It’s a situation many of us are only too familiar with. You’re out on the razz with assorted chums and there’s alcoholic allure on every side. This time, though, you decide it’s best to demur. Maybe your medication makes it unwise, perhaps you’re down for a spot of designated driving or it could just be that over-indulgence is off your agenda for a little while. Whatever the spur, chances are you’re wondering what the best non-intoxicant is to help you while away the night.

Thankfully, over recent years, there has been an explosion in the options open to those with a self-imposed booze ban, most notably in the form of a wide variety of alcohol-free spirits. All but unknown even just six years ago, these sin-free spirits are now ubiquitous in many high-end bars and five-star leisure locales. The whole sector, though, owes a considerable debt to Seedlip Spice 94 – an aromatic distilled non-alcoholic spirit characterised by notes of bark, citrus and all spice – that debuted in Selfridges, one of London’s most upmarket department stores, in November 2015.

This intriguing beverage was created by Ben Branson, the founder of Seedlip, a London-based distiller of non-alcoholic spirits. Taking his inspiration from the The Art of Distillation, a 17th-century guide to distilling curative brews from sundry natural preparations, Branson purchased his own still and experimented with various self-grown herbs. Two years later, he’d mastered a six-week process – a blend of maceration, distillation and filtration – that yielded alcohol-free spirits with unique herbal flavourings.

“All but unknown six years ago, sin-free spirits are now ubiquitous in all the best high-end bars”

His first commercial venture was an instant – if unlikely – hit. Indeed, the first run of 1,000 handcrafted bottles of Seedlip Spice 94 sold out in three weeks, the second in three days and the third within half an hour.
Reflecting on those early days, he says: “It was surreal to see how demand grew. I launched it from my kitchen and I was the delivery driver, accountant, salesman, marketer, and manufacturer. Six years, later we sell in 37 countries, while there are now more than 125 products in the non-alcohol spirit category globally.”

Over the intervening years, the proverbial flood gates have well and truly opened, with the upstart herbal brand giving rise to a whole new drinking category. Inevitably, this has seen several other brands – notably fellow Brit brewer Lyre’s and US-based The Ritual – launching their own zero-alcohol herbal spirits.

The arrival of so many brands in the sector, however, does not mean that creating these distinctive beverages is in any way straightforward. Typically, it involves macerating the chosen botanicals – whether flowers, herbs, plants or seeds – until a base spirit has been produced, with the resultant mixture then distilled until all of the alcohol has been removed. At this point, the flavour-enhancing extracts are added in order to deliver the required tang. All in all, it’s a delicate process and one that necessitates keen judgment when it comes to ensuring both optimal flavour and a truly authentic drinking experience.

For those that manage to successfully steer their way through the many challenges of the production process, the rewards on offer are, indeed, substantial, In fact, according to data from Nielsen, the UK-headquartered market research giant, the no-alcohol beverage sector has grown by a massive 506 percent since 2015, with total related revenue expected to be some US$280 million over the next 12 months.
Inevitably, Hong Kong’s more discerning drinkers are among the many to have become beguiled by these ingeniously-crafted quaffs. With long-term teetotalers, the sober curious and the merely hangover-averse all on board, meeting the demand for pseudo-alcoholic beverages, with a full-flavour palate but no cognitive consequences, has become de rigueur for drinkeries throughout the city.

Is this, however, merely just a blip, with full-strength spirits just waiting in the wings, ready to resume their (seemingly) rightful centerstage spot? Maybe not. With wellness and health-consciousness looming increasingly large on the leisure landscape, it could well be that an alcohol-free libation truly is the spirit of the age.

 

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Sinlessly Delicious: These zero-alcohol cocktails are not to be mocked

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