Sailing the Seas. Making Wine. Chasing Dreams.

MODSUB#88

Wotcha!

A couple of weeks back, my friend Aaron Lutze, was travelling through Japan and spotted this “Mocktail” dispenser.

Sadly, it’s pretty much all sugary soft drinks instead of proper non-alcoholic cocktails. Still, maybe someone will see it and take the idea to the next level.

Incidently, if you are into mountain bikes, Aaron writes a cracking newsletter all about that world.

Enjoy some good drinks this week.

Cheers,

Myles

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

WINE
St. Buena Vida - Sparkling Chardonnay

COCKTAIL
Haus of Babylon - Spritzer

Read time: 6 minutes 35 seconds

NAN
New Non-Alcoholic Drink News

NORTH AMERICA

WINE: The 2023 Red Blend has just dropped from Tomorrow Cellars. The wine is “grounded in Petite Sirah and enhanced with a custom botanical extract made by Ian Blessing of All The Bitter.” (Link)

MIXER: South Carolina’s Bittermilk Bottling Co., have just launched Margarita Rosato, an intriguing margarita/Italian aperitivo hybrid. (Link)

FUNCTIONAL: A new flavor has landed from WYNK. The limited-time Mandarin Pomelo is out now. (Link)

FUNCTIONAL: Two Roads Brewing has entered the low-dose space with their New Roads infused-seltzers. (Link)

BEER: Big news over at RationAle Brewing as they introduce their new Maverick Series—a new line of limited edition releases. First up, the Japanese Style Dry lager. (Link)

FUNCTIONAL: Lastly, Easy Man have added Lime + Salt to their low-dose beer line. (Link)

WORLDWIDE

WINE: A premium Grenache Rosé is the newest addition to Eisberg’s growing non-alcoholic wine selection. (Link)

CIDER: Also in the UK, the Purbeck Cider Company stepped into the non-alcoholic cider arena with Purbeck Zero. (Link)

From our sponsor:

We are excited to be holding the 2nd Annual International Non Alcoholic Competition. 

Only real trade buyers judging by Category & Price. Top Winners will be profiled on our ProfessorMediaGroup sites.

Thank you for supporting our sponors who in turn support this newsletter.

WINE

The ModSub thoughts: I’m one of the couple of million people who have been following the daily sailing updates from Oliver Widger. As we are faced with a barrage of negativity from the daily news cycle, Oliver has been shining a light on the positive side of humanity—a beacon of hope for those of us who want to live life to the fullest, but have yet to take the leap into the unknown.

Lawrence Bremer, founder of St. Buena Vida, is another individual who recently called time on a corporate career to follow his dreams. Much like Oliver—who didn’t know how to sail a boat 12 months ago—Lawrence knew nothing about winemaking. But a pregnancy four years ago led him and his wife to explore non-alcoholic wines, and the seeds were sown to create their own. 

It’s one thing to dream about making and selling your own wine. It’s another to actually follow through. So Lawrence threw himself in at the deep end: learning the winemaking process, tasting hundreds of wines and talking to winemakers to glean everything he could. It wasn’t until he came across SOLOS, a German company specializing in aroma-capture, that he decided to take the plunge.

When wine is dealcoholized, the distillation process removes not only ethanol but also a large portion of the aroma as well. SOLOS technology captures the aroma by separating it from the ethanol and adding it back into the dealcoholized wine, preserving the original flavor.

A decade working in supply chain logistics gave Lawrence all the experience he needed to facilitate the framework that would become the backbone of the nascent wine company. The wine comes from Spain, is dealcoholized in Germany, the bottles sourced from France and then it all has to be shipped to the U.S.

With the supply chain and SOLOS in place, it was time to find the wine that spoke to him. I reached out to Lawrence and asked: why Spain?

A soft launch to select retailers and tastemakers in January was very well received and gave Lawrence the industry blessing and consumer encouragement he needed to take the company to the next level. Last week, that day came, with the official launch of St. Buena Vida.

The Sparkling Chardonnay is truly a testament to his hard work and dedication. It’s really quite fabulous. On the nose, there’s a strong fresh pear aroma. Close your eyes for the first sip and you’ll be awash in summer: a bowl of freshly cut pears and green apples, a touch of lemon, and a hint of salinity. It’s dry, crisp, and bright, with a subtle yet unassuming acidity.

Who knows if Oliver will eventually fulfill his dream of sailing around the world. I hope he does. In the meantime, Lawrence Bremer has fulfilled his dream of becoming a winemaker—and what a bloody good job of it he’s made so far.

Have you had the Sparkling Chardonnay from St. Buena Vida? If so, what did you think? Hit reply and let me know.

How does St. Buena Vida describe their Sparkling Chardonnay: St. Buena Vida's non-alcoholic sparkling chardonnay doesn’t just taste good—it’s absolutely delicious. Meticulously crafted with high-quality organic wine, St. BV is sophisticated, rich in flavor, and perfectly balanced. So go ahead, pop that cork. Raise that glass. And cheers to The Good Life. You deserve it.

First time reading The Modern Substitute? Why not subscribe?

COCKTAIL

The ModSub thoughts: We have a problem. A good problem, but a problem nonetheless.

There are a ton of non-alcoholic companies vying for your attention this summer, offering more ready-to-drink cocktails, spritzes and aperitifs than you can shake a stick at.

Amidst this sea of options, the Spritzer by Haus of Babylon is one you shouldn’t overlook.

Last summer, the Dubai-based beverage company—the first non-alcoholic brand from the Middle East—launched Spritz. The versatile aperitif made quite the splash, serving as a worthy substitute for the Aperol crowd while adapting seamlessly to a range of cocktail recipes.

With last month’s release of Spritzer, Haus of Babylon brought one of those cocktails to life in RTD form. With the addition of a house-blend tonic water and club soda, Spritzer is a delightful single-serve option that delivers the familiar qualities of your favorite “Aperol-like” aperitif—plus a Middle Eastern flavor twist.

The familiar bitter orange flavor is present, though with perhaps a slightly softer edge than others I’ve tried. What makes this version truly special, however, is the addition of Middle Eastern ingredients. Tamarind, hibiscus, cardamom, and allspice give Spritzer a unique identity, setting it apart from others in the category.

While some lean into a more botanical flavor architecture, Spritzer offers a nutty tartness from the tamarind, cinnamon and clove peek through the allspice, while the cardamom provides a warm, spicy sweetness, and the hibiscus adds gentle floral notes. There’s still a healthy dose of bitterness, but it’s balanced by a great big hug of warming spice.

I’ll dig into Spritz itself later this summer, but for now, Spritzer is a fabulous introduction to what this spirit can offer in single-serve form. Go find yourself some.

Have you had Spritzer by Haus of Babylon? If so, what did you think? Hit reply and let me know.

How does Haus of Babylon describe Spritzer: Haus of Babylon is a premium non-alcoholic drinks brand born in Dubai. We create beverages for adults with refined palates, that want an elevated drinking experience without alcohol, using an artisanal, small batch approach. All of our beverages are gluten free, vegan and made with the finest ingredients to give you a memorable experience with every sip.

COMMENTS
Share Your Thoughts

Let’s get the conversation going—hit REPLY and share your thoughts! I’d genuinely love to hear from you.

Need a little inspiration? Here are a few prompts to get the juices flowing:

1. 🍇 If you had to choose between St. Buena Vida’s Sparkling Chardonnay and Haus of Babylon’s Spritzer, which one are you reaching for?

2. 🍷 Have you discovered a non-alcoholic wine you’ve been loving lately? Would you be up for sharing it with other readers?

3. 🌺 Middle Eastern flavors like tamarind, hibiscus, and cardamom in a Spritz—too out there, or just what the category needs?

4. ☀️ What was your go-to summer drink last year—and are you planning to revisit it this season?

Have other questions? Let me know.

READS
Last Week’s Edition + Other Reads