Everleaf

ABV: 0%
Calories: 26 per 50ml

There was a time when “alcohol-free spirits” meant just one thing: something a bit like gin. No longer! Everleaf is one of a bunch of new drinks that aren’t like gin or anything else, alcoholic or otherwise.

Everleaf’s creator, Paul Mathew, comes from a long line of botanists and is also the owner London’s fashionable Hide bar. It took him more than a year of plant-hunting and flavour-testing to come up with this finished product.

It comes in a tall, narrow bottle, with well-designed label that makes clear that some thought has gone into the presentation. Once poured, the drink has a yellow-brown colour and a taste that’s very hard to pin down – grapefruit is probably the nearest thing, but there’s plenty of other flavours going on. The remarkable list of ingredients includes vanilla, saffron, vetiver, iris, angelica, cassia, and voodoo lily from China.

It’s got plenty of body – unlike many other alcohol-free drinks, it’s not watery at all. The producers advise mixing it with soda or tonic or serving it neat on the rocks – always with a slice of orange to complete the experience.

Pick up a bottle of Everleaf if you fancy a teetotal adventure for the tastebuds.