In the following flight – Non‐Alcoholic Dark ‘Spirit’ (less than 0.5% ABV) – three Golds and three Silvers were awarded. The only vodka to scoop an award in this year’s tasting, and what a vodka it is. With a “lemon drop sweetness” and some enjoyable citrus notes, the judges awarded this ultra-premium vodka, made from some of the world’s finest potatoes from Jersey, a Gold medal during the tasting. We’re excited to see what else is to come from this young distillery, which sits at the foot of the famous Aber Falls waterfall that acts as the gateway of the beautiful Snowdonia national park. What we do know is they will continue to do Wales very proud. 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.

Pernod Ricard collected two Silver medals in this flight for Beefeater Pink Light and Beefeater Light. “This is an interesting category as there is still a decent amount of ABV,” noted Chambers at the end of the flight. “This helps to drive the flavours and aromas – some decent products on show.” A second Master was awarded to Pallini Limonzero, which offered a “great lemon aroma” on the nose. “Excellent body and lemony taste that resembles limoncello greatly. Slight spiciness at the end, but overall great,” noted Prousaefs. The bar features an immersive forest staircase, photo wall and interactive games where guests can win a selection of prizes. The campaign features influencer partnerships, the launch of its first ready-to-drink (RTD) range, as well as a nationwide Spritz competition to be replicated at Imbibe Live in London on 4-5 July. Aber Falls Single Malt is bottled at 40% ABV. The brand began rolling out its single malt whiskies internationally last month.Smith was just as excited about this round. He noted: “Some superb products that really encapsulates their alcoholic counterparts, balance of sweetness and sourness.” Move over vodka, rum and gin, the next-gen spirits are here and they're probably not what you were expecting. As interest in booze-free alternatives continues to grow, so too do the fun, innovative and grown-up alternatives on offer.

verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ With only 1% of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey barrels selected as single barrels, it is perhaps not a surprise that this particular bottle walked away with a Master medal at this year’s tasting. This is a special whiskey.

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It was a Gold medal presented to this non-chill-filtered single malt whisky from the west coast of Scotland. Using a selection of ingredients that highlight Everleaf’s nine key botanicals, bartenders are invited to book a slot on the Everleaf stand to showcase their Spritz-making skills. Entries will be judged live at the show using four criteria: flavour, aroma, texture and presentation.

As the contest travelled from Scotland across the Irish Sea, we found another well-deserved Master medal winner, this time a blend from McConnell’s Irish Whisky, a Belfast distillery that has controversially decided to drop the ‘e’ from its spirit title.

The best alcohol-free spirits for 2023 are:

The competition ran from 1 March to 30 April, and received 43 entries. It was Rebecca Bird from The Pig on the Beach in Dorset who created the winning drink, A Little Vitamin Sea, which earned her the title of Everleaf Spritz Master, and a trip to Iceland for two.