Spice 94

The idea behind Seedlip goes back to a book from 1651. Physician John French published The Art of Distillation, a record of herbal remedies made in copper stills, and Ben Branson came across it while working out what to do with the herbs in his garden. Spice 94 is the warm end of what eventually came out of that. Allspice and green cardamom lead, oak and cascarilla bark sit underneath, and grapefruit and lemon lift the top so the long bitter finish doesn't turn heavy. Seedlip describes it as a nod to the spiced smell of a forest floor, which is about right. No sugar, no calories, and roughly 12 to 14 drinks out of the 700ml bottle. It takes well to ginger ale or ginger beer, works in a spritz, and it's the bottle in the range with enough backbone to carry an alcohol-free espresso martini without disappearing behind the coffee.