Food & Drink

I’ll drink to that

Whether you’ve decided to try out Dry January this year or you fancy alternating your glasses of wine with some non-alcoholic options, check out these tasty tipples which come with a hangover-free bonus

Lead image: Bax Botanics

Bax Botanics

Chris and Rose Bax spent decades experimenting with wild ingredients and botanical herbs before creating their non-alcoholic distillations. Made in the UK from organic, fairtrade botanicals (using a secret recipe of herbs, roots, berries and flowers), the result is a Sea Buckthorn concoction with the bittersweet taste of Seville oranges, and their Verbena spirit with flavours of lemon, menthol and fennel. baxbotanics.com

Small Spirits Company

The brainchild of Graeme Sutherland, founder of Good Brothers natural wine bar in Edinburgh, this brand-new drinks delivery company specialises in quality non-alcoholic spirits, wine and beer. Spirit options include the wonderfully-labelled Lyres Italian Spritz, with a taste reminiscent of Aperol, and Pentire, a citrusy spirit made from plants native to the Cornish coastline. smallspiritscompany.co.uk

Wilfred’s

Credit: Johnny Stephens Photography

If you’re searching for the taste of a classic spritz without the boozy side effects, the recently launched Wilfred’s is a British aperitif made with naturally bittersweet ingredients. It’s also a stylish addition to any bar trolley, with its rouge appearance and art deco-inspired label. Serve with tonic water to complement its herbal notes of rosemary and rhubarb. wilfredsdrinks.com

Maria & Craig’s

Fancy trying a botanical spirit infused with CBD? Founded by Maria & Craig Hutchison, the brand’s distilled non-alcoholic creation blends premium broad spectrum CBD from Colorado with natural hemp, distilled juniper, sage, camomile and orange blossom, alongside other classic gin botanicals. Made in small batches in the UK (the 500ml bottle contains 25mg of CBD), it’s best served with premium tonic and garnished with orange peel. maria-and-craigs.com

Old Curiosity

The first non-alcoholic spirit from the Scottish craft distillery, this gin alternative features six distilled botanicals – juniper, coriander, cardamom, lemon balm, yarrow and calendula. They’re all grown and hand-picked at the much-lauded Secret Herb Garden on the outskirts of Edinburgh, with co-founders Hamish Martin and his wife Liberty ensuring the spirit is completely natural, with no preservatives or flavourings at all. theoldcuriosity.co.uk