drank a bad mocktail. He started in his kitchen three years ago, hand-making and bottling the first 1,000 bottles and selling each one. Today, Seedlip is in 25 countries.
Seedlip works with 18 different ingredients. These herbs and botanicals are sourced from his own family farm, as well as from 16 farmers from around the world. The herbs and botanicals are macerated in neutral grain spirits and water and then each ingredient is distilled separately twice in a copper pot. The distillation process takes six weeks and in total, there are 36 distillations. All of the alcohol is removed before blending and bottling and the result is concentrated flavors.
There are three Seedlip flavors. Seedlip Garden is made from peas (from the family farm), hay (a rye and grass blend), hops, rosemary, thyme and spearmint. Seedlip Grove 42 is made with mandarin orange peel, bitter orange peel, blood orange peel, ginger, lemongrass and Sancho peppercorn. Seedlip Spice 94 is made from allspice, cardamom, grapefruit peel, lemon peel, American oak bark and cascarilla.
No matter which flavor you pick, you will find that the flavor is pure, and it comes alive with carbonation, simple ingredients or even with a low ABV spirit such as oloroso sherry. But the non-alcoholic cocktails that can be made with Seedlip are so good that you will forget there is no alcohol and can drink as much as you like.
For example, while your friends have a mimosa, try a Minosa with Seedlip Grove 42, clementine juice and soda. Perhaps try an Espresso Martino with Seedlip Spice 94, cold brew concentrate and sugar syrup, a Nogroni with Seedlip Spice 94, NA Bitter Aperitif, NA Sweet Vermouth and an orange twist or a Garden Sour with Seedlip Garden, cloudy apple juice, lemon juice, cider vinegar and a dash of sugar and egg white.
With creative, good tasting cocktails like these, it is easy to solve the dilemma of what to drink when you are not drinking.
Read the original story in the Napa Valley Register.