New to Aotearoa: Pentire Botanical Non-Alcoholic Spirits

It’s been a long tough winter. Wet, really wet, cold, miserable and everyone’s talking about giving things up – oh no, not Dry July again! We’re all for wellness and a good cause but swapping out our glass of wine for a green tea doesn’t sound like a fair trade…

But wait… When celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay calls something the “most delicious non-alcoholic drink,” you should take note, right? Well, we definitely did that and more! We have brought it into the country: Introducing D&N’s first Non-Alcoholic botanical spirit PENTIRE from the wild coastline of Cornwall, England.

We’ve observed that every year the Non-Alcoholic drinks category gets more exciting, as new entrants to the field bring out interesting innovations and the standard of the offering goes up across the board. And undoubtedly, you know how much we at D&N adore our vino, sherries, fortifieds and fine spirits but at the same time, we’re aware of the broader trends of mindfulness and moderation. Yes, we are thinking more about drinking a little less, yet without settling for an inferior non-alcoholic drink or being less social. Perhaps it was time to be more open to the idea that a drink can be special even if it isn’t alcoholic. And we believe, this quality spirit substitute Pentire, has cleverly found a way to communicate the intensity, complexity, or satiation you’d associate with a rewarding, refreshing and flavourful traditional beverage. 

Pentire is named after the Pentire peninsula on the rugged Cornwall coast of England. It’s an area known for excellent surf. And Pentire’s founder, Alistair Frost, is a surfer. “Frosty,” as he’s known, was surfing during the day and bartending at night. And he was tired of hangovers interfering with his early-morning wave-hunting. So, he created Pentire along with his friend Ed, a fellow surfer and devoted outdoorsy guy who he met on a charity bike race across Mallorca.

Pentire is really a celebration of unique plant life that grows on the surrounding headland of Cornwall. Key botanicals thrive there due to a combination of favourable climate, soil pH, and air moisture. The lads have been particularly mindful that they were crafting a healthier choice for active living outdoor loving people. Now even the rest of us less outdoorsy types can relish the sophisticated flavour profiles of the delectable healthy Pentire range.

Whatever your reason for foraying into the area of non-alcoholic beverages, you don’t need to be a mixologist to enjoy the impressive calibre and flavours of the Pentire non-alcoholic spirit range

The Pentire Adrift has the highest rating of any non-alcoholic spirit on Trustpilot ratings (an international measurement of customer satisfaction); and there have been some stellar reviews, including from the New York Times in which Pentire was selected in the top 17 Non-alcoholic drinks for 2023.

According to the NY Times, (and we wholeheartedly concur), “a great non-alcoholic drink has all of the elements of a great alcoholic one”. Taste is very subjective, but there are key components that make a drink feel balanced, namely a harmonious blend of acidity, sweetness, bitterness, salinity, and water. These layers of flavour play off one another, developing as you sip. The drink excites your palate and challenges you to figure out what exactly makes it so darn delicious—and why you can’t stop drinking it. The trick is to create that nuance without using alcohol as a base. Pentire has achieved this feat in spades – tasty-licious ones!

Almost all the alcohol free booze companies – to differing degrees – make products that nod in the direction of healthy. Pentire drinks really ARE healthy!

There are just two calories in a standard 50ml serving and zero added sugar. So, you’re talking less than 30 calories for the entire drink if you mix it, as suggested, with a mixer-sized can of a premium Light Tonic. That’s insanely low for a drink that feels like a real treat. And Pentire is free from sulphites, vegan friendly and 100% plant-based.

Furthermore, the rock samphire included in the drinks contains vitamins C, E and K, as well as Omega 3 and antioxidants. If you didn’t already feel virtuous drinking an alcohol-free alternative to gin, you should now!

In Pentire’s Adrift, Frosty and Ed’s passion for the coast shines through. It’s made with coastal Cornwall native botanicals that includes rock samphire, sea fennel, sage, citrus and Cornish sea salt, either sustainably sourced, foraged or organically grown. In collaboration with local botanists, distillers, and mixologists, this is the ultimate cool mixer – it’s got a kind of oceanic, rock pool, coastal walk vibe. Pour yourself a glass (we recommend a splash of tonic, a slice of lemon, or sprig of rosemary for garnish). Then picture yourself on a sandy beach —you won’t be far off.

“We’d make a Pentire Adrift and tonic to revive us on steamy days. This stuff is a natural substitute for gin, but it can also stand alone. As corny as it sounds, when we drank this concoction, we felt as if a sea breeze were washing over us. For something with such a simple ingredients list, Pentire Adrift dazzles. It’s subtly briny, and the verdant and citrusy notes—we tasted rosemary, sage, juniper, pine, and lemon — complement the salinity. Thin and lacking sugar, Pentire Adrift has the appearance of water or a clear liquor. It stands up well on its own over ice. And when Pentire Adrift is served with tonic, the result is a close dupe to a gin and tonic — and the herbal flavors still sparkle. (The company doesn’t call this an imitation gin, but Pentire Adrift does have some characteristic gin flavors.) The bottle’s chic, minimalist design makes Pentire Adrift feel especially fancy, like something you’d display on a bar cart. An extra perk: You don’t have to refrigerate this one.” – New York Times

Seaward is the second member of the Pentire family. Pentire Seaward’s bright and zesty grapefruit pith top notes blend with a hint of juniper followed by refreshing green natural tones from the Pentire Plant Blend layered with natural berry from harvested sea buckthorn, sea rosemary, and wild seaweed. Like the name Seaward suggests, each sip of this invigorating non-alcoholic spirit will magically transport you to the seaside. 

Pentire has created a non-alcoholic aperitif in collaboration with the world’s best bartenders, who share Pentire’s love of the outdoors. In the Coastal Spritz, Pentire’s signature naturally distilled coastal plants are carefully blended with blood orange, sea rosemary and oakwood to create the perfect balance of natural bittersweet flavours, citrus and complex herbal tones with refreshing maritime notes. They make for fun ingredients to work with in “NO-gronis” and deliver all you want from a Negroni while reducing both the sugar and booze in the drink even further. Or the simpler aperitif version – get this over ice with a good splash of soda, and a wedge of orange and bay leaf to garnish. Delicious!

Who doesn’t love the sound of the ice dropping into a glass and the drink gurgling onto the ice as its swirled with a cocktail spoon? With this new generation of Pentire alcohol-free drinks they can be enjoyed on their own, mixed, or made into a cocktail. While Pentire isn’t technically a gin, it’s easiest to file it under the “gin category”. And our D&N staff favourite serve is a simple Pentire & Tonic with fresh lime. The brine and herbal notes balance out the bitterness of the tonic while the citrus shines through.

But guess what, whichever way you serve your Pentire, you’ll happily sit with people consuming gin and tonics, or cocktails without feeling as if you are missing out. Here’s a few suggested mocktail recipes – have fun!

In addition to a great-tasting liquid, Pentire is a seriously cool company.

Firstly, they’ve got the business model sorted – they are certified B-Corp. So, what does that really mean? “Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.” 

In short, this company is committed to creating a business culture grounded in ethical behaviour in every respect. They use organic, Fair Trade ingredients. Packaging is recycled and recyclable, as well as purchasing carbon offsets for their packaging and shipping. The company also donates to charities with a percentage of profits from every bottle going to the Blue Marine Foundation for ocean preservation. That’s lots of meaningful big ticks right there.

You may choose a non-alcoholic drink for a host of reasons, whether you’re sober, avoiding alcohol for medical or religious reasons, pregnant, driving home, moderating your alcohol intake, or just wanting to avoid a hangover. Or you may just want a delicious and interesting beverage – PENTIRE is it! #drinkfortomorrow #trysomethingnew

From the branding to the taste to the health benefits to the ethics, PENTIRE is a range of drinks with a serious feel-good factor. This is a classy range that everyone should be buying to add to your growing “booze free bar” at home. Cheers to that!