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Nine Gold medals gave this round a boost, with winners including: “refreshing, balanced and slightly sweet” De Kuyper Fizzy Watermelon; Fluère RTD Negroni, with “soft bitters, sweet orange” aromas; and “crowd‐pleaser” De Kuyper Fizzy Peachtree, which did “exactly what it says on the tin”. While you are waiting we recommend our Embracing Autism course: https://www.theyarethefuture.co.uk/parenting-courses/ The runaway popularity of low- and no-alcohol ‘spirits’ has led to a huge increase in brands and products entering the sector. And this influx appears to have led to a rise in quality. Low- and no-alcohol has risen in popularity as consumers seek lighter serves In the following flight – Non‐Alcoholic Dark ‘Spirit’ (less than 0.5% ABV) – three Golds and three Silvers were awarded.
The data came from IWSR’s No‐ and Low‐ Alcohol Strategic Study, which looked at 10 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain, the UK and the US. In terms of volume, the low‐and-no sector rose by 7% in the regions in 2022. The figures are testament to the ongoing consumer interest in low‐and‐no products. Uresti said: “There were some amazing products in this flight, and we saw the category not involving too much sugar or acids, but finding a way to balance both.” The judges also awarded 12 Gold medals in this heat. Four Pillars Bloody Bandwagon was one of the Gold winners, enjoyed for its “sweet, red‐berry” nose, with a “good level of dryness and complexity on the palate – even when mixed with tonic water”. The third group consisted of: Rosie Lees, co‐founder and director of Nineteen94; Sara Jane Eichler, founder of Negroni Club UK; and Matt Chambers, spirits writer and cofounder of the Whisky for Everyone blog, who chaired.Anora Group gained two of the three top awards for OP Anderson Original (1891) and OP Anderson Klar. The former entry was found to have “plenty of caraway on the nose”, leading to a “tangy and earthy palate with a slight nutty hint, white pepper and earthy warmth”. SPACES AVAILABLE NOW: Everlief Parent Club is an online membership for parents, brought to you by the team at Everlief. There are two clubs – one for primary aged and one for secondary age. Gold‐winning Ceder’s Wild was found to be “complex, with ginger and woody spice”. Smith said: “It mixes well and has good potential with soda, tonic, ginger ale, Coke.” Drinkers are switching out full-strength spirits for lower-ABV alternatives Specialist Emotional / Behavioural Support for children with autism or ADHD diagnosis or suspected autism /ADHD: I am afraid we have a long waiting list and will not be taking new names until Friday 12th January. Please do try the National Autistic Society for other suggestions. Please also take a look at our Embracing Autism course: https://www.theyarethefuture.co.uk/parenting-courses/
The first panel to gather at the Ibis Styles hotel in London Bridge comprised: Antony Moss MW, qualifications director at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET); Joyce Yu‐Hua Chou, translation project manager at the WSET; and Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions, who led the group. Ten Silver medals completed the flight, including medals for Glory Mornin’ Super Vivid, Lyre’s Agave Blanco Spirit, and Siegfried Wonderleaf. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Two Silver medals were also awarded in this flight, with one going to Merser Small Rum, and a second to Vegvisir. In the Lower‐Alcohol (26% to 30% ABV) round, meanwhile, Beefeater Botanics Lemon and and Ginger walked away with an impressive Gold medal. A large flight of Non‐Alcoholic White ‘Spirit’ (less than 0.5% ABV) delivered a pair of Master medallists.Seedlip Spice also found favour with the judges, winning a Gold medal. Tasting notes included: “Clove oil, cinnamon, and warming Christmas spices.”
Three Gold medals were also awarded in this flight: “well‐balanced, rounded” Everleaf Marine, “sweet and bitter” Fluère Bitter, and “bright, light and minty” De Kuyper Zero 0% Mojito. Six Silver medals completed the flight. Reflecting on the standard of entries, Moss said: “The message I took from today is that this is clearly still an evolving category. Some were quite successful with a little complexity – but there is still room to create some convincing ‘switch‐outs’ for major spirit categories. One area that requires work is capturing the aromatic complexity of a product, which is clearly very hard. But it’s all moving in the right direction – I’m looking forward to seeing what future developments we’ll see from this relatively new part of the spirits world.”
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The flight closed with 11 Silver medals, which included Betty Buzz Meyer Lemon Club Soda, Banks Herbarium and Pink Grapefruit Tonic, and White Tea & Calamansi Cold Brew Nitro Tea.
We are currently full until Easter and will start taking names from Friday 23rd February (delayed from 2nd Feb) for children aged 5-18. For under 5s we recommend https://drcassie.co.uk/. We do not recommend other centres but you could also try Pebble: https://www.pebbleautism.co.uk/ , https://autism-psychology.co.uk and /https://asd-adhd-assessors.co.uk/With the tasting complete, the judges reset their palates in preparation for the Taste Master assessment. All of the Master winners were repoured for each judge, who was tasked with choosing their favourite low‐and-no product from the day. With the majority of the votes, The Low & No Taste Master 2023 title was bestowed upon De Kuyper Zero 0% Margarita. Smith was just as excited about this round. He noted: “Some superb products that really encapsulates their alcoholic counterparts, balance of sweetness and sourness.” The next flight to be sampled was Low‐ Alcohol (6% to 25% ABV). The judges were impressed by Savoia Americano Rosso, awarding a Gold medal. Lees found this to be “rich and aromatic on the nose, nicely bitter and herbal on the palate. Delicious balance of sweetness with a lovely, lingering aftertaste.” Hoppy and citrusy” notes on the nose secured a Master medal for Aperitivø Classicø. Smith said: “There was a nice bittersweet interplay. Good intensity, and with soda it’s Americano‐esque.”
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