Ceder’s Classic and Crisp

ABV: 0.0%
Calories per 100ml: 8

Seedlip has a rival in the alt-gin market, and it’s one with a bit of a story behind it.

The Ceder’s name comes from the magnificent Cederberg region of the Western Cape – an area known for its rugged beauty and its unique plants, some of which have found their way into these new drinks. It’s all the result of an international partnership between Craig (from South Africa) and Maria (from Sweden), blending South African herbs like rooibos and fynbos with Swedish spring water. The aim was to create a “distilled non-alcoholic alt-gin that allows you to escape and find harmony”.

The two flavours we tried were the Classic – with juniper, coriander and rose-geranium; and the Crisp – with juniper, cucumber and camomile. Of the two, the Crisp was our favourite by a long way. It’s got a more complex flavour than the Classic – a nice fresh hint of cucumber, balanced by a certain bitterness. The Classic was more flowery, but overall seemed to us a blander drink.

Compared to Seedlip, the Ceder’s flavours are less powerful. If you’re looking for something smooth, try Ceder’s; if you’d like new and crazy flavours, maybe give Seedlip a go.

Much like Seedlip, in spite of the presence of juniper, neither of the Ceder’s drinks tasted much like traditional gin. This, of course, is one of the eternal questions about alcohol-free drinks – should they aim to be like their alcoholic equivalents, or should they just aim to be good drinks?

Ceder’s drinks have become a lot easier to get hold of recently, thanks to a distribution deal with Pernod Ricard. As a result, you can now get them in Sainsbury’s. With Diageo taking a 20% stake in Seedlip, it’s clear that the major players are taking alcohol-free spirits very seriously.

Both Seedlip and Ceder’s are priced towards the top end of the market. Seedlip is £26 for 700ml in Tesco, and Ceder’s is £20 for 500ml in Sainsbury’s. Since neither of these products is subject to the usual £7.52 excise duty on standard-strength spirits, it would be interesting to know whether their price is a genuine reflection of production costs, or if it’s a deliberate move to appeal to high-end consumers.