I am not a drinker, and my talent to make any cocktail ends with pouring alcohol into the glass. I like the idea of some nice mocktails, and I was excited to try New London Light non-alcoholic spirit.
The company is based in London, UK. They offer few non-alcoholic options. At the moment of writing this review, the only one available in the USA is ‘New London Light’ (NLL).
NLL is Low calorie and alcohol-free. It is made with all-natural ingredients, sugar-free, allergen-free, and vegan friendly.
Ingredients: Water, natural botanical distillates & extracts, acidulant (citric), preservative (potassium sorbate).
The bottle comes in a pretty designed box. The size is 750ml.
New London Light is helping the planet. For every 4.5 bottles sold in the USA, SeaTrees will restore 1ft² of giant kelp in California. “NLL’s mission is to have a positive impact on the ocean and the life it supports by vigorously reducing its carbon footprint and supporting meaningful initiatives that re-wild oceans and sequester carbon.”
“NLL is crafted by first distilling a combination of three botanicals: rich Macedonian juniper berries, zesty ginger, and warm habanero capsicum to create a full-bodied base spirit. The base liquid is carefully blended with 15 further hand-picked botanicals, including orange, sage, cardamom, cascarilla bark, and lemongrass, creating a complex and layered spectrum of flavor with thirst-quenching hints of citrus orange and sage”.
I have to remind the reader I am not an alcohol drinker. With that being said, here is my take on this non-alcoholic spirit. I have tried it on its own, and it tasted a little watery, but at the same time like tonic water, with something strong. This spirit is not meant to be drunk on its own, I think. So I started to make some mocktails. The first one I made, was my take on Gin and Tonic. I used the recipe from https://us.salcombegin.com/new-london-light-1/new-london-light-and-light Minus sage leaf, and instead of Orange slice, I put lemon slice.
Here is my modified recipe:
Gin and Tonic NLL Light
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 fl oz ‘New London Light’
5 fl oz tonic water
Lemon (or Orange) slice to garnish
Optional: Sage leaf to garnish
METHOD
Fill a high ball glass with ice
Add a large measure of ‘New London Light’
Add 5 fl oz of tonic water
Garnish with a slice of lemon or orange and a sage leaf
Gently stir and serve
And now we are talking. This was very similar to gin and tonic. I felt like I am having a real drink.
Next, I made up the drink. Again, I don’t know what I am doing, but here is my other drink.
Georgina Gin NLL Cocktail
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 fl oz ‘New London Light’
freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and orange juice
Orange slice to garnish
METHOD
Fill a short glass with ice
Add ‘New London Light’
Add Strained grapefruit and orange juice
Garnish with a slice of orange
Gently stir and serve
And here is my favorite mix so far:
Orange You Glad NLL Gin
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 fl oz ‘New London Light’
fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 fl oz tonic water
Orange slice to garnish
METHOD
Fill a short glass with ice
Add ‘New London Light’
Add Strained orange juice, then tonic
Gently stir and serve
Garnish with a slice of orange
I think it is fantastic that there are non-alcoholic options. I am looking forward to trying the other flavors when available in the USA.
General rating: ★★★★★
Product provided by: https://us.salcombegin.com/new-london-light
* Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in the review is my own and honest viewpoint. I was not required to write a positive statement.