NOLO - What's the fuss and what are my options?

NOLO - What's the fuss and what are my options?

Alcohol Free (AF) drinks, it’s a sobering thought… I love wine, enjoy playing with spirits and from time to time chew down on a hoppy craft beer or two.  But what are the options if you want to go out and enjoy a great alcohol-free drink… 

Trends in the drinks industry are looking at the increase in those wanting to drink less alcohol and the general decrease in alcohol levels.  Take the old school traditionalists of Australia producing 14.5/15% Shiraz.  Whilst these wines still exist there is a general fashion among ‘new wavers’ to produce wine of lesser extraction, more finesse and lower alcohol. This is happening all around the world.

The Craft Beer scene is showcasing how well they can produce a beer with low alcohol, take table beers and micro IPA’s with only 1.5% to 3.0% abv.  Packed with flavour, they are low enough to enjoy a couple yet still flavourful enough to accompany a robust dish. AF beers are also improving with great examples from BrewDog such as Punk AF IPA - A beer for those seeking a point of difference at 0.5% ABV that brings all the attitude of their flagship Punk IPA, all of the flavour – but none of the alcohol. 

SOME OF OUR NOLO BEER OPTIONS

The NO

 

 

THE LO

 

SPIRITS

Then we have spirits.  This is an exciting area with huge potential growth. The only problem is Alcohol Free cocktails can be very watery and by removing the alcohol you have to replace with sugar to make up for that mouthfeel; I would like to take this opportunity to introduce ISH Spirits.

‘Focusing on a mission to change the social norms of drinking. By providing a satisfying, alcohol-free alternative, we include those who don’t want to drink, or simply wish to limit their intake during social gatherings where alcohol is typically the focal point’ ~ Morten Sorenesn, Founder of ISH Spirits

Morten created ISH Spirits after he decided to do a 100-day alcohol free challenge. During this time Morten realised that for those looking to appreciate the social aspects of enjoying a cocktail, but not always with the desire to drink alcohol.

Comprising of two products RumISH and GinISH, Morten has produced an alternative for the athlete, the pregnant woman, or the designated driver. It’s for those who can tear up the dance floor completely sober, and for those who simply want to wake up with a clear head on a Sunday morning.

The beauty of these products is that they are made from natural aromas such as juniper berries, vanilla and nutmeg… the same ingredients you’ll find in a typical gin or rum. ISH carefully extracted the aromas from these natural botanicals and spices and with their own recipes, combining the ingredients to obtain the familiar flavours you recognise, as an alcohol-free alternative to your classic spirits.  And to add to the ‘free from’ concept GinISH and RumISH contain zero sugar for an ultra-low calorie content of 6kcal/100ml.

So, how best do you enjoy these great ISH spirits?

The NOLO concept (no alcohol / lo alcohol) #nolo

Based on classic and all-time favourite drinks and cocktails, the ISH team created a collection of recipes that offer the familiar flavour and perfect punch… without the alcohol.

The NO:

AF drinks ranging from the Classic GinISH and Tonic and the RumISH & Ginger, to the all-time party cocktail, the silky-smooth Espresso MartinISH.  Try them at home!

MartinIHS [0%abv]

Ingredients - 6cl RumISH / 4cl espresso / 2cl white chocolate syrup / 1cl dark chocolate syrup

Garnish – Coffee Beans

Method – Shake with ice and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass

The LO:

The low-alcohol program offers the experience and pleasure of a classic cocktail but with a much lower ABV than it would typically contain.  This is an ideal option for the day drinker who only want a gentle buzz, the lightweight who would like more than one cocktail on a night out, or the professional who thirsts for a proper cocktail and still remain sharp.  The possibilities are endless, here’s one to inspire:

Low Fashioned [11%abv -typically 35% abv]

Ingredients: 5cl RumISH / 2cl Rye Whiskey / 1cl dark chocolate syrup / 2 dash Angostura bitters

Garnish - Orange Peel / Amarena Cherry

Method – Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass / add ice and stir until chilled / strain over ice into an old-fashioned glass.

Inspired AF? If you need more pop into the shop and chat to one of the team who will be able to run you through several other winning tasty AF cocktails.

 

The BUBBLES… we can’t forget the bubbles!

 

We all love bubbles, and now we have an alcohol free sparkling wine that will make you smile from cheeky to cheeky.  Amanda Thomson of recent Thomson & Scott Skinny Prosecco fame has now released Noughty AF Organic Sparkling. Thomson & Scott Noughty is the first top quality organic, vegan alcohol-free sparkling wine to be transparent about what is, and more importantly, what is not going into the bottle. Containing only 3g of sugar per 100ml this has been dealcoholised to retain the delicious flavour of this beautifully crafted Chardonnay. This AF Blanc de Blancs is an organic & vegan sparkling wine that delivers and at 0.5%abv.

 

We hope you enjoy these tasty AF options.  Don’t forget, we aren’t wanting to replace alcoholic drinks, just offer something interesting to those who have decided not to consume the stronger stuff on an evening out or at home.

#drinkbetter #nolo #noughty #tastyAF


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