What is a "non-alcoholic aperitif"?
We use the terms“aperitif”and“spritz”a lot at Everleaf. So much so, that we thought we were long overdue an explanation of what we mean, rather than just using them willy-nilly whenever we feel like it!
Non-Alcoholic Aperitif:
Firstly, we're always referring to Everleaf as “non-alcoholic aperitifs”. We don’t use the term “non-alcoholic spirit”. Even if we were alcoholic, we’d be considered an aperitif rather than a spirit. Everleaf isn’t solely the product of distillation (some ingredients are, but others are macerated, infused, some steam distilled, fermented and whatever else gets the best from the plants), and just like other aperitifs, we’re slightly sweetened (though less than most alcoholic ones) and have a bitter component.
But what is an aperitif?
The word itself is French, coming from the Latin aperire - to open - in this case as a drink to open or prepare the palate before a meal. It is used for a wide variety of drinks, from vermouths through to complex cocktails, that stimulate and get you ready for dinner. The term can be used for any pre-meal drink, but they all commonly contain bitter or herbal flavours. Aperitifs get your evening started!
As such, they play an important social role, marking that time between the end of work and the more formal occasion of dinner. They’re the perfect tipple to start something with, so they tend not to be too strong or too filling – they’re there to relax the mind and build up the anticipation of what’s to come.
Non-Alcoholic Spritz:
So how does that bring us on to the Spritz? Well over the last few years, the Spritz has become synonymous with that aperitif moment. It has all the characteristics needed – bitterness, complexity and sweetness, with the added exuberance of bubbles. A serious drink in a playful mood!
The name comes from the German spritzen, to spray, referring to a splash of sparkling water sprayed into wine to dilute it. Austrian soldiers posted to Veneto in the 19th century found the wines much stronger than the beer they were used to drinking, so asked for it “spritzed” in this way. Really any drink with a splash of bubbles could be regarded to be a spritz – from the white wine spritzer to the now-ubiquitous Aperol Spritz.
For us, it means something bittersweet, complex, delicious and bubbly – with or without alcohol. We give you the first three in each expression of Everleaf, you pick the bubbles to mix it with!
The classic Everleaf spritz is your favourite Everleaf variant with light tonic in a 1/3 ratio. However here we have an array of other cocktail recipes to ensure that your aperitif moment is NEVER boring.
