Created by “scientists and bartenders”, Three Spirit is a unique brand that’s leaning into demand for healthy plant-based food and beverages, “carefully extracting the active compounds from the highest grade, ethically sourced plants we can get our hands on”. Its range of non-alcoholic beverages are made from a combination of maceration, fermentation, distillation, reverse osmosis, freeze-drying and “ultrasonic extraction” to maximise the “functional potency of our drinks”. That includes exotic ingredients like Lions’ Mane mushroom, Guayusa, passionflower and ashwaganda – all extracted from plants and boasting impressive health properties derived from active plant “adaptogens and nootropics”.

Rather confusingly, non-alcoholic, low alcohol and alcohol-free all refer to different ABV (or alcohol by volume) percentages. Here in the UK, drinks that contain 0.05% ABV or less are labelled as alcohol-free or non-alcoholic, while drinks of up to 1.2% are labelled low alcohol. After any type of soaking, the acorns need to be dried. This can be done by putting them on a tray in the sun or gently roasting them in the oven at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Once again, a taste test will tell you when the acorns are sufficiently dry. Acorn coffee: Though not caffeinated or even coffee flavored, this acorn drink has a deep nutty flavor perfect for cold nights. Place acorn flour flat on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until deep brown. Mix two to three teaspoons of the roasted ground acorn to boiling water and enjoy. Although Dry January has finished, for many of us, the search for delicious no and low-alcohol alternatives continues.

Acorn and Apple Butter

Whether you’re looking to dip your toe into sober curiosity or abstain from alcohol long-term, there’s a whole host of exciting spirits, wines and beers to make teetotalism all the more tempting. Happy hour without the headache... need we say more? What are the benefits of reducing your alcohol intake? Acorn Butter: Though similar in taste to other nut butters, acorns are naturally higher in carbs and fiber and lower in oils. To make this nut butter recipe, roast ground acorn flour at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Add the roasted acorn flour to a food processor and add a neutral oil (vegetable, almond, peanut, coconut) until your acorn recipe reaches the desired consistency. Obstacles, to be sure, but I wasn’t deterred. The acorns can be leached first, then dried and processed into acorn butter. Adding additional oil isn’t that big a deal, and a teaspoon or two should be enough to bring the nut butter together. This year it expanded its range to include Tuscan Tree “Fiore di Sambuco Aperitivo” – Cloudy Elderflower – made with real elderflower blossom and a selection of botanicals.

The total time will vary based on how much tannin your acorns have. I’ve heard from others this process took about 5 hours, but mine took about 8 hours of stovetop simmering to remove every last bit of tannin flavor.

Review and Tasting

Looking to perfect your no-ABV Espresso Martini recipe? Lyre’s zero-alcohol coffee ‘liqueur’ might just be the ingredient you’re missing. It impressed our judges with its “lovely coffee nose” and flavours of “chocolate and vanilla”, and its texture is super satisfying. When you’re not in the mood for an Espresso Martini, simply serve it over ice as an after-dinner drink. While we made a good bit of cold-leached acorn flour, that’s the good stuff, that’s best for acorn baked goods. I’d rather save it for that, given the choice. I also made a good bit of hot-leached acorn flour, so I’m going to try using them to make both acorn butter concoctions listed above. To bake with acorn flour, use it the same way you would use conventional flour but the addition of some regular flours like all-purpose flour or bread flour will help with the consistency and rise. My initial plan was to cold leach ground acorns in cold water until the tannins were removed (several days). Then dry the acorn flour, add a bit of oil and process it further into acorn butter. Weeds are just plants growing where humans don’t want them, but did you know some are edible? We’ll look at…

Seedlip Garden, the world's first non-alcoholic distilled spirit launched five years ago Rob Lawson A taste of the Cornish sea air, Pentire was founded in 2019 by Alistair Frost, and is a non-alcoholic spirit brand made by distilling plants and botanicals native to its local coastline in north Cornwall. Place the acorns in a food processor and add a bit of neutral oil to help the nut butter come together. I often make homemade almond butter, and it usually doesn’t take more than a tablespoon of oil to get the nut butter to form. According to a study by Alcohol Change UK, 70% of people who took part in Dry January reported better sleep, 86% reported that they’d saved money and 65% noticed improvements to their overall health. Not bad, eh?

Acorn Recipes: Oven Roasted Acorns, Coffee, and Acorn Butter

Zajneb Al-Rahma from Aecorn Aperitifs has an answer: every venue should be offering a carefully thought-out low and no range. "We're at the beginning of a paradigm shift in the role drinks play in people's lives," she explains. "The timing and need for quality, adult non-alcoholic options has certainly never been more relevant." Leach the tannins out with either hot or cold water. With hot water, boil them for 15 minutes or until the water becomes dark brown with leached tannins, then drain. Repeat this process with more water until the water runs clear — between two and ten times. The boiling method is fast but leaches some beneficial nutrients and oils. For the cold water method, soak them for 6-12 hours until the water turns brown. Drain and repeat with fresh water until the water runs clear. This usually takes a few days. There’s another acorn butter recipe in the Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook, which cites a passage from A Clash of Kings, referring to a desperate travelers acorn paste made by Arya: A variety of oak trees across North America produce acorns that usually mature in early to late fall. The size and shapes vary — and so does the flavor. There are basically two types of acorns: bitter and sweet. What makes an acorn bitter is a chemical referred to as tannins, or tannic acid. Certain oaks, like red oaks, have the highest amounts of tannins, while burr oaks and white oaks have less. As a bartender, I've seen it all – the sweet, the sour, and the boozy. But there's one flavor profile that I've come to appreciate the most – bitterness.

The inspiration for Botivo, a white aperitif, came from a ye olde method of producing ‘oxymel’ herbal tonics (oxy = acid / mel = honey), which due to their ingredients are afforded natural complexity and shelf-stability. Mirroring this method, Botivo is made by macerating botanicals (rosemary, thyme, gentian, wormwood and orange zest) for two months with raw apple cider vinegar and honey, resulting in a beverage with a depth of flavour with a degree of natural preservation. Serve over ice with sparkling water and a twist of orange. Another Cornish export, High Point launched in 2021 with an innovative take on the aperitif / digestif category. It produces a Ruby Apéritif made by infusing and fermenting natural ingredients, largely from the Cornish countryside, including tea leaves, hibiscus, lavender, wormwood, pink peppercorn, orange zest and grapefruit. It also produces a non-alcoholic Amber Digestif, made with lapsang, ginger, clove, vanilla, cacao nibs, gentian root and oak. The result is a drink with notes of smoke and spice, vanilla and “log-fired toffee”, designed to be serves over ice and topped up with ginger ale. The sweetened nut paste is then either pounded by hand or processed in a food processor. The resulting acorn butter is sweet, with a slight nuttiness, and a good bit of apple flavor. To determine when the acorns have been sufficiently soaked, a simple taste will do. If it tastes bitter, then continue the slow boil and change the water every couple of hours. You’re trying to get rid of the tannins and without this water change you’ll simply reintroduce the tannins into the acorns. Any acorn should be processed to leach out tannins, regardless of whether they are bitter or sweet. The fundamental process involves either a boiling water bath or cold-water bath to remove the tannic acid. This process can take a couple of days up to a week or more, depending on the amount of tannins in the acorns.Its trio of drinks includes the Livener, the Social Elixir and The Night Cap. What does that mean for flavour? The Livener is “energising, exotic and fiery”, with ingredients including English beet sugar, watermelon concentrate, pomegranate molasses and botanical extracts of hibiscus, guava leaf, schisandra berry, Siberian and Panax ginseng. The Social Elixir is made with agave nectar and botanical extracts of caraway seed, damiana leaf, lion’s mane mushroom, yerba mate, passion flower, tulsi, cacao bean, green tea and coconut vinegar. The Night Cap is made from maple syrup, Hüll Melon hops and botanical extracts of lemon balm, turmeric root, ashwagandha, white willow bark, vanilla, valerian, liquorice root and ginger. Whether you're a fan of gin or prefer whiskey, there's a recipe that will suit your tastes. So, grab a shaker and let's get mixing. 1. The Trinidad Sour As 'green living' continues to gain global traction, more and more people are opting to 'shop local' with their drinks. English fizz has been the undeniable success story of this category, experiencing an enormous boom in popularity - and Aecorn seems set to replicate that for non-drinkers. We have a lot more acorn recipes coming this year, and next up is acorn ice cream…stay tuned! More Foraged Food Recipes When harvesting acorns, look for the acorns that have no split in the outer shell or any sign of insect damage. It’s okay if the caps have fallen off, but avoid the ones with splits in the shell or green ones. You’ll also have some competition from squirrels when it comes to finding acorns on the ground. Squirrels love acorns, but they also prefer the relative safety of a nearby tree. If you see an oak standing out in a field un-surrounded by other trees, your odds of beating the squirrels will improve. Typically, a squirrel won’t travel farther then 30 yards from the nearest tree. An isolated tree is less likely to have any visits from squirrels and the acorns will be plentiful.