Seedlip Grove 42

As a profile in The Grocer says:

There’s no modest way to put it: Seedlip is one of the greatest drink success stories of the decade. Its rise to fame has spawned an ever-growing flock of imitators from big and small players alike.

So it should be doing it well, yes?  Well, they do.  They create flavours that are clean, clear, refined and that combine to create a sophisticated, non-alcoholic spirit. They aren’t banging round your mouth show off blends; they just work.  They’re like the friend you go camping with who quietly gets on putting the tent up and collecting firewood when everyone else is running noisily around hanging up bunting and letting off fireworks.  If you want a spirit substitute that isn’t majoring on juniper and trying to trick your brain that it’s gin, but is a whole new set of flavours that work as they are, this is a good choice.  Grove is their citrus version, a later addition to the canon.  Dipping my nose straight into the bottle, I get something that is faintly reminiscent of lemon-fresh bathroom cleaner mixed with boiled sweets, so I move quickly on to the taste.   There’s a warm orangey scent there, a comforting citrussy kick that sits easily alongside the tonic I’ve mixed it with, enhancing its flavours into something better, fresher, more complex.  I can’t detect the lemongrass , ginger or pepper, but I trust they’ are there, contributing to the whole.  It’s a very enjoyable drink. Shame that the owner Branson (not that one), previously a creator of luxury brands, created such a high price point for it, and therefore set the bar for other drinks to do likewise.