Spirit Master: Abstinence Cape Spice

As consumers seek to lower their alcohol intake throughout January, SB celebrates an acclaimed zero-ABV bottling made with spices from across the world.

Last month, The Spirits Business hosted its first Low & No Masters blind tasting. Due to the pandemic, the competition was held virtually with judges tasting the bottlings blind from their homes.

The judging panel comprised: Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business and chair of the tasting, and Bryan Rodriguez, wine and spirits buyer for Harvey Nichols.

South African drinks startup Curated Beverages secured three Gold medals and a Silver during the blind tasting, including a Gold for Abstinence Cape Spice.

The product was one of 11 Gold medallists in the Non‐Alcoholic White ‘Spirits’ – 0.5% ABV and Under round, alongside stablemate Abstinence Cape Citrus.

Produced and bottled in South Africa, Abstinence Cape Spice is inspired by Cape Town’s cultural diversity, culinary history and indigenous flora.

The product also draws inspiration from indigenous African dishes, and Dutch, Indian and Portuguese spice history.

The alcohol-free ‘spirit’ is made with botanicals such as allspice, cassia, cardamom, coriander, clove, orange peel and honeybush.

It is described as having an ‘aromatic, complex marriage of floral notes and warm spice’. The product is recommended served with premium tonic water, and garnished with an orange twist and fresh thyme.

The producer also secured a Gold medal for Abstinence Non-Alcoholic Apéritif, an Italian-style bitter with a dominant blood orange citrus note.

For the full list of medallists from The Low & No Masters 2021, click here.

For more details and to enter your brand into The Global Spirits Masters, contact Rhiannon Morris: rhiannon.morris@thespiritsbusiness.com.