Italian mixologist Simone Caporale, formerly of Artesian at The Langham, has launched a non-alcoholic ‘spirit’ that mimics the flavour and texture of alcohol.
Called Zeo, the brand is aimed at ‘sober curious’ consumers seeking a high quality alternative to alcohol. The brand comes in two expressions: Botanical Dry and Spiced Oak, and is available in 70cl, 50cl and 5cl bottles.
Zeo Botanical Dry is a clear zero ABV ‘spirit’ made from nine botanicals. Caporale recommends enjoying it with tonic and a slice of lemon or in a virgin Martini or Tom Collins.
Zeo Spiced Oak, meanwhile, is an amber-hued non-alcoholic ‘spirit’ made from eight botanicals, which can be enjoyed on the rocks, with cola, or in a virgin Old Fashioned.
According to recent Mintel data, 8.6m UK consumers are looking to cut down their alcohol intake.
The production of Zeo uses a five-step process that took three years to develop. The essence of the botanicals is extracted via a cold brew infusion using ‘pure’ water.
The liquid then undergoes vapour infusion distillation to produce batches of extractions. The distillates and infusions are then blended with filtered, demineralised water.
The final step of the production process is a diffusion that homogenises the liquid at high pressure through precision-engineered blade filters revolving at high speeds.
Caporale arrived in London from Italy in 2009 and joined the bar team at Artesian at The Langham, where he rose to fame alongside his bartender buddy Alex Kratena.
The dynamic duo helped the Marylebone bar shoot to global fame. It was voted the World’s Best Bar four years in a row from 2012-2015.
Caporale is due to launch a bar in Barcelona called Sips with Marc Alvarez, who has been in charge of the drinks programme for Spanish chefs Ferrán and Albert Adrià for over a decade.
