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Low-ABV (low-alcohol) beverages are often made using a classic distillation process, which is how full-strength gins are made. During this process, a neutral grain spirit — a plain alcohol — is added to a copper still along with a variety of botanicals. As with real gin, low- and no-ABV spirits vary widely in taste (with varying degrees of success!) Most do manage to capture the herbal, slightly citrus notes of a generic gin, and other brands, like Seedlip, have even developed different flavours to emulate the different styles of gin you find: spiced, floral and so on.
When we say ‘gin and more to your door’ - we mean it! So we’re now offering a carefully curated shop edit with alcohol-free gin and low-alcohol spirits. It’s the use of these botanicals - particularly juniper, which is legally required to be the dominant flavour of gin - that helps the final product to taste similar to the real thing. There’s nothing like a refreshing gin and tonic following a long day at work… or is there? Now, a new breed of low- and no-alcohol gins means you can enjoy all the deliciousness of a sophisticated mixed drink but without the headache the next day. All the craft alcohol-free drinks on the Craft Gin Club shop have gone through the same rigorous taste-testing selection process as the rest of our gins. With a growing movement of sober-curiosity and being aware of enjoying alcohol in moderation, the good news is that quality craft distillers that we know and love (like Salcombe Distillery and Warners) are turning their hand to 0% or low-alcohol spirits that make for a refreshing alternative that are very close taste-wise to a real G&T! Can you make alcohol-free gin at home?Low- and no-ABV gins are made in a variety of ways. Many are now being produced by gin distillers, and use many of the same processes as are involved in the creation of real gin. That said, many do make a very pleasant and refreshing alternative that’s the closest you’ll get to a real G&T! How do you drink alcohol-free gin? If you’ve tried the likes of Gordon’s alcohol-free gin, or Tanqueray alcohol-free gin, then it’s time to try some craft alcohol-free gin!
With an aroma that’s closest to the real thing, with plenty of juniper and forest botanicals on the nose, sipped straight up the KVÎST Rosa is rather more balanced. This is thanks to a blend of distilled silver birch, orange peel, pimento, cascarilla bark, gentian, cardamom and subtle rhubarb root alongside those juniper-heavy notes. The juniper character is retained as a result of copper pot distilling, a Nordic tradition, which is what makes this feel like a true alcoholic gin. Keep the feeling going by mixing equal measures of KVÎST Rosa and tonic over ice.This is why it is probably worth spending a little bit more, and choosing beverages from a trusted craft gin distiller, when selecting your no- or low-ABV ‘gin’; hopefully, it’s a sign that your drink will have been crafted with real care and premium ingredients. Is alcohol-free gin harmful? And here’s where the process changes from the usual: whereas a standard-strength gin will be diluted by about half, in these situations the liquid will be more heavily diluted by the distiller, by adding much more water, and this brings the overall alcohol content of the liquid much lower. We’ve all thought it: without the booze inside the bottle, why am I paying so much for this drink?! Well, there’s a clue to the answer in the production process we’ve explained above. When creating these alcohol-free alternatives to gin, many of the best craft producers are using all the same strict methods, equipment and high-quality ingredients that they would to create a bottle of real gin. In fact, many of the bottles in our new range have been distilled by our trusted Family of Distillers, who bring their expertise and craftsmanship with gin to this exciting new range of botanical-based drinks. However, others don’t use any base spirit at all, and instead rely on maceration, a process where botanicals are left to ‘soak’ in a liquid until they develop a flavour not dissimilar to real gin. These processes can also change the mouthfeel of a liquid, giving it a more ‘ginny’ character on the palate. Why is alcohol-free gin so expensive?
Yes, that’s why we already offer craft rum, liqueurs, aperitifs, mixers, and - soon - other spirits such as vodka on our shop! The legal definition of gin states that the liquid must contain an alcohol level (ABV) of at least 37.5%. This new type of drink usually has an ABV (that’s the alcohol level) of between 0 and 5%. The vapour is then cooled and becomes liquid again; the distiller captures this liquid and dilutes it with water. Conker Spirit from Dorset has turned its hand to making something for the sober crew – and we rather like it. As you may have guessed from the name, Bowser Leaf is extremely… leafy. This is a botanically led herbaceous gin, with upfront notes of mint, tarragon, basil, thyme and patchouli, to name a few. The level of herbiness almost makes it spicy, which delivers that all-important warming feeling that can so often be missing from non-alcoholic substitutes. Drink it in the usual way with tonic (add mint and cucumber for extra drama) or, as Bowser calls it, a “Low Martini” – just stirred up with a splash of vermouth and an olive.Botanicals are all the different herbs, spices, fruits and other natural flavourings that craft distillers use to produce the unique flavour of their spirits (and is the reason why gin is such a marvellously versatile drink - the varieties of flavour are endless!).
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