30. April 2023

Alcohol-free indulgence with full taste

Thanks to people’s growing health consciousness combined with modern lifestyles, the consumption of alcohol is declining worldwide. Non-alcoholic spirits are on trend and their popularity is increasing. One third of consumers have reduced their alcohol consumption in recent years (FMCG Gurus: Hard Seltzer Survey, September 2021) and ever more of them are looking for authentic, non-alcoholic, reduced-sugar variants of popular spirits, long drinks and cocktails. This trend is set to continue for Generation Z as well: a large percentage of young people at the beginning of their twenties are planning to drink less alcohol.

But while consumers may wish to cut out alcohol, they do not want to compromise on taste. Instead, they aim to strike a balance between enjoying beverages and eating healthily. This trend is not only making itself known in the spirits industry – it is also growing across all areas of the food and beverage industry. As a result, ever more non-alcoholic alternatives are entering the market that replicate the multi-sensory profiles of traditional alcoholic beverages – ranging from spirits, beer, cider and wine drinks, all the way up to cocktails.

Finding solutions that are a suitable replacement for alcohol as a flavour carrier and can thus satisfy consumer wishes is a real challenge. A combination of different natural ingredients that are produced and processed using gentle methods give non-alcoholic spirits – whether pure or in the form of mixed drinks – their typical sensory taste profile.

Natural ingredients lead the way to new worlds of taste

Clear botanical emulsions made from juniper berries, cardamom, coriander, sage, rosemary, tarragon and nutmeg, for example, are completely soluble and lend alcoholic and non-alcoholic spirits and mix spirits the highest authenticity and the best possible taste thanks to their essential oil components. This makes them the perfect ingredient for 0.0% spirits, creating a full, highly intensive and well-rounded taste profile at low doses.

The distillates are colourless, making them particularly suitable for clear beverage applications (such as gin or adult soft drinks). Ingredients such as juniper berries, coriander, galangal, Piper cubeba, lavender and bitter orange peel give clear alcoholic and non-alcoholic spirits or mix spirits an authentic taste. Likewise, natural botanical extracts, which usually come in liquid or powdered form, can create varied herby, bitter or flowery taste profiles.

Botanical distillates and extracts as well as clear botanical emulsions and infusions for alcoholic and non-alcoholic applications are often FTNS (“from the named source”) products. Produced using traditional batch distillation methods, they give products their unique, aromatic twist. For non-alcoholic spirit solutions in particular, FTNS botanical solutions feature an outstanding taste profile and can precisely replicate the taste properties of spirits. Thanks to their gentle processing, they give alcoholic and non-alcoholic spirits an authentic, natural and unmistakable taste.

Herbs, flowers, spices and roots are a winning factor with their extraordinary and surprising notes. Whether spicy, flowery, refreshing, hot, earthy or fruity, natural ingredients available in the form of extracts, distillates, emulsions or infusions, for example, allow for the creation of exciting and authentic taste profiles which can be used to create a broad range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage applications.

Creating well-rounded and aged flavour notes in spirits

To give spirits an aged profile, the barrel ageing process is imitated or a specific basic taste is typified, which is done using bonificators or typages. Infusions or extracts obtained from oakwood, green walnut shells, almond shells or plums are added during traditional brandy production in many countries. This palette can also be used for other dark spirits and all beverage applications which are stored in a barrel, such as wine, beer, cider or non-alcoholic beverages for adults

Natural alcoholic boosters lend non-alcoholic spirits authentic characteristics of alcohol such as a warming mouthfeel, a burning sensation and a lasting feeling of warmth at the back of the throat. The various alcoholic boosters can be used in conjunction with natural liquid flavourings in various applications that feature the sensory experience of alcohol – ranging from dark spirits such as rum or whisky through to clear spirits such as gin.

From brewed lemonades and crafted soft drinks right through to non-alcoholic beers and spirits – the market is ready for the next generation of non-alcoholic indulgence and offers an extensive selection for anyone who wishes to cut out the alcohol.