I tried ‘magic in a bottle’ non-alcoholic spirit from Scottish island - and did not miss the booze

One of the most popular is dry January, where you don’t drink alcohol for the month of January. Always hard, especially on New Year’s day and when there’s plenty of festive booze open, Dry January is now a very well established annual event that’s run by Alcohol Change UK.

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In years gone by, not drinking meant sticking to water or soft drinks, but now there’s a huge range of non-alcoholic options whether you’re at home or out in a bar, and many of these are made in Scotland.

One of these options is Wild Eve, a non-alcoholic spirit drink made in small batches from organic flowers, fruits, leaves and seaweeds grown and gathered on the Isle of Harris. It is the creation of apothecarist and trained perfumier Amanda Saurin, who has been working with plants and herbs for nearly four decades and who created Wild Eve as a non-drinker who became bored of the non-alcoholic options available.

She describes the infusion as “magic in a bottle”, with botanical properties that can help relieve stress and promote calm, something which is welcome any time of year but particularly in the dark winter months.

Ms Saurin is also committed to minimising the ecological footprint of her brew, limiting production of Wild Eve to 10,000 bottles a year. It’s not available on supermarket shelves but can be ordered directly from Harris – mailed in recyclable, biodegradable packaging.

Speaking to The Scotsman, Ms Saurin described how Wild Eve is unique to its location and "absolutely different to anything you’ve tasted before.”

She said: “Living in Harris has offered plants and combinations that are not to be found elsewhere. We have walked mountain and machair meadow and explored the offerings of the sea, finding ingredients that harmoniously combine into something absolutely different to anything you will have tasted before.

“It has been more of a privilege than work to get to understand this landscape and the plants that inhabit it. We have planted around two hundred roses, which we’re growing organically on our croft in Harris, along with chamomile, oats and a plethora of other plants.

“We use sugar kelp from the crystal-clear seas and a select few machair meadow wild flowers.”

I bought a bottle this summer, to be given as a gift at Christmas, from the little Barra Gin shop on Barra. A lovely rose colour, the taste is quite citrus-led but there’s a rich body with floral notes and an earthy, spiciness. Served with ice and tonic, it’s a complex drink that won’t leave you missing the booze.