Non-Alcoholic 101 with Jukes Cordialities founder, Matthew Jukes
Have you been looking to cut down your wine consumption lately? Maybe you feel like you only want to drink on the weekends, or have more options on hand for when your friends who are alcohol-free come over for dinner?
But the thing you've probably noticed is that it can sometimes seem like non-alcoholic beverages are a bit boring, unhealthy and full of sugar, or flat out just taste bad.
The exciting news is, emerging brands such as Jukes Cordialities are changing the way that non-alcoholic beverages are made and enjoyed.
We had the chance to sit down with UK wine expert and founder of Jukes Cordialities, Matthew Jukes, to learn more about the quickly growing and exciting non-alcoholic space.
Lauren Power: "What inspired you to transition from wine to alcohol-free drinks?"
Matthew Jukes: "I've never left wine and I never will - it's my life! But, alcohol-free drinks are very much my future, and certainly the future of millions of consumers out there who are loving them.
Wine will always be with me, but alcohol-free drinks are a fascinating, hugely important sector in our drinks society, becoming more and more interesting as the days go on, and I thought I'd make some seriously good ones!"
Lauren Power: "What do you want the traditional wine drinker, who might be hesitant to non-alcoholic drinks, to know about Jukes?"
Matthew Jukes: "I think the traditional wine drinker will find that there are synergies between wine and Jukes. The perfume, the flavour on the palate, and the length of the finish are all akin to wine. And of course, that's what we're looking for: sophistication, as well as a lack of alcohol.
The mouth feel, length, and dry finish are all similar to wine, but of course, this is an alcohol-free drink!"
Lauren Power: "How would you describe the taste of Jukes?"
Matthew Jukes: "The Jukes drinks are all incredibly perfumed on the nose, so fascinating, evolving, complex. The palate? Rich, mouth-filling, satisfying, and on the finish, dry like a fine wine.
Perfumed, very similar to a fine wine, evolving, complex, thought-provoking. The palate is rich, mouth-filling, surprisingly deep for a non-alcohol drink, and the finish is always dry and long".
Lauren Power: "What is in Jukes?"
Matthew Jukes: "Jukes drinks are based on organic apple cider vinegar and in that vinegar, I macerate herbs, spices, fruit, vegetables, and even edible flowers. It's this combination of ingredients that gives these drinks such complex perfumes, flavours, and ultimately, a bone dry finish".
Lauren Power: "What's the difference between Jukes and non-alcoholic or dealcoholized wines?"
Matthew Jukes: "Jukes drinks are not wine, they're not made from grapes. They're also not dealcoholized, they've never had alcohol in the first place".
Lauren Power: "What is your favourite Jukes and food pairing?"
Matthew Jukes: "My favourite Jukes and food pairing is my baby Jukes 6, my first invention, and of course being a rich red, it's got to go with a beautiful steak".
Lauren Power: "Does Jukes taste like wine?"
Matthew Jukes: "Interestingly, Jukes tastes similar to wine, in the sort of flavour silhouette it leaves on your palate. The perfume, rich in body, but also dry in finish. But there's no grapes in here, so it's not wine. They're very similar, but not the same".
Lauren Power: "As a wine drinker, how does Jukes fit into your lifestyle?"
Matthew Jukes: "I'm a regular wine drinker, but on my days off, I don't want to stick to water, and I don't want to just stick to fruit juice or fizzy pop. I'd actually like to drink something sophisticated and rewarding that goes with food! So, Jukes fits ideally into your lifestyle when you want to replace a glass of wine".
Lauren Power: "Most alcohol free products are filled with sugar - how is Jukes different?"
Matthew Jukes: "Jukes have very low sugar levels, what in fact the flavour comes from is the right fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices that I infuse into this drinks. So it's no added sugar per say, it's just the ripeness and beautiful flavours you get from natural ingredients".
Time to give non-alcoholic beverages a try?
Get Jukes delivered right to your door!
- Jukes 1 - The Classic White - $60/pack of 9 bottles
- Jukes 6 - The Deep Red - $60/pack of 9 bottles
- Jukes 8 - The 'Rosé' - $60/pack of 9 bottles
