You know the drill. What do you order when you’re the designated driver/pregnant/on antibiotics/just need to give your liver a break?
Seedlip might just be the answer.
Seedlip is the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit. It’s been developed by founder Ben Branson with botanists, historians and distillers to try and fundamentally change the way we drink. Why the name? It’s a continuation of his family’s 300 year legacy of working with the land in Lincolnshire, when they used baskets called Seedlips to sow seed.
Sidenote; the branding is gorgeous (no surprise, as Ben used to run his own design agency) – reminiscent of Gymkhana meets Dandelyan.
Using distilled non-alcoholic herbal remedies from the Art of Distillation (published in London in the year 1651), it includes two barks, two spices and two citrus peels that are individually distilled to capture nature’s finest flavours. And did I mention that it’s sugar free, sweetener free and calorie free?
Taste-wise, it smells strong and spicy like cardamom, but has a peppery clove taste that reminds me of Kamm & Sons. Drink long with tonic and citrus, or in a martini.
Seedlip is blended and bottled in England, though some of the preparatory work happens abroad. Botanicals are sourced from around the world — the lemon peel is distilled in Argentina — and five other botanicals are distilled in Germany using “a secret processâ€. According to the Evening Standard, Branson aims to launch two more products next year as well.
Following hugely successful previews at The Chelsea Physic, Seedlip is now available to buy from Selfridges for £29.99 (sidenote – after Selfridges bought the rights to sell it exclusively for two months, online stocks sold out within three weeks) or Honestly Healthy for £24.99 on special offer. It can also be found at Dandelyan, The Savoy, The Ledbury, Sexy Fish, M, Hix and The Clove Club.
Cocktail image via Rob Lawson