How to celebrate the Christmas spirit – without the spirit
Christmas is an indulgent time for all, and more than in just a financial sense. For most households there are plates and plates of food– pudding, roasts, potatoes in many forms – and usually plenty of alcohol. The same can be said for most Australian families; whether you’re a wine, spirits or beer lover, a boozy Christmas is a given. But with the blooming health- zeitgeist – alcohol consumption is at its lowest since the 1960s – many Aussies are left wondering how they can conjure the Christmas cheer – without an wisky-laced eggnog in hand. The solution? Non-alcoholic spirits. To help you all out this Christmas, we’re rounding up the best non-alcoholic beverages in the business, so you can celebrate the holidays with a drink in hand, but guilt-free.
ALTD Spirits
ALTD Spirits have only recently graced bottle store shelves and bring a fresh approach to non-alcoholic distillations. Each bottle is named after a different variety of native cicada, an ode to the ingredients, tastes and sounds found across the Australian landscape. What makes ALTD stand out is disinterest in pretending to be anything else. The spirits are made in micro-batches from the natural waters stored in the cellular walls of plants, which are then distilled in traditional copper alembic stills. The result is a flavour that is richly botanical and flavoursome. This is not a gin, nor a vodka, but something else entirely, making it a pleasure to drink and to look at. What’s more, the entire range is alcohol-, sugar- and gluten-free, and vegan friendly. Choose between the Silver Princess, Green Grocer, and Golden Emperor.
Recommended recipe:
ALTD Silver Plum MojitNO (by Chiswick, Sydney)
Ingredients:
50ml Silver Princess
20g Plum Jam
River Mint Leaves
Soda Water
Ice
Method:
1. Add Silver Princess, plum jam & mint to a cocktail shaker with ice & shake vigorously.
2. Pour into a tall glass, top with soda & stir.
3. Garnish with mint spring.
Fluère
Fluère is Nobel Spirit’s latest release and is the perfect ‘spirito non alcolico’ for the gin fanatics we know and love. Made with lemon peel from the Mediterranean, coriander seeds from Casablanca, juniper berries from the Himalayas, and lavender from Provence, Fluère is light, fragrant and tart – a centrepiece without overwhelming. The delightfully fresh concoction is the result of a collaboration between Dutch VOC Spirits and 18th Century distillery Hooghoudt. The secret? Hydro-steam distilling. Each ingredient is individually pressurised and steamed in a copper still to produce a fine essential oil, which is then infused with filtered Dutch national park water. What makes the experience even better is its artistic bottle: elegantly twisted, teal-hued glass.
Recommended recipe:
Lavender Fluère and Tonic
Ingredients:
65 ml Fluère
150 ml Premium tonic water
Lots of ice cubes
2 Twigs lavender & a few juniper berries to garnish
Method:
1. Add Fluère. Put ice in your glass.
2. Pour premium tonic in your glass.
3. Garnish with a few twigs of lavender and juniper berries.
Soda Press Co.
Soda Press’ Kombucha is the perfect alcohol replacement for heathy holidayers this year, as it’s great on its own or as a low-cal mixer. Brewed and bottled in Melbourne, Soda Press Kombucha Concentrate is fermented over a 45-day period in a small batch process, maximising the probiotics to create a healthy mix of live microorganisms. It contains almost zero sugar and packs in more than 1 billion live probiotics per serve, and this isn’t even the best part. Soda Press’ Kombucha Concentrate is both environmentally and economically efficient: one $9 bottle makes approximately 12 drinks, and each bottle is made from recycled glass. Buy Kombucha concentrate on its own or in a box set, which contains one bottle of kombucha concentrate and one organic (and low sugar!) soda syrup, like their refreshing old fashioned lemonade. The gift packs are only $24.95 and make a great stocking stuffer, which can be enjoyed in the sun over the holidays.
Recommended recipe:
Rosy Gin-Kombucha Cocktail
Ingredients:
60ml gin
30ml Campari
15ml fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
150 ml original kombucha, chilled
Lemon wedges (for serving)
Method:
1. Stir gin, Campari, lemon juice, and ginger in a pint glass or measuring cup.
2. Stir in kombucha.
3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into an ice-filled Collins glass.
4. Garnish with lemon wedges.
Seedlip
Seedlip was the world's first distilled non-alcoholic spirit line, and they’ve not just stood the test of time, but excelled at it. With three botanical spirits in the range, Seedlip has something for lovers of whisky, gin and rum. Spice 94 combines Jamaican Allspice berry & cardamom distillates with two varieties of bark, for a bright citric finish. Garden 108 blends handpicked peas and home-grown hay with traditional garden herb distillates, in celebration of the English countryside. Grove 42 is a citrus-forward blend of three types of orange and spice distillates, which contributes to a tart and refreshing tipple with a peppery prickle. Seedlip expertly combines traditional techniques with innovating flavours, contributing to a range of drinks that even the booze-lovers will want to cash in on these holidays.
Recommended recipe:
Hot Toddy
Ingredients:
Seedlip Grove 42: 50ml
Coconut Sugar: 1 bar spoon
Hot Assam Tea: 120ml
Ginger peel
Method:
1. Combine all ingredients into a glass or mug
2. Garnish with ginger peel
Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Spirits
Lyre’s’ has been on the market for a couple of months now, but the extensive range, and true tone flavours, means there’s always something new to create. Lyre’s was one of the first of its kind and its longevity is no mistake. The flavours are excellent replicas of their alcoholic predecessors, making them the perfect solution for those who drink alcohol for the taste, not the feeling. Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate the classics, so why not pour the American Malt over ice for a traditional Old Fashioned, or mix Italian Orange with soda water and prosecco for a summery Aperol Spritz.
Recommended recipe:
Binco Spritz
Ingredients:
30ml Lyre's Orange Sec
30ml Lyre's Apéritif Dry
90ml premium bottled tonic water
1 thin cucumber ribbon
2 lemon slices
Method:
1. Add all ingredients in glass.
2. Stir, fill with fresh ice.
3. Glass: Large or stemless wine
4. Garnish: Plump mint sprig
