I knew Botivo would be a hit as soon as I tasted it. “Tangy and aromatic, it’s one of the best things (both alcoholic and non) I’ve tasted this year,” I wrote in HTSI in 2023. Back then the zero-proof aperitif was embryonic; these days it sells 20,000 bottles a month. It is listed in 41 Michelin-starred restaurants, from The Ledbury to St John, and is a fixture at fashionable parties (Alexa Chung and Richard E Grant are fans). But it’s also a midweek mainstay, and the second bestselling non-alc “spirit” in Waitrose (after ginger “switchel” Mother Root).
Why does everyone love Botivo? Because it’s a non-alc that actually tastes good (which you’d think would be a basic requirement – but it’s amazing how many don’t). Its all-natural blend of aged apple cider, organic honey and botanicals gives it a depth, bite and body more like an alcoholic drink. You can sip it neat, with tonic or soda. It makes a great shandy with alcohol-free beer. (During a recent bout of flu I even drank it with hot water.)
Cocktails at Botivo’s 2026 Paint The Town Yellow campaign event for Dry January © Francis Payne
Another bonus: Botivo is a non-alc that doesn’t preach. It doesn’t drone on about wellness or dry January, or try to position itself as a sorry alcohol sub. It’s just a great drink in its own right. “For years, the default stance for alcohol-free products [was to try] to convince you that you’d hardly be able to tell the difference,” says Sophia French of brand strategists Protein. “But as attitudes around drinking have shifted, non-alcoholic drinks brands have moved away from substitution. Botivo and Mother Root lean into the nourishing, uplifting nature of their ingredients. They aren’t trying to emulate the taste of alcohol.”
