What, you might ask, is Everleaf?
Everleaf is an award-winning non-alcoholic aperitif, first introduced by bartender and conservation biologist Paul Mathew, in January 2019.
Paul was aiming to create and craft a wonderfully intricate and layered flavour while recreating alcohol’s unique silky texture. so he did what any conservation biologist with a passion for bartending would do, Paul turned to nature.
The result is a of his years of experience and experimentation is a vibrant yet non-alcoholic aperitif that delivers on the rich sensory experience of a spirit, which rivals some of the top alcoholic brands that are currently on the market.
Everleaf works wonderfully with light tonic waters, which enables you to create a light and refreshing spritz, ideal for your Christmas drinks.
One of the bestselling non-alcoholic brands in the UK, Everleaf originally launched with Forest, and later introduced Mountain and Marine blends in November 2020. In Spring 2022, Everleaf expanded its portfolio with the launch of what is its signature serve, the Everleaf Spritz into ready-to-drink cans. Everleaf’s products are firmly anchored to different parts of the natural world, which act as both inspiration for flavour profiles and sources for its key botanicals.
Everleaf Forest: It's complex and bittersweet. The original Everleaf; Forest is an intricate blend of 14 bittersweet botanicals including sweet orange blossom and Madagascan vanilla, bitter gentian and golden saffron, earthy vetiver, and spicy cassia bark, inspired by forest layers, from the canopy to the understory.
Suggested serve The Forest Spritz: One-part Everleaf Forest and three parts light tonic, garnished with a wedge of orange and served over ice,
Everleaf Mountain: It's vibrant and aromatic. Mountain is an elegant blend of 12 aromatic botanicals, leading with fragrant cherry blossom, alongside bittersweet rosehip, wild strawberry, sweet and spicy myrtle, juniper, and a touch of everlasting, inspired, interestingly, by a mountain climb, from blossom-filled woods, to fresh rocky peaks.
Suggested serve The Mountain Spritz: One-part Everleaf Mountain and three parts light tonic, served with strawberry slices and some ice.
Everleaf Marine: crisp and refreshing Marine is a crisp blend of 16 refreshing botanicals with a core of piney juniper and bergamot to reference gin botanicals, followed by tropical sea buckthorn, savoury dulse and kelp seaweeds, along with a hint of bitter olive leaf and intensely aromatic labdanum, inspired by sea swims before resting for a while on the beach, surrounded by the aromas of olive and citrus groves.
Suggested serve The Marine & Tonic: One-part Everleaf Marine and three parts tonic, garnished with lime slices and ice.
Everleaf is the product of Paul Mathew’s background as a conservation biologist, plus his time working a both bartender and bar owner, having opened The Hide, The Arbitrager, and Demon, Wise & Partners in London.
As a bartender, Paul was obviously surrounded by some of the best spirits that the world has to offer. He learned what made them great and why this was the case.
However, if someone approached Paul asking for his best non-alcoholic recommendation, the answer wasn’t as easy as you might think.
How could Paul create a non-alcoholic aperitif with all the depth and complexity of the finest drinks behind his bar?
He quickly realised that nature would hold the key to this conundrum.
It took over a year of research and dedicasted experimentation to develop Everleaf. Paul researched plants, sustainable sourcing, dehydrating samples, macerating, and extracting to get the perfect blend of complementary but surprising flavours.
But then there's also the texture. Some people who have created otherwise decent non-alcoholic drinks had forgotten about the texture or mouthfeel of their drink. Alcohol’s unique viscosity is usually missing from such non-alcoholic drinks.
What solutions could the natural world offer to create something similar? Again, Paul discovered the answer on both land and sea from plants like acacia trees and types of seaweeds.
What began life as a fairly simple question is now a passion that combines Paul’s unique understanding of nature and his experiences behind the bar and managing the bar.
Everleaf is described as complex, captivating, and is truly seen as nature’s answer to the perfect non-alcoholic aperitif. Which is thus ideal for your Christmas and New Year's Even party and dinner plans.
To learn more or to place an order for Christmas (and beyond!) please visit Everleaf at https://www.everleafdrinks.com.
At 50cl bottle costs £19.00, though (and we think this would make an interesting stocking filler of a Christmas gift) three 5cl bottles of each flavour costs £12.
Three mixed 50cl bottles costs £54.
Incidentally 12 cans of ready-mixed Everleaf (all three flavours are available) will cost £30.00.
You can also find Everleaf at Marks and Spencer and via Amazon.