Over the past few years, mixers have made their way into the spotlight, and we must say, we are delighted. The spirit has always been the shining star in a drink, however with 2/3 of your drink being the mixer (as Fever Tree rightly say) they deserve some careful consideration. 

On top of this, alcohol-free spirits are typically more delicate meaning if the right mixer isn’t paired with the appropriate drink, their flavours can be lost. Not what anyone is after - a lacklustre drink after a long day.

What do we do with this information we hear you ask. We are getting to that, we promise. 

Sekforde is a range of four botanical sodas specifically made for mixing. Founder Talula, wanted a way to appreciate spirits where she could taste their flavours alongside the mixers and to achieve this she created Sekforde, each with a unique combination of delicate notes that complement instead of overpower. ‘Creating Sekforde was a journey, I looked at many combinations and then settled on four recipes: Sicilian orange, rosemary & gentian, originally created to pair with whisky. Lime, mint & cacao to match with rum. Prickly pear, fig & cardamom for tequilas and Raspberry rose & sage for gin and vodka.’

Alongside their complex flavour profiles, Sekforde is low in sugar to ensure sugar’s sweetness doesn’t overwhelm the delicate flavours. ‘The result is something genuinely different and surprising. As soon as I launched, I had people telling me how great Sekforde was enjoyed soft or paired with alcohol-free spirits. It’s a very exciting world to be part of’.

JOMO Club’s Dry January Box featured two of Sekforde’s range to pair with Bax Botanics. The Sicilian orange, rosemary and gentian brought out the notes in the Sea Buckthorn present in Bax Botanics, each containing hints of orange and a combination of dry bitters that harmonise well. The Raspberry, rose and sage worked well because it is so different. The fruity, floral notes complement and off-set the dry bitterness in the Sea Buckthorn and balance each other well. 

Talula suggests an easy and delicious way to enjoy Sekforde is with different fruit juices working with a 3:1 ratio (Sekforde to juice). 

A few ways to get you started: 

• Lime, mint and cacao topped up with apple juice

• Raspberry, rose and safe with cranberry juice

• Prickly pear, fig and cardamom with pear juice

• Sicilian orange, rosemary and gentian with grapefruit juice

If you want to experiment with a cocktail, why don’t you mix up the lime, mint and cacao Sekforde with Caleño’s Dark & Spicy for an alcohol-free spiced Mojito! 

If you want to have a play at home and explore the whole range, you can find Sekforde in Waitrose, Ocado and on Amazon. You can also follow Sekforde for Dry January inspiration and beyond @sekfordedrinks.