Classic

Bitters is the real reference point here, not whiskey. Wormwood, gentian root, quassia and bitter orange peel belong to the same family of botanicals that goes into an amaro, and Melati Classic drinks like one: bitter, herbaceous and heavier in the mouth than most zero-proof spirits manage. Raw cacao, hibiscus and goji berry round the edges so it never reads as purely medicinal. Twenty-one botanicals go in, cold-extracted over roughly six weeks in small Colorado batches, with no added sugar, no preservatives and nothing artificial. The trade for that clean a label is a shorter life once opened, so it belongs in the fridge. A bottle yields about seventeen servings at two ounces each, which is the pour the female-founded brand recommends, either lengthened with tonic and sparkling water or taken over ice after a meal. Use it where red wine or a dark spirit would go. Vegan, gluten free and dairy free.