Last Christmas was one to remember (or perhaps not …). But this year, with most of the UK fully vaccinated we are all looking forward to something more festive & familiar. Perhaps that’s why Christmas felt as though it started earlier than ever this year, with jingles on the radio and TV in late October - everyone making up for what we lost in 2020!

As well as being a time for family and friends, Christmas is absolutely a time for delicious (and so excessive that we feel uncomfortable on the sofa but do it all again the next day - don’t pretend you don’t do it too) food & drink. So this year, why not try something that your liver might just thank you for in the new year…?

NINE ELMS No.18 Ruby Velven is a new type of sophisticated non-alcoholic drink created to enhance and complement good food. It’s not a wine, but it does have complex wine-like characteristics, which makes it the perfect alternative to alcohol for food lovers, and a wonderful festive tipple to impress your guests.

Moreover, with no artificial flavours, colours, sweeteners or added sugar, it has just 12 calories per 75ml serve and it is packed full of naturally occurring polyphenols from the 4 types of dark berries and 20 botanicals. 

NINE ELMS No.18 Ruby Velven has mouth-watering soft tannins, gentle acidity and layers of complexity. I haven’t managed to find such a satisfying non-alcoholic drink before - how have NINE ELMS achieved this?

The choice and careful blending of natural berries and botanicals (which includes gentian, angelica, green tea, sweet orange peel and quassia wood) are what creates No.18’s intriguing flavour - herbaceous juicy red fruit, warming spices and a more-ish, savoury, pleasingly bitter aftertaste. Its complex aromas also evolve and reveal themselves differently depending on the shape of your glass. Earthy and red fruit aromas tend to come to the fore when served in the broad bowl of a pinot noir glass, while herbaceous and black fruit characters are often more pronounced in the narrower shape of a cabernet or shiraz glass.

Pairing suggestions

NINE ELMS No.18 pairs particularly well with rich savoury flavours – try it with roast meats, chargrilled vegetables, different types of cheese, or something spicy like a lamb curry. It also works brilliantly with things that contain dark chocolate.

NINE ELMS No.18 was created to drink as a straight pour, or over ice, however it is extremely versatile and can be used as a key ingredient to many fantastic non-alc or low alcohol cocktails, including this month’s JOMO Club Cocktail of the Month, ‘Mulled NINE’!

Mulled NINE:

1 bottle NINE ELMS No.18

5ml GIMBER (or fresh ginger juice) 

1 whole dried chipotle chilli

1 cinnamon stick, 2 star anise, 7 allspice berries, 3 cloves

30g light brown sugar

Large orange twist

Method: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and gently bring to a simmer (stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar) for 20 minutes. Ladle into glasses and garnish each with a fresh orange twist.

If you missed JOMO Club’s Festive December Box with NINE ELMS No.18, you can find stockists on their website at www.nineelmsdrinks.com.

You can also follow them for inspiration on food dishes and pairing ideas @ninelemsdrinks