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It’s 7pm, the day has been long and tiring, and it’s time for a drink. But what should we drink?

For this 2nd episode of our Dry-January, we tested 3 non-alcoholic drinks, chosen by feel, to replace the traditional 7pm beer…

GALVANINA – THE BIO LEMON. Galvanina is an Italian mineral water that has been sold for more than a century, and has diversified its range and offers many fresh organic drinks. We stopped by their organic lemon tea. No doubt about it on the nose, which reveals itself to be powerfully lemon and lemon juice. On the palate, a nice citrusy attack, once again lemon and very typical of juice. The background notes are herbal and lavender floral. The drink is very sweet (a bit too much for our taste), a lower sugar level could have revealed a tangy side which we miss a bit for a lemon drink. As for the packaging, it looks like a lemonade, so you might be confused to find a flat drink… But despite everything, we liked it, and we recommend it to those who like gourmet drinks and lemon!

GALLIMATE – MATE. Gallimaté is a French start-up that has been offering mate-based energy drinks for a few years. And of course we wanted to test their “mate” drink. On the nose, we are already bewitched by notes of cooked fruits (cooked apple, cooked plum) and light herbal notes. In the attack, the green and herbaceous citrus notes delight us (dried grass, thyme, rosemary). The cooked fruits come back in the background, as well as very pleasant black tea notes with a slight astringency. The drink has a slight acidity. It foams slightly and fizzes in the form of fine bubbles. We LOVE it and it works completely in the spirit of the aperitif.

TO BE KOMBUCHA – INTIMATE. To Be Kombucha offers drinks brewed in the heart of Paris (kombucha is a drink made by growing bacteria and yeast in a sweet medium). We tested Intimate, with verbena and ginger. The nose may not seem very appealing: vinegary, acetic, fermented, rising. However, on the palate we discover herbal notes, lemongrass, an earthy side brought by the ginger, and a very pleasant astringency and acidity. In the background, there are notes of wild berries and blackcurrant. In the end, although very discreet in the face of the fermented, the verbena and ginger blend particularly well. The drink remains very marked and divisive, like all kombucha: you either love it or you hate it! In our case, it’s 50/50… Special mention to the reusable bottle: we fully endorse it!

In conclusion, it is not impossible in France to enjoy an aperitif without consuming alcohol and without stopping at a Coke. Let’s bet that in a future that we hope is very close, more and more tasty alternatives will be proposed to us!

And you, what do you drink during an alcohol-free aperitif?

At QR Flavour Solutions, we are taking up the Dry January Challenge!

Wine, beer and cocktails are an integral part of the French art of living. For many of us, they are difficult to dissociate, culturally, from conviviality and sociability. However, alcohol remains an addictive psychoactive product that is harmful to health if abused. The January Challenge questions our relationship with alcohol and our lifestyle habits in a playful way. It also allows us to discover alternatives to alcohol and to reinvent, at least temporarily, our drinking habits.

So this year, for the third time, we decided to go for it! We put down the glass of champagne at 00:01 last Friday, and we’re sticking to the rule, whatever the cost. Our goal: not a drop of alcohol until Sunday 31 January at 11.59pm!

So far, so good. We promise to keep you posted 😉