Why 0% Cocktail Bitters Are The Secret Ingredient To Non-Alcoholic Cocktails - With Ben Branson

This year at JOMO Club, we are noticing big shifts, both in our own mindsets but also in our members mindsets. We have gone from wanting an alternative to alcohol, to wanting an alternative that fits our specific needs. It's amazing that we can now do that with so much choice and innovation happening in alcohol free. Flavour and sophistication goes without saying, but other requirements could be: natural ingredients, low in sugar, artisan brand, functional ingredients or specific flavours. 

As we all get more creative with making non-alcoholic cocktails at home, we're on a mission to show just how easy it can be to master. 

JOMO Club's December Box had the pleasure of showcasing Seasn. 0% cocktail bitters created by Ben Branson, the creator of Seedlip and really the entire non-alcoholic category.

Ben shares his inspirations and insights with JOMO Club, along with why we want to start seasoning our drinks.  

My name is Ben Branson, i’m the founder of non-alc drinks brands Seedlip, seasn and Sylva as well as neurodivergence charity The Hidden 20%. I started working on non-alcoholic drinks over 10 years ago in my kitchen with a little copper pot still and herbs from the garden!

Q: The non-alc space has changed significantly since your launch of Seedlip. What made you delve into the world of non-alcoholic spirits when nothing else at that time even existed?

The idea for Seedlip came as a combination of wanting to continue my family’s 300 year old legacy of farming, my love of old books and natural history and my disappointment at what was on offer in terms of non-alcoholic drinks!
Back in 2013, whilst researching interesting herbs I could grow at home, I came across a book written in 1651 called ‘The Art of Distillation’ that documented distilled herbal remedies – both alcoholic & non-alcoholic. Out of curiosity I bought a copper still and began experimenting in my kitchen. Three months later I was out for dinner at a nice restaurant in London, not drinking alcohol and got offered this pink, fruity, sweet, childish mocktail. I felt like an idiot, it didn’t go with the food, and it wasn’t a great experience. Surely there must be a better way! The dots began to join and I spent the next two years working with my still, my mother on the ingredients, my father on the design and slowly beginning to believe that maybe we could create delicious and adult non-alcoholic cocktails.

Q: What are the main changes you have seen in the industry, among trade and consumers since your Seedlip launch?

The category has exploded, the way we drink has changed forever and it’s happening globally and quickly which is incredible! There are now over 1000x brands, there is actually choice in menus, on shelves, at events, we have producers, retailers, magazines, podcasts, influencers, media, awards, books [i could go on!] all dedicated to this movement which is surreal!
And the best bit is, it’s still just getting started.

Q: We’re honoured to be showcasing your relatively new product, seasn, this month. Can you tell us about seasn?

We season our food, I want us to season our drinks and so i’ve spent the last six years creating the salt & pepper of drinks! seasn is a pair of delicious and intense cocktail bitters making it really easy to transform your drinks with just three dashes. They’re 0.0%, vegan, chefs & foodies love them and they’re jam-packed full of tasty herbs, spices and citrus.

seasn LIGHT is green, zesty and salty, perfect for your lighter brighter drinks. Try dashing it in your soda or tonic right through to elevating margaritas and martinis.
seasn DARK is aromatic, spicey and umami making it ideal for your darker richer drinks. Pep your ginger ale or cola and three dashes in an old fashioned works wonders.

Q: In the progression of your non-alcoholic journey, why was this the product and brand you really wanted to bring to market?

I left school and trained to be a chef so have always loved food and flavour and i am always looking for ways to make life easier, simpler and faster! Cocktail Bitters have a fascinating history and also are so easy to use, a little goes a long way, you don’t need any fancy equipment or to be a bartender, they’re like condiments for your drinks! i feel very proud that seasn is used in over 40x Michelin * restaurants in the UK and we just won two great taste awards because this is all about making drinks as delicious as possible regardless of the alcohol content.

Q: For those at home who maybe haven’t tried or experimented with bitters ever before, can you tell us why and how we might use bitters?

Cocktail bitters are brilliant. They’re like a secret ingredient used by bartenders to add flavour or more depth and complexity or to accentuate the taste of the other ingredients in the drink. Typically and historically they have always contained a high alcohol content but seasn proves it’s not the alcohol content that we are seeking it’s the impact on taste and our products are equally at home in your favourite mixer or a cocktail [with or without alcohol].

Q: What about people who are still a little uncertain when making cocktails at home. What 3 top tips can you offer when building non-alcoholic cocktail making confidence?

The best non-alcoholic cocktails i’ve had have always been in a cocktail bar BUT that doesn’t mean we can’t have a go at home. I keep it simple and that means;
Rule of Six; nice glass, ice, 3x liquid ingredients and a garnish. No need for shaking or any complicated equipment. Seedlip, soda, seasn LIGHT, mint, ice, nice glass… that’s 6x things to think about but makes a great drink.
Google is your friend: nowadays you can google “alc free cocktails” and you’ll be able to find loads of inspiration and recipes.
Experiment: Remember Ready Steady Cook? What a genius and simple format. See what you’ve got in the fridge, in the cabinet, in the garden and have a go. Drinks are very personal and you will know what you like and don’t like so have a go!

Q: Do you think ‘seasoning your drinks’ are more important/needed in non-alcoholic drinks that alcoholic ones?

seasn is 0.0% so given how explosive the non-alcoholic category is and the way we are changing our drinking habits means yes, for sure, seasn makes every non-alcoholic cocktail better [i biasedly think!]. I also think seasn makes a mixer more interesting and tastier and turns a tonic or a ginger ale into an actual drink.

Q: Can you share your favourite serve using dark and your favourite using light?

I love Fever Tree and their range so I am going for seasn LIGHT and their Mexican Lime Soda, over ice, in a tumbler with a wedge of lime and seasn DARK and their ginger ale, in a tall glass full of ice with a slice of orange.

Q: Nature has always been at the core for you. Why was it important for you to use nature in your products and why was it important for you to use only natural ingredients in seasn?

I love nature, spending time in it, learning about it and tasting it. There are over 47,000 edible plants which means infinite combinations! There are also over 73,000 tree species and we have just launched a brand new project called Sylva experimenting with grain and wood and ageing at a small distillery we have built in the countryside to make dark non-alcoholic spirits for sipping and slowing down. I love trees and plants and my drinks projects give me the opportunity to learn about them in a multi-dimensional and sensorial way.

Q: We are entering into socialising and entertaining season. What is your favourite festive non-alcoholic cocktail our members can make at home?

I am going to make this so easy! Find your nicest glasses, pour yourself a measure of Sylva our new dark, aged, non-alcoholic spirit, sit down, sip & slow down as this period can be pretty full on, a marathon not a sprint.

Q: Will you be making any new years resolutions this year? Can you share one with us if so?

I don’t tend to make new year’s resolutions other than this; Do everything i can to champion different drinks and drinking and different brains and thinking!