Borrago

Borrago (pronounced boar-a-go) is named after the latin classification name for borage, a bright blue edible flower. The best way to describe it, would be a non-alcoholic spirit used as a base for cocktails, in a similar way to gin and vodka. It is made using no less than 6 botanicals which are steam distilled and processed individually, and then blended together to create the finished product.

At no point is any alcohol used in the making of Borrago, it really is a zero alcohol product (whilst other products are de-alcoholized) and the company are currently in the process of applying for halal accreditation.

The bottle arrived with a small booklet providing recipe ideas,  which is handy as my drink making skills are limited to virgin mojitos and pina coladas. The package also had a packet of borage seeds which I thought was a nice touch – any effort to help the planet always gets a thumbs up from me. Borrago certainly looks like a premium product, and this particular bottle was the #47 Paloma Blend, with citrus, spice and pepper.

The initial aroma upon opening the bottle is quite heady, I thought I could detect fleeting traces of mint and aniseed, however I can’t quite place my finger (or nose) on what botanicals they have used, but it was a crisp and clean scent. I initially tried this with tonic water as that is the serving suggestion, along with some slices of orange and as I tasted it I found it very bitter, and that’s the exact moment I remembered that I dislike tonic water.  I then tried it with some lemonade instead (yes I know, very sophisticated) and it was a revelation. It tasted smooth and refreshing, yet subtly sharp and aromatic. A very pleasant drink to have.

The friends who tasted this with me described it as having a Mediterranean type taste, and thought it was refreshing and had a good taste to it. One of them was a seasoned gin drinker who thought it was aromatic, and said it didn’t feel like a soft drink, and she would definitely purchase it as a substitute. Another said that as a designated driver, she would feel that she was still having a drink, and not missing out. One of them also pointed out it would be good for diabetics, and anyone on a calorie restricted diet due to the zero sugar content.

I still find the idea of socially ‘drinking’, and not eating, a strange concept. I think in part it’s probably due to being constantly fed by your mum, and your relatives, and then your family friends. Who hasn’t been subjected to dinner party torture by well meaning elders who think that putting away anything less than 4000 calories is a personal affront to their cooking?

Food is such a big part of socialising in our culture, that to only consume liquids seems, well, a bit of a waste. Or maybe I’m just being greedy. I could see myself sipping this in the garden instead of my usual summer beverage of ginger ale, so can also understand why you’d forgo food and just opt for a drink. It’s nice to have options instead of the usual saccharine soft drinks and cartons of orange juice, and Borrago offers a decent, grown up alternative for those avoiding alcohol, and would be a good choice at dinner parties where Rubicon fruit juice seems to be the standard pre-meal offering.

More information on Borrago can be found at www.borrago.com

 

(I received these bottles as a sample, and was not offered any payment for any service)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Temperance Spirit Company

The Temperance Spirit Company were kind enough to send me samples of their drinks Teetotal G’n’T, and Cubalibre.

The company itself is quite new having only launched in December 2015, to fill the gap in the market for premium adult styled drinks.

It’s perhaps fortuitous that I missed the scheduled delivery of the bottles, and had to go collect them at the post office. This, coupled with feeling under the weather with the sniffles, meant the package remained unopened for a couple of days. During this time I received a follow up email from the company itself, which detailed that the drink did indeed contain Low ABV <0.5%.

I had made a point of reading the packaging and enclosed information a few times, and was a little confused as to how I could have missed it, and upon enquiring discovered that there is no legal requirement to put this information on the bottles. This information is only in the marketing materials. Furthermore, in most of Europe being less than 0.5% is classified as ‘alcohol free’, whereas in the UK it is termed dealcoholized. I’m also aware that a lot of soft drinks will contain trace amounts of alcohol, due to the process of natural fermentation of the sugars, along with other chewing gums and mouthwash. However these do not have alcohol added to them as part of the manufacturing process, and this is the fundamental difference for me.

I do know a few Muslims who consider this small percentage to be acceptable, as they reason that this is  highly unlikely to cause intoxication. However, on the flip side it would also be incredibly easy to assume that there is no alcohol present in this and unwittingly consume a product that is usually avoided.
I did not sample the drinks, however I had colleagues who were more than willing to offer their time and taste buds.

First up the Cubalibre. All five tasters considered it tasted very similar to a rum and coke., and were unanimous that it had a good flavour. One considered it similar to Havana, and said it was enjoyable to drink. Three out of the five said they would purchase it, and one had said it was a pity that this wasn’t around when she was pregnant, and she would definitely drink this if she was avoiding alcohol.

The Teetotal G’n’T had mixed reviews. Whilst two of my colleagues said it smelled like a Gin and Tonic, they wouldn’t have realised it was ‘no alcohol’, and they would be happy to drink it as a replacement. Two considered is to be just okay, and they wouldn’t see themselves buying it, and one who wasn’t taken by it had said that she would either have the real thing or sparkling water, she wouldn’t purchase a low/no alcohol version of a drink. Frankly, I feel the same way about low fat cheese, you either go big or go home.

(I received these bottles as a sample, and was not offered any payment for any service)