"There are really excellent non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beers out there, as well as an ever-expanding offering of zero-alcohol wines (or, even, sessionable wines at around 6% ABV). But what of those who like, or used to like, a cocktail? Those who enjoy the heady, medicinal kick of a spirit, but don't want any of the booze? Spirit is so easily defined in alcohol terms, but what about when you're not distilling something alcoholic from the ingredients?"
"As it's defined in the Oxford English Dictionary (the website; I don't have one knocking around the house), a spirit is a strong distilled alcoholic liquor used for drinking. So, part of how I'm defining a non-alcoholic spirit will be first based on its strength and second those elements that need to be distilled to create it. (Non-alcoholic brand Everleaf notes, however, that extracting from specific ingredients can be most effectively done in different ways, either by distillation or by grinding an ingredient down.)"
Non-alcoholic spirits, liqueurs, aperitifs and amaros replicate the sensory character of alcoholic spirits through distilled or extracted botanical and flavour components. Options include non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beers, zero-alcohol and sessionable wines, and emerging spirit alternatives designed to be mixed, shaken or served over ice. Definition of a spirit can hinge on strength, distillation of ingredients, and how people choose to enjoy it with mixers or in cocktails. Extraction methods vary; brands use distillation or grinding to capture flavours from ginger, chilli, honey and other botanicals to create complex, spirit-like drinks. They provide appealing, less sugary alternatives to soft drinks for hosts serving guests who are reducing or avoiding alcohol.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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