Food & Drink Awards 2020

Page 70 www.lux-review.com LUX 2020 Food & Drink Awards With the interest in the new category of ‘non-alcoholic’ drinks growing fast, there is also a growing demand for innovative products with complex and appealing flavour profiles. Whether they are moderating, ‘sober-curious’, or drinking as normal, many adult consumers are looking to discover something new! NINE ELMS is a London-based start-up that was created with the specific purpose of bringing innovative non-alcoholic drinks to market. The focus of their first product, NINE ELMS No.18 - the only new non-alcoholic drink specifically designed to complement good food - was originally high- end restaurants and hotels. However, the shutting down of large parts of the hospitality industry by Covid meant they had to quickly look for other ways to get their award-winning product to consumers. NINE ELMS DRINKS Best Premium Non- Alcoholic Beverage Start-Up – UK & Award for Excellence in Food & Drink Pairings 2020 Sep20586 Whilst many drinks brands have been hit by the closure of bars and restaurants, the growing desire by people to moderate their drinking as a result of the pandemic has boosted the online sales of no & low products across the board. Prior to COVID-19, approximately one fifth of UK adults were moderating their alcohol intake – since the pandemic that number has doubled. Although the UK currently leads the world in terms of non-alcoholic drinks innovation, this burgeoning market has mainly been dominated by ‘analogues’ - non-alcoholic versions of existing spirits, beers and wine. The only really novel products to appear in UK in the last few years have been kefirs and kombuchas - the various types of fermented milk or tea products, traditionally drunk across Asia. Part of what has driven the success of NINE ELMS No.18 is that it is a ‘Ruby Velven’ – a completely new type of non-alcoholic drink that offers consumers something intriguingly different. Made from an intricate blend of 4 types of dark berries and 20 different botanical extracts and infusions, NINE ELMS No.18’s soft tannins, gentle acidity and progressively unfolding complexity are specifically designed to complement good food. These unique attributes were recently recognised when NINE ELMS No.18 also won the ‘Best No & Low Wine or Wine Alternative’, and the ‘Best No & Low Food Match’ trophies at this year’s Imbibe Awards. Although NINE ELMS No.18’s is designed to serve as a straight pour with food, it also has enough character to shine in a range of cocktails and mixed drinks - from something as simple as NINE ELMS No.18 mixed with a good quality tonic and a slice of orange to signature cocktails like The Villanelle or The Olson. And NINE ELMS has also created a number of collaborative cocktail kits with the likes of Bax Botanics and Noughty that provide consumers with a still broader choice of delicious non- alcoholic options. (For a full range of recipes, please go to https://www.nineelmsdrinks.com/ cocktails) Looking to the future, NINE ELMS will continue to develop its online retail channels, including building on its success supplying No.18 for a range of luxury hampers and gift packs this Christmas. Longer term, the company will be adding a range of new variants (that pair with a broader assortment of dishes) and launching them in the growing number of international markets with a thirst for innovative non-alcoholic drinks created and produced in the UK. Company: NINE ELMS DRINKS Contact: Zoltan Szucs-Farkas Website: https://www.nineelmsdrinks.com/