3 Non-Alcoholic Aperitifs to Perk Up Your Palate
And sophisticated enough to warrant your best stemware.
28 May 2019
Maebelle
Summer sunshine and cue the aperitif… that wonderful time of the day when we whet our appetite with a light bite and a glass of something soberingly refreshing.
Yep, that’s right. Rather than a bitter-sweet cocktail before dinner, we’re opting for something lighter than a spritz, and much more agreeable than a kiddies cocktail – aka a Shirley Temple.
“The aperitif moment is all about fun, anticipation of a great evening or meal, and marking the moment where work becomes play,” says Paul Mathew, bartender and founder, Everleaf Non-alcoholic Aperitif.”
Which doesn’t have to involve alcohol: “At our bars, we’re finding more and more people are choosing non-alcoholic options – whether that’s all the time, weekdays or just in-between alcoholic drinks.”
Spritzy but not boozy, here are three ways to sip in aperitif season…
SEE ALSO: Why You Should Start Incorporating Pickle Juice Into Your Drinks
1. Everleaf Non-alcoholic Natural Aperitif
“Bittersweet and quite dry on the palate, with lots of complex aromas and a long finish, Everleaf is made from 18 plants,” explains Mathew, “carefully chosen to give great aroma, flavour, colour and (unique) texture.”
Mathew claims he’s made it to be as good – if not better than alcoholic aperitifs – “So you don’t have to compromise just because you don’t want alcohol,” he says.
And while lots of the plants have been used for their health-giving properties, Mathew prefers to say: “Everleaf is all about fun and enjoyment – a hugely positive drink, both in terms of the fun aperitif moment and leaving a positive footprint from our careful sourcing.”
Try it mixed with soda (one part Everleaf, two parts soda and a wedge), tonic, neat over ice or experiment with non-alcoholic twists on classic cocktails.
2. Aecorn Dry, Aecorn Bitter and Aecorn Aromatic Non-alcoholic Aperitifs
“Whetting the appetite, enjoying a drink before dinner, or celebrating sundown with a glass in hand; all moments where the aperitif comes into its own,” says Claire Smith-Warner, MD at Aecorn Aperitifs.
“What’s exciting about the introduction of Aecorn is that these moments are no longer the preserve of alcoholic drinks. There’s now a grown-up option for those who, for whatever reason, choose not to drink.”
In recent years, Seedlip have seen a growing trend towards drinking less, drinking better, and drinking bitter. “Aecorn Aperitifs taps into all of these trends and offers a unique, non-alcoholic take on the European aperitif tradition,” says Smith-Warner.
The aperitifs can be served as a spritz; over ice with a splash of soda or tonic, garnished with a slice of lemon or orange, or within a variety of no or low cocktails.
Elsewhere, Ceder’s Wild combines South African botanicals with a juniper base and is available in three varieties. A distilled non-alcoholic alt-gin, along with Wild, there’s a Classic and a Crisp, each designed to be served with tonic and a slice.
With reasonably complex spice flavours, Ceder’s also lends itself well to non-alcoholic cocktails – and the gin-inspired bottle looks the part too.
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