Botivo

‘I think this is the best non-alcoholic drink you’ve ever given me,’ said my husband when I offered him a taste.  It’s very good.  The first sip brings an opening blend of cider vinegar and raw honey, the perfect synthesis of sweetness and mouth-filling acidity.  These round off to allow a long, long bitterness to develop, gently scented with hints of rosemary and a tiny tang of citrus. It’s big and bold but somehow also still manages to be subtle. I love the simplicity of the ingredients list: no preservatives, no extracts or additional flavourings, just honest, real local products, and the fact that it will keep for nine months in the upboard is an additional advantage.  I must also mention the bottle, which is a design delight, from the bright yellow blobby wax seal to the knocked-back colours on the label, looking as if it has sat on the top shelf of an estaminet in a small French town for twenty years. Salut!