Low & no drinks brand Botivo has partnered with fine wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros & Rudd to create a low-alcohol aperitivo aged in whisky barrels.
The 1% abv Berry Bros & Rudd Barrel-Aged Aperitivo (rsp: £38/50cl) is made from a blend of botanicals and an aged British apple cider vinegar that has been resting in Islay whisky barrels for three years.
It will launch on 3 January from both Botivo and Berry Bros & Rudd’s online stores. Just 600 bottles have been produced.
Barrel-Aged Aperitivo was a “complex and refreshing creation” that paired “the woody notes of the barrel and cherry bark with the smoky tones of peat and the bittersweet flavours of gentian and wildflower honey”, said Botivio.
It was designed to be served in a highball with soda and a slice of fresh lemon, the supplier added.
“We consider this a world first product, ageing our British apple cider vinegar for three years in whisky barrels to take flavour and craft in the no and low space to the next level,” said Botivo co-founder Sam Paget Steavenson. “Botivo and Berry Bros & Rudd are both champions of craft and innovation in this space and these shared values make it the perfect partnership.”
Berry Bros & Rudd spirits buyer Robert Whitehead added: “It was a delight to spend a day with Imme and Sam at Botivo HQ in rural Hertfordshire, melding our combined love of innovative aperitivos and traditional whisky barrels into a fascinating new collaboration in the no/low arena.”
The launch is Botivo’s second limited-edition product, after it partnered with London brasserie Maison François in July to create a new aperitif inspired by the classic French apéritif pastis.
Botivo, co-founded by Steavenson and Imme Ermgassen in 2021, is described as “a non-alcoholic drink that makes you say yes”.
Its flagship, namesake 0% abv aperitivo is hand-crafted in small batches using ingredients including aged apple cider vinegar, wildflower honey, rosemary, thyme, gentian, wormwood and orange zest. It contains no flavourings or preservatives.
Earlier this year, the brand – which is stocked in Whole Foods Market, Selfridges and Berry Bros & Rudd, as well as independents and in high-end restaurants, bars, pubs and hotels across the country – closed a six-figure funding round to support UK and international expansion.
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