Uplift and Unwind with Smiling Wolf's Mood Enhancing Alcohol-Free Spirits

They’ve entered the alcohol-free world with a bang, bagging the 'Non-Alcoholic of the Year' 2026 Award at the London Spirits Competition. Their bottles are sexy and their liquid is too bringing mood boosting benefits. They have a number of amazing spirits in their range, along with their ready to drink cocktails, but for July, JOMO wanted to feature Botanical as it is a perfectly versatile Summer spirit to pair with mixers or in your favourite cocktails.

Q: Welcome non-alcoholic of the year award winner! We are honoured to have you as the spirit of Summer. Can we start with an introduction to Smiling Wolf for those that haven’t yet come across or tried your range? Smiling Wolf is a Feel Good Spirits Alternative, the perfect drink for when you don’t feel like drinking. We’ve combined world class distillation techniques and authentic ingredients with a functional blend of nootropics and vitamins to give you the full cocktail experience.

Q: Before we go into what drinks we can expect, your range includes functional ingredients. Why did you decide to make this a key part of Smiling Wolf? I love the ritual of a drink, whether it’s bringing people together or winding down. For me, to be a true alternative to the spirits occasion, it needed to have a feeling too. We wanted to retain the good bits like relaxation and smooth energy, but leave out the negatives like anxiety, loss of control and, of course, the hangover. The functional ingredients are how we achieve this. 

Q: Can you tell us about some of these ingredients used and what function they serve? We use a blend of L-Arginine, L-Theanine, L-Glycine, Caffeine, Beta Alanine, Vitamins B3, B6 and B5. We found that the way the nootropics and vitamins blend together can release dopamine, serotonin, GABA and endorphins all which make you feel good in different ways. Like L-Theanine and B6 bring a calmer mood but L-Theanine and B5 help support your body against stress. I always say that it’s not just about having the right notes, it’s about playing them in the right order.

Q: For the extra exciting part.. the cocktail tasting part. Can you tell us about what we have in front of us this month? We have Botanical which we are proud to say won this years’ non-alcoholic of the year at the London Spirits Competition. Distilled from 6 botanicals with our Feel Good functional blend. We use century old techniques with copper and vacuum distillation followed by being hot and cold steeped for up to 15 days before being macerated. It is then blended together and left to rest for 2 days to allow the flavours to marry up. Aperitivo Spritz cocktail which is a spritz made from our bottle Aperitivo and won highest non alc score at the London Spirits Awards. It’s produced keeping century old techniques of Italy’s finest vermouth makers. 18 Mediterranean botanicals. Sweet orange, gentian, rhubarb and angelica root are first, 

Q: We are officially in our favourite season - Summer is here. What is your favourite way and setting to enjoy this months spirit? Personally, I like to enjoy a simple B&T. Botanical and a light tonic with lots of ice outside with a barbecue or a picnic. It goes great with food and as a drink you can keep coming back to all afternoon as you pick at the salad or meats. 

Q: Along with your spirit range, you also have your canned ready to drink cocktail range. We featured the aperitivo spritz a few months ago. Why was it important to include these in your range? Pre-mixed cocktails are a huge part of how people drink these days. We wanted to make our Smiling Wolf range as easy as possible to enjoy with zero prep time. It also makes it easier to take with you to different occasions. Smiling Wolf is about fitting into cocktail culture, most people have their favourite drinks and we wanted to fit to their lives rather than force them to fit into ours. The 5 bottle flavours represent the backbone for 95% of great cocktails out there, so it’s very inclusive. 

Q: Why would we choose the spirits in bottle form over the canned options? There are many times when I like to make the drink myself to my own taste preference, or when I have people round and want them to feel special even if they don’t want alcohol. That’s when the bottle comes into its own and how you can enjoy experimenting with it this month in your JOMO box. If I want it sweeter, I go with a quality lemonade, bitter and crisp it is a tonic, and if I add a shot of our aperitivo spirit with a big ice cube and orange peel I will get a killer negroni. The bottle allows me the flexibility depending on the occasion and what I’m feeling. You can also tailor for your guests making it versatile and a crowd-pleaser.

Q: What is your idea of a perfect Summers day? Sun is a must, I love the lighter mornings and longer evenings. Probably brunch with my kids and then meeting with friends outside to enjoy some good food and amusing conversation. If I've had Smiling Wolf all day I might allow myself a glass of wine in the evening to really round it off but still avoid the hangover.