Who does not love a gin & tonic?
My tipple of choice hands down was a G&T. There was nothing I loved more than finding a new gin to add to my collection so when I found out about the world's first non-alcoholic distilled spirit Seedlip had my attention! I went through all the gin phases - Bombay with a slice of lemon, Hendricks with cucumber, Brockmans with strawberries, Gin Mare with rosemary and Tanquery 10 served with a generous slice of grapefruit. I have learnt that choosing the right tonic is as vital as choosing your gin, as its two thirds of the drink. Fever Tree is hands down my favourite with its range of flavours including Elderflower, Mediterranean and Lemon Tonic.
You can imagine my excitement when I heard of Seedlip. I will be honest, at first I was a dubious at how a non-alcoholic version spirit would compare to the real thing. However, there is always the dilemma of what to drink when not drinking especially when embarking on the journey of conception and IVF, lets face it alcohol is just not going to be doing you any favours. Living in London means most social occasions with friends revolve around either grabbing a drink or dinner with drinks, and sugary mocktails are not ideal. Balance is key and in light of this, a non-alcoholic version of a G&T could be the answer to your prayers to take away the urge to drink alcohol. Why not give it a try?
My first attempt of trying a Seedlip and tonic was a rather memorable one. I ordered a glass at Daylesford in Marylebone whilst enjoying lunch with a friend a month ago and the waitress gave us an actual gin & tonic which we did not realise until the bill arrived. So when it came to visiting Taste of London food festival last week I jumped at the opportunity for a sample and to learn more about the mysterious drink. Seedlip is a distilled non-alcoholic spirit available in two varieties - 'Spice 94' infused with botanicals of all spice, cardamom, oak, lemon & grapefruit and 'Garden 108' with botanicals of peas, hay, spearmint, rosemary and thyme. Both are completely sugar and sweetener free with no artificial flavours and no calories. After sampling both varieties, Garden 108 has a herbal and floral undertone, suited for fans of Gin Mare whilst Spice 94 is aromatic and earthy for fans that favour a citrus gin such as Bombay Sapphire.
Safe to say I will be purchasing both bottles. Seedslip does not come cheap at £27 for 70cl but it makes the perfect non-drink 'drink' to accompany with your tonic. The finest ingredients are harvested and individually distilled in copper to capture the true spirit of Seedlip hence the cost, it is made in the UK and ingredients are home grown. The website is worth checking out to find a list of stockists and where you can enjoy a drink whilst out and about. The list is comprehensive and includes The London Edition, W Hotel, Bluebird, Sky Garden, The Wolseley, Senor Ceviche, Colbert, Petersham Nurseries, Hawksmoor, Mr Fogg's, Chez Bruce, Hix, Sexy Fish and Berner's Tavern.
Enjoy and drink responsibly ;)
L.P. x