Sprigster

Review

If you’re looking for a non-alcoholic replacement to top up with tonic over ice, this is brilliant. Created by the gardeners and cooks of Pythouse Kitchen Garden in Wiltshire, it’s made from a blend of botanicals picked from their own kitchen garden including hops for dryness, rhubarb for tang, ginger for heat and fennel seeds for a subtle hint of anise. The ingredients are hot-steeped in distilled vinegar to create a mash, but instead of being fermented, it’s left to infuse with the botanicals before being blended with an English Discovery apple reduction and spring water. The result is decidedly herbal with a hedgerow quality to it. Serve a measure over ice and top up with tonic or soda, finished with a twist of lemon and a sprig of rosemary to garnish.