The Ingredients Under Your Nose

MODSUB#73

Wotcha!

Thanks to all of you who responded to last week’s request for new NA drinks you came across during Dry January.

Abby S. was a big fan of the Ish Gin & Tonic.

Rachel W. said she finally tried The Pathfinder and wished she’d tried it sooner.

Tracy S. has two new favorites—Tennyson Black Ginger and the Phony Negroni from St. Agrestis.

James M. has been exploring NA beers and is currently loving the Hazy IPA from Best Day Brewing.

Lastly, Diana A. sent me this: “Buy several fresh squeezed juice flavors (no sugar added) from my local farmers market each week. I fill a wine glass about half full, then add Fever Tree low sugar ginger beer and a splash of lime.”

Cheers,

Myles

P.S. Join me on LinkedIn, Instagram and BlueSky

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

APERITIF
Wilfred’s - Non-Alcoholic Aperitif

COCKTAIL
SAYSO - Hot Toddy

Read time: 5 minutes 34 seconds

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NAN
New NA Drink News

NORTH AMERICA

It’s been an unsually quiet week on the new non-alcoholic drink launch front. Which is perhaps not a bad thing. Here’s a few I came across:

• BEER: Two new beers from Athletic Brewing, well one new, one returning. Both Raspberry Espresso and Soul Sour are available directly on Athletic’s online store. (Link)

• WINE ALTERNATIVE: This week sees the launch of three new wine alternatives from Norïe: Lots of Purple, Red Rose Whisper and Heart of Gold. They're so new, their website is not quite there yet. One to bookmark though for the future for sure! (Link)

APERITIF

ModSub: Whenever I see a well-stocked non-alcoholic bar, there’s almost always a bottle of Wilfred’s. The London-based company has been producing its Non-Alcoholic Aperitif since mid-2020, and once exports to the U.S. began, it quickly became a hit—especially with endorsements from The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and America’s Test Kitchen.

I’m fairly certain I’ve never typed the words “Japanese train designer” in any context before learning about the past career of Chris Wilfred Hughes, the founder of Wilfred’s. But that’s exactly what he was before turning his attention to creating a non-alcoholic drink. I don’t know much more about that chapter of his life, but it seemed too interesting not to mention.

Concerned about a decade of unchecked drinking in his 20s and 30s, Hughes felt it was time for a change. Never one to shy away from a challenge, he set out to create something he could enjoy as a substitute for alcohol.

He drew inspiration from flavors he had encountered during his extensive travels, having lived in Japan, Argentina, France and Singapore. Experimenting with all kinds of botanicals, he went through nearly a hundred different iterations over an 18-month period. But in the end, the answer had been right under his nose all along. A visit from his mother, who brought rosemary from her garden, shifted his approach. That led him to his father’s homemade marmalade recipe, which used bitter oranges. Add in some rhubarb and a little clove and Wilfred’s was born.

Neat

Sipping a small glass of Wilfred’s straight from the bottle won’t be for everyone, but I absolutely love it. With no mixer to steer the flavors, the herbal side of this aperitif shines. The rosemary and clove are commanding, while an extra dose of bitterness from the rhubarb accompanies the bitter oranges. The fruit rounds out the palate with a hint of sweetness and zest. In the glass, it appears as a delicate rosé—pink and inviting. Once sipped, it is anything but. I would happily never let a mixer anywhere near Wilfred’s, though most wouldn’t share that opinion.

Ginger London Mule

Besides, if I did, I would have missed out on this beauty. For a simple, no-fuss yet extraordinarily delicious cocktail, look no further than the Ginger London Mule. Adding tonic water to Wilfred’s makes for a classic Spritz that’ll keep you happy for days. Adding ginger beer, however, takes it to another level. The ginger beer’s sweet spice tones down the herbal bitterness, bringing more of the orange to the forefront along with a hint of grassiness from the rhubarb. It’s fascinating how the flavors of this aperitif weave in and out of the spotlight with each recipe.

Sec Martini

This one is intriguing. All three fruits are purposefully overwhelmed by a tangle of tartness and bitterness with the rosemary out in the lead. It’s bright, bold, and most definitely not for the faint of heart. A sipper that’ll reel you in over time. 

It’s not hard to see why Wilfred’s has been such a hit. It’s an aperitif with a flavor profile that, at first, seems like it would attract a small yet fiercely loyal following. But in reality, it’s an extremely versatile aperitif that everyone can get behind. Given that I see Wilfred’s everywhere, it would seem they already do.  

How does Wilfred’s describe their Non-Alcoholic Aperitif: A carefully crafted blend of distilled and extracted natural botanicals, made with zesty bitter orange, aromatic rosemary and just a hint of rhubarb.

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COCKTAIL

ModSub: Last March, on a trip down to Phoenix, I visited a Sprouts Market for the first time. A trip to the supermarket is not usually high on my list of things to look forward to. However, at the time, Sprouts had made a big push to introduce a wide range of non-alcoholic products—many of which I hadn't yet gotten my hands on.

One of the items I picked up that day was a bag of SAYSO Skinny Spiced Margarita. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t skeptical about the idea of a teabag producing a top-notch margarita. If you’re new to SAYSO, as I was back then—yes, I did mean to type teabag. I won’t rehash what I’ve already said before, but suffice it to say, I was blown away by what those little sachets could do with just a bit of hot water.

So, when my father-in-law told us he was making a trip up to Portland toward the end of last year, he kindly made a pit stop at Sprouts and brought up some treats—one of which was SAYSO’s Hot Toddy.

With the snow making its first (and probably only) appearance of the year, it seemed like the perfect time to try one of these revolutionary teabags. On snow days of old, when there were few responsibilities beyond meeting friends for afternoon drinks, Hot Toddies were our go-to. These fabulous little sachets get me 99% of the way to reliving those days.

The combination of flavors is fantastic—everything you’d expect: lemon, honey, cinnamon and clove. Let it steep for a while, or, like me, just leave it in the drink and let the flavors intensify. I added 1.5 fl. oz. of Spiritless 74 bourbon, which filled whatever flavor space remained with notes of vanilla and oak. The only thing missing was the slight burn from ethanol, but perhaps a different NA whiskey could bring that to the table. What a treat!

Sure, you could gather all these ingredients yourself, but why not take advantage of a nearly perfect recipe when all you have to do is add hot water? What’s not to love about that? Bring on more snow days—if only for these Hot Toddies.

How does SAYSO describe their Hot Toddy: Each sachet has an expertly portioned blend of all-natural lemon, honey, cinnamon and clove. Steep in whiskey and hot water for three minutes or less for a perfect cozy Hot Toddy! To make a mocktail, swap whiskey with your favorite non-alcoholic spirit.

READS + LISTENS
Last Week’s Edition + Other Suggestions

You may have heard all the kerfuffle this week around the Church of England and their supposed banning of non-alcoholic wine at communion. Here’s the latest:

Curious about adult non-alcoholic drinks but not sure where to start?

Here’s a free guide I put out to help you.