An average of five and a half years old, and a blend of Grande and Petite Champagne, H by Hine is light amber, with a pretty nose of iris and buttered brioche. On the palate, it's light and fresh, offering notes of nougat and candied orange, and some wood on the finish.

An average of five and a half years old, and a blend of Grande and Petite Champagne, H by Hine is light amber, with a pretty nose of iris and buttered brioche. On the palate, it’s light and fresh, offering notes of nougat and candied orange, and some wood on the finish.

From Grande Champagne and aged an average of 20 years. Light copper in colour, with a subtle nose redolent of fresh flowers at first, but as it opens there are more expressive notes of fruit pastry, which carry on to the full-bodied palate. Pear tart, hazelnuts and a bit of spice and tobacco on the finish.

The great gin boom of the 21st century shows no sign of slowing as the world remains thirsty for juniper. At the Whisky Exchange, we’ve always prided ourselves on finding the best spirits for our customers, so we’ve assembled a panel of experts to determine the Gin of the Year 2023. This year’s shortlist contains modern interpretations of classic styles and boundary-pushing new innovations. The winner is Stranger & Sons Gin, offering an aromatic and exotic take on the classic spirit, utilising locally-sourced botanicals to create a fragrant Indian gin.

The elegance of angelica root aromas lead onto a warming palate and pleasing mouthfeel. Citrus notes balance well with spices that linger enjoyably. Well balanced, and also a great length to flavours.

The Light Drinker: "Spritz is the way forward. I love Pentire’s botanical spirit substitutes, but there’s something about an orangey, bitter aperitif that really works in a non-alcoholic version. Here,Pentire’s botanicals mix is joined by orange zest which steps up to echo the depth and kick of alcohol while rosemary gives a rounded herbiness. There are a lot of new zero alc aperitifs that use that combination and it’s because it’s a brilliantly balanced one, of strong flavours and zingy contrasts. The extra element here is the addition of oakmoss which offsets the other ingredients with woody, spicy and slightly sweet notes. It’s this ingredient that gives the Coastal Spritz a feel of a slightly bitter Martini Rosso rather than, say, a Campari, and I love it. You can trust Pentire to deliver and they have."

The Light Drinker: Pentire are an impressive performer in the non-alcoholic spirit range. They claim their original drink, Pentire Adrift has the highest rating of any non-alcoholic spirit on the Trustpilot ratings; and they have had some stellar reviews, including from the New York Times. This is their second drink, a zesty, breezy mix of pink grapefruit, sea buckthorn, sea rosemary and woodruff. It’s a grown-up drink: dry, and saliva-inducingly tangy adding layers and depth to a good tonic. Their ads often show people sitting on a headland in Cornwall enjoying the drink round a camp fire. It’s perfectly pitched: the herbal, citrussy flavours speak of short thymy turf and salty breezes. Absolutely delicious with a tonic.  

The Light Drinker: According to the Pentire website, Pentire Adrift has the highest rating of any non-alcoholic spirit on the Trustpilot ratings; they certainly have some very enthusiastic reviews and I agree with all of them.  This is a beautifully crafted drink, no bells or whistles or fancy tricks, just a strongly confident blend of superbly chosen flavours. There’s bright top notes of zesty grapefruit peel balanced by a strongly herbal muskiness of sage which round out the thinness of the citrus,  and the whole is enlivened with the freshness of sea salt and samphire.  It’s fabulous on the nose and, mixed with tonic, is rounded and satisfying, the aromatics performing just as they do in a good gin. There’s a slight sherbetiness in the finish, although there’s no sweetness in the mix, and the whole represents a superb mastery of blending.   If you only have one non-alcohol drink in your cupboard, it might as well be this one.

The Light Drinker: "Spritz is the way forward. I love Pentire’s botanical spirit substitutes, but there’s something about an orangey, bitter aperitif that really works in a non-alcoholic version. Here,Pentire’s botanicals mix is joined by orange zest which steps up to echo the depth and kick of alcohol while rosemary gives a rounded herbiness. There are a lot of new zero alc aperitifs that use that combination and it’s because it’s a brilliantly balanced one, of strong flavours and zingy contrasts. The extra element here is the addition of oakmoss which offsets the other ingredients with woody, spicy and slightly sweet notes. It’s this ingredient that gives the Coastal Spritz a feel of a slightly bitter Martini Rosso rather than, say, a Campari, and I love it. You can trust Pentire to deliver and they have."

The Light Drinker: Pentire are an impressive performer in the non-alcoholic spirit range. They claim their original drink, Pentire Adrift has the highest rating of any non-alcoholic spirit on the Trustpilot ratings; and they have had some stellar reviews, including from the New York Times. This is their second drink, a zesty, breezy mix of pink grapefruit, sea buckthorn, sea rosemary and woodruff. It’s a grown-up drink: dry, and saliva-inducingly tangy adding layers and depth to a good tonic. Their ads often show people sitting on a headland in Cornwall enjoying the drink round a camp fire. It’s perfectly pitched: the herbal, citrussy flavours speak of short thymy turf and salty breezes. Absolutely delicious with a tonic.  

The Light Drinker: According to the Pentire website, Pentire Adrift has the highest rating of any non-alcoholic spirit on the Trustpilot ratings; they certainly have some very enthusiastic reviews and I agree with all of them.  This is a beautifully crafted drink, no bells or whistles or fancy tricks, just a strongly confident blend of superbly chosen flavours. There’s bright top notes of zesty grapefruit peel balanced by a strongly herbal muskiness of sage which round out the thinness of the citrus,  and the whole is enlivened with the freshness of sea salt and samphire.  It’s fabulous on the nose and, mixed with tonic, is rounded and satisfying, the aromatics performing just as they do in a good gin. There’s a slight sherbetiness in the finish, although there’s no sweetness in the mix, and the whole represents a superb mastery of blending.   If you only have one non-alcohol drink in your cupboard, it might as well be this one.

"Our taste-testers hugely enjoyed the Coastal Spritz, scoring it highly for flavour and fun. They were also impressed with its lack of a synthetic/chemical taste when compared to some other non-alcoholic aperitifs." AlcoholChange.co.uk  

Fruity, fresh, bright. Lots of spritz with red fruits of cherry and some plum, a light salivating quality with a crispness and refreshing palate appeal. Balnaced and well made in a ready to drink expression.