Over the past few years, I have sampled countless alcohol-free aperitifs and spirit alternatives. Until recently, none had truly won me over. Personally, I find alcohol-free imitations of spirits unconvincing.
To my mind, this should not be framed as an ideological either/or between alcohol and its absence, but rather as a both/and, each with its own clear positioning: functional, alcohol-free alternatives suited to emerging drinking patterns and consumers. At the same time, I am convinced that, given our pronounced apéro culture, products of this kind meet a genuine need.
Everleaf
50 cl | 0 %
I first came across Everleaf, from the United Kingdom. Its founder, Paul Mathew, is both a biologist and a bartender. Unable to find appealing products on the market, he founded his own company in 2019, thereby uniting his two passions. Working with botanicals, he created alcohol-free drinks that offer the same depth of flavour and mouthfeel as their alcoholic counterparts. As early as 2024, Everleaf ranked second among “Top Trending Brands” and third among “Bestselling Brands” in the Drinks International Brands Report.
Everleaf Everleaf is available in three variants, each with its own botanicals, all in 50 cl bottles
Cherry blossom, rosehip, strawberry
Saffron, orange blossom, vanilla
Bergamot, sea buckthorn, seaweed
CINOT
50 cl | 0 %
hortly afterwards, I came across CINOT – for anyone, like myself, who is partial to pronounced bitter notes in an aperitif. The two women behind this drink are Louise Sallander and Linn Alsén. CINOT is a modern ode to French joie de vivre, evoking France’s legendary sixties and seventies. At its heart lies gentian root, accompanied by notes of herbs, fruit and spices. It is produced in the Loire Valley, France.
CINOT comes in a slender 50 cl bottle
In their simplest form, all of these can be served as a spritz cocktail, though naturally each also lends itself to a wide range of cocktail creations. I look forward to having you, along with my team, join us on this new venture, and we would be delighted to offer our support and guidance as these products are launched.
Kind regards,
Patric Lutz