When I first started investigating cocktails using Seedlip non-alcoholic distilled spirits, one of the recipes on the Seedlip website caught my eye immediately–it looked just like sparkling wine. I first made their recipe (called “1542 Vintage”) as written, but found it too sweet. So I altered it slightly and renamed it with a number that’s meaningful to me: “Vintage 1421.”

This cocktail uses a combination of Seedlip Grove 42, which has a citrus and light spice profile, and Verjus Blanc.

My thoughts on this cocktail? It actually tastes surprisingly like a real sparkling wine–probably most like a prosecco. My primary criticism is that it’s not quite “bubbly” enough, because the ratio of non-carbonated liquid to club soda dulls the fizz. So I’ve got this idea to mix up the drink with plain water and then carbonate the whole thing. . . I’ll work on how to do that and post about it if I succeed.

Vintage 1421

• 1.5 oz Seedlip Grove 42
• 2 oz Verjus Blanc
• 1/2 tsp honey

Combine ingredients in a champagne flute and stir gently to dissolve the honey. Top with cold club soda.

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