I’m writing this on my lunch hour and, as such, I’d normally not be indulging in anything approaching a G&T whilst working. I’ll admit, I don’t even drink a glass of beer on a lunch out with work colleagues.
But as this is a non-alcoholic ‘gin’ I’m going to indulge.
Now you’ll first off notice I’m putting ‘gin’ in inverted commas. That’s deliberate. Under the legal rules, because it has no alcohol in it, I can’t call it a gin, because it’s not classed as one. Even though it may go through a very similar process to create it, minus the alcohol. The same reason I’ll use ‘spirit’ in inverted commas too.
As with many who create a non-alcoholic drink for mixing, the person behind Nona June, Charlotte, was frustrated by the limited offering whilst enjoying after work drinks. Whilst it’s improved greatly over the last few years, many bars just offer a small selection of soft drinks, with no thought to how they are served, or whether they are enjoyable on their own.
So she tried to create something for herself – and after much experimentation, June was born.
June contains 9 botanicals. There’s no real clues as to what, but given June is the name and it’s intended to be part of a G&T, juniper is definitely one. There’s a good amount of citrus in there, so we’ll include citrus peel, or even juice, and I’m tempted to say coriander too, and maybe orris root too. We’re also not told what the distillation method is, but given the flavour profile of the juniper, I’m tempted to say it’s either infusion or vacuum distillation. Maybe when she reads this Charlotte can confirm either way.
So, to the important bit. What does it taste like.
Neat, the nose offers sweetness, lots of round citrus, and at the back is an earthy, grassy form of juniper, much like the profile you get from an infusion rather than a distillation. On the palate, there’s a bit of a biting acidity – sharp citrus that hits first, making the mouth water. That earthy juniper follows with the finish holding the citrus and a minty/menthol note.
As a G&T, the nose doesn’t give much away, but the palate is much more giving. That wash of juicy sharp citrus, followed by a little bitterness – it’s definitely not as punchy when it comes to the juniper as a normal G&T, the tonic helps give it some bitterness, but it’s missing that back bite of pine.
Verdict? It’s infinitely better than some no/low alcoholic ‘gins’ I’ve tried, and has enough in it’s flavour profile to offer a little something to play with for those who like cocktails. And price wise, at around £25 from Your Drink Box for a 70cl bottle.
Personally, I’m pleased I’ve now got an alternative available for when I don’t want a full on G&T, but want the experience, like today. Cheers!
Great product! One of the best NA gins!
Really impressed with it – so much I’ve nearly finished the bottle!
I sampled this NA gin a little while back, and I really liked the flavour and mouthfeel!! It felt weighty in my mouth, and I was surprised how the flavour was so nice on its own yet also stood up to a tonic and did not get washed out. I just need a full bottle for my drinks cabinet now!