Organic alcohol-free spirits to enjoy for National Organic Month
September is National Organic Month in the UK. So what better time to discuss the environmental ethos behind some of JOMO’s favourite alcohol-free companies.
What is National Organic Month?
Organic September, an initiative started by the UK Soil Association, aims to celebrate and help promote those farmers, brands and products that are organically made. The brands that work with nature as opposed to against it.
This September the Soil Association aims to raise awareness of the importance of organic farming for our climate, nature and health. So this year, we want to highlight our favourite alcohol-free brands that use only organic ingredients.
What Does Organic Mean?
Organic is a method of farming and food production that aims to produce high-quality food using farming methods that benefit the planet, plant health and animal welfare.
Organic farms are inspected by certifiers annually to ensure they maintain high environmental standards. But what does organic farming look like in practice?
Organic farms use:
Fewer pesticides
No artificial fertilisers
Higher animal welfare standards (for non-vegan products)
No genetic modification
No artificial colours or flavours
Although organic is an official certification, there are some reasons that farms and brands do not receive certification but still run environmentally conscious farms.
Why Are Organic Ingredients Important?
In a world where climate change is speeding up, biodiversity is shrinking, and water quality is decreasing, it is important to use organic ingredients.
Here are just some of the benefits of going organic:
It helps to cut agricultural emissions. If all European farmland was organic, it would cut emissions by 40-50% by 2050.
Organic soils are much healthier, produce better quality food and store more carbon.
It is better for wildlife. The Soil Association claims that “plant, insect and bird life is 50% more abundant on organic farms, and there are around 75% more wild bees on organic farms”.
Water sources are cleaner as they do not get the runoff from nitrogen fertilisers used in non-organic farming.
The ingredients are healthier and often richer in nutrients such as antioxidants.
Our Favourite Alcohol-Free Companies That Use Organic Ingredients
Living mindfully and in a way that does minimal harm to the environment, wildlife, and people is a big part of the ethos of many different alcohol-free brands. While not all use fully organic ingredients, many are certified as B-Corps and have strong environmental goals.
Here are some of our favourite alcohol-free companies that use organically sourced ingredients.
Pentire Drinks
Pentire is a Cornish-based alcohol-free distillery that makes delicious alcohol-free spirits inspired by the flavours of the Cornish coastline. They claim to use ingredients organically certified by the Soil Association “where possible”.
Pentire now offers a range of different alcohol-free spirits and ready-to-drink alcohol-free beverages including the following:
Pentire Adrift - a coastal and herbaceous alcohol-free spirit.
Pentire Seaward - a zesty and bright alcohol-free spirit
Pentire Coastal Spritz - An aperitif with coastal flavours, blood orange and Sea Rosemary
Pentire Margarita - Coastal botanicals with lime, agave, sea salt and Mexican chilli
Cans of Seaward and Tonic or Adrift and Tonic
Bax Botanics
Bax Botanics was founded by a couple of nature lovers. They aim to keep the environment at the centre of everything they do. That is why “Using organic botanicals has and always will be fundamental to Bax”. They aim to support local organic farmers and use botanicals with low miles wherever they can. For the herbs they need from further afield they have a partnership with Organic Herb Trading to ensure that all of their ingredients are created with the same sustainable ethos.
Bax Botanics currently sell two different types of alcohol-free spirit:
Bax Botanics Sea Buckthorn - This contains Bittersweet orange, aromatic herbs, and Sea Buckthorn berries which blend together to create a complex and bittersweet flavour.
Bax Botanics Verbena - This contains menthol, anise and subtle florals and has a fresh, zingy flavour with a subtle citrus flavour.
These are available in ready-to-drink cans with tonic water.
Noughty
Noughty Wines, founded by Amanda Thomson, is a driving force behind the campaign for greater transparency by food labelling companies. As such, she is transparent and intentional with the ingredients included in the Noughty alcohol-free wine range. Noughty uses 100% organic grapes that are grown with minimal intervention.
Noughty offers a range of different alcohol-free wines including the following:
Alcohol-Free Sparkling Chardonnay
Alcohhol-Free Sparkling Rosé
Dealcoholised Rosé
Dealcoholised Blanc
Deacloholised Rouge
Alt Organic Wine
Alt is a Norwegian alcohol-free company that creates delicious alcohol-free sparkling wines. They wanted to create a range of alcohol-free sparkling wines that were tasty and produced organically. Their wines are fully vegan with no added aromas, concentrates or other nasties. Instead, their alcohol-free wines are made with 100% organic grapes sourced from a winery in La Mancha, Spain.
Alt currently offers a range of different alcohol-free wines:
Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Chardonnay
Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Rosé
Non-Alcoholic Blanc
GIMBER
The founder of GIMBER, Dimitri Oosterlynck, wanted to create the best alcohol-free spirit possible, and that is when he came up with GIMBER. This is a fiery spirit that packs a gingery punch. It is made using high-quality, fully organic ginger found in the mountains of Peru. By using organic ginger only, Oosterlynck ensures that GIMBER is as fiery as possible.
Sign Up For A JOMO Club Box
If you are looking to explore the world of alcohol-free drinks, and want to sample a range of mindfully selected drinks, then sign up for the JOMO subscription box. Each box contains a range of alcohol-free spirits, ready-to-drink beverages, mixers, garnishes and snacks, all wrapped in environmentally friendly packaging and sent straight to your front door.
This is the best way to sample a selection of alcohol-free drinks you won’t find in the supermarket. So sign up now and find your new favourite alcohol-free drink!