Requiem for a Drømme

Wotcha!

Time has not been on my side this week, so I could only manage one recommendation. Still, it’s one of the best non-alcoholic drinks I’ve had yet, so maybe it deserves not to share the spotlight.

This week, over in London, the World Alcohol-Free Awards released a video announcing the winners of their annual awards. It was really interesting to see all the winners, not least because it was a good reminder of just how many non-alcoholic drinks are being made around the world—submissions came from 31 countries.

This newsletter primarily focuses on products available in North America, but it’s a timely reminder (if any of us needed one) that a whole host of wonderful people are making fabulous drinks in villages, towns, and cities across the globe.

That puts a smile on my face.

Speaking of awards, this is the last week for entries to NYISC’s International Non-Alcoholic Competition. See the ad below or click here for more information.

Cheers,

Myles

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

SPIRITS
Drømme - Awake

Read time: 5 minutes 33 seconds

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COCKTAILS: Who’s ready for an Espresso Martini? Well, Free AF has just what you're looking for with its new Afterglow. Launching this week. (Link)

SPIRITS: To celebrate Pride Month, Tomonotomo has launched a limited-run Pride Edition of its wonderful non-alcoholic agave spirit, complete with a custom Pride label. Only 100 are available, so don’t mess about or you’ll miss out. (Link)

BEER: Shandies bring back memories of Cotswolds pubs and ploughman’s lunches in the early ’80s. Bero is bringing out a limited run of four flavours designed for different times of the day. Club members get early access before the rest of us. (Link)

WINE: A Tempranillo from Spain will be the first release from new winemaker Paragraph. It will be available across the U.S., the UK, and a handful of European countries. (Link)

WINE-ISH: Also debuting its first non-alcoholic sparkling beverages inspired by wine, Nivo House is launching Sparkling White and Sparkling Rosé. (Link)

BEER: NA beer lovers in the southwest of England will be able to try Exeter Brewery’s new non-alcoholic Darkness Stout. (Link)

SPIRITS

ModSub thoughts: It’s almost embarrassing how long it has taken me to get around to trying Drømme. Given the accolades the spirit company receives from those in the know around the industry, it’s a little odd that it has taken this long to feature at least one, if not both, of their spirits in this newsletter. This week I aim to change that by diving into a bottle of Awake.

Awake aims to do what it says on the label: stimulate and energise you. This is your getting-ready-to-go-out spirit, whereas Awake's sibling, Calm, is for a little later when winding down is the order of the evening. Both spirits fall into the functional botanical spirit category, creating original flavours rather than cloning traditional spirits.

The small-batch, handcrafted spirits are made in a San Diego distillery using organic extracts, fresh herbs and juices. Layered on top are functional ingredients—ashwagandha, lion’s mane and L-theanine (the benefits of which we have covered before)—along with MCT oil, which can help with metabolism and mental clarity.

Okay, enough of the background stuff. Let’s get this bottle uncorked and see what the story is.

Neat

As always, I have to give every spirit a quick nip without any extras, and as the directions on the label suggest that’s the place to start, I won’t argue. As directed, I chill it with a little ice in a shaker.

Long-time readers will know I’m always on the lookout for a spirit to sip away at of an evening. I’ve found a few that meet the need, but this one might pip the lot of them.

It’s fruit-forward for sure. Pomegranate brings some tartness, as does its supporting cast member, hibiscus, in its own floral way. It’s sweetened by watermelon and guava. There’s a botanical undertone that isn’t immediately evident until you realise it’s quietly keeping the fruits in check.

Then, out of nowhere, the Szechuan pepper slams the brakes on your fruity ride. This unexpected jolt of spice goes a long way towards substituting for the alcohol burn you find in, say, a whiskey or gin, bringing a peppery warmth—a disruption to the flow of the drink’s profile. It’s strong but not overbearing. It’s marvellous.

If you find yourself a little left out while your mates are drinking bourbon or Scotch around the fire, this is the sipper that big old, long-neglected ice cube in the freezer has been waiting for.

Continued below

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DRØMME CONTINUED

Cool Cucumber

Next up was a customer favourite from Drømme’s recipe page. Remember a couple of weeks ago when I asked if anyone had a recipe for a Pimm’s Cup? [Thank you to ___ for sending me one.] Well, Cool Cucumber isn’t a million miles from the Pimm’s cocktail I remember.

I can see why Cool Cucumber is popular. The spice level, the cornerstone of sipping the spirit neat, is softened by the lime and agave syrup, pushing the fieriness into the background. Cucumber is the star of the show, bringing its clean vegetal freshness to the fore, arm in arm with the pomegranate and hibiscus. The botanicals, too, have more of a welcoming presence in the mix.

On a second go-round with this one—and I’d imagine there will be many—I might reduce the amount of agave syrup suggested in the recipe. It never quite got there, but it was verging on being a little too sweet for my tastes.

Still, that’s an absolute keeper of a cocktail.

Whiskey Sour

And so is this one. Wow.

I combined Spiritless Kentucky 76 with Awake, providing a split-base foundation with layers of depth. Vanilla and oak politely embrace the pomegranate, hibiscus and herbs, neither spirit really deferring to the other. The lemon brings sourness with a balanced brightness, while the egg white offers a velvety finish.

Right at the finish, the pepper, so confident when taken neat, simply gives us a nod and a wink as it heads for the door.

I literally can’t wait until Mrs ModSub gets home so I can share this extraordinary version of an iconic cocktail. Fabulous.

Drømme comes from the Danish word for “dream”. I’d say it might be hard to find a more apt description for this wonderful spirit. If it were me, I might just have added a “y”.

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How Dromme describes Awake: Stimulate and energize with the sophisticated tastes and sensations of Drømme Awake, a bespoke, complex blend of quality botanicals, adaptogens, and nootropics. Rejuvenate your spirit and elevate your energy—without the effects of alcohol.

EXTRA READS

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• Blog thumbnail photo credit: Sami Türk