In Good Spirits A handcrafted, alcohol-free aperitif born from high-society parties, Botivo is redefining pleasure in the non-alcoholic world - with real botanicals, no compromises, and a maker's touch.

In a windswept corner of Hertfordshire, in a small building nestled on Lannock Farm, a revolution is being quietly bottled. The elixir in question? Botivo – a richly complex, alcohol-free aperitif that tastes like the lovechild of a garden and an Italian summer. Earthy, bittersweet, and startlingly nuanced, Botivo has become a quiet cult favourite in the drinks world, lauded by sommeliers, chefs, and food critics alike.

But it didn't begin in the spotlight. As Imme Ermgassen, Botivo's co-founder, recalls, the first spark came from a world usually reserved for the world's most discerning palates. "My co-founder Sam has another company which crafts the drinks for the events of high net worth private clients like Kate Moss and Calvin Harris - he even hand-picked to do the Royal wedding," she explains.

Botivo was born backstage, created as a non-alcoholic option for the cocktail menus of London's most exclusive events. But then came what every founder dreams of: organic, relentless demand. "When the 100th person came up and asked where they could buy it, he realised he was onto something and decided to bottle it."

It wasn't just curiosity driving the interest - it was taste. Botivo is built entirely from real ingredients: no flavourings, no preservatives, no gimmicks. "It's a super craft product," Ermgassen says proudly. "We use no flavourings, only real ingredients which is what gives it such unique flavour nuances and complexity."

The alcohol-free category has exploded in recent years, with supermarket shelves groaning under the weight of every kind of 'spirit' alternative. But Botivo is doing things differently. "There are two key things that make us stand out," says Ermgassen. "Firstly, Botivo is not a moderation brand, it's a pleasure brand - we don't want people to drink us because they aren't drinking alcohol, we want them to drink us because it's frickin' delicious." There's a quiet defiance in that tone, a refusal to apologise for being non-alcoholic. "We never use the language of sober or Dry January, we focus on what we are - not what we aren't." That clarity of vision has paid off: "In fact, one in four of our consumers are drinking Botivo with alcohol in the home because they love adding its botanical layers to their drinks."

The second factor? Pure craftsmanship. "We still hand-make every bottle on Lannock Farm," she says. "That is something that is glaringly missing from the non-alcoholic 'spirits' category - 99% of brands outsource their production and can't show consumers how or where it is made." For today's consumer, transparency is currency. And Botivo cashes in with its honesty. "Today's consumers crave stories and transparency, they want to know what they are putting into their bodies and why they are paying such a premium price point - Botivo is one of the only brands that can show them."

Still, turning a kitchen experiment into a shelf-ready bottle wasn't without its bruises. "Scaling production to full-scale manufacturing was a sharp learning curve," she admits. The early stages required grit and strategic generosity: "We needed to convince a lot of people who had lost faith in the non-alcoholic spirits category that Botivo was different. It meant sending bottles to key tastemakers like sommeliers, food critics and chefs—- then amplifying their positive responses." That gamble paid off when The Guardian's very own Grace Dent called Botivo her favourite, setting off a ripple effect in the fine dining world. "We quickly started getting the attention of Michelin star restaurants," Ermgassen says.

Botivo's appeal lies in its tension: nostalgic yet modern, hand-made yet forward-thinking. That dichotomy is no accident. "This was definitely intentional," she says. "Nostalgic brands have a more personal and analogue feel. They feel more handmade and more intentional - which suited the artisanal part of our brand. The more modern feel talks to the hedonism we are trying to convey." Sustainability, too, runs deep in Botivo's roots. "We make the product ourselves on Lannock Farm... our supply chains are real ingredients and easiest to track," she says. "We're a B Corp, so have put a lot of thought into this." The apples used in Botivo come from British orchards - deliberately so. "They are in big decline. Big retailers often seek the perfect round apples which means that the wonky ones found in British orchards don't cut it. For us, it's not just better for the planet to go local, but they also have a crisper and sweeter taste."

In a world where slick branding often masks mediocre substance, Botivo is proving that authenticity can be a business model. It's not chasing the sober curious - it's seducing them, one handcrafted bottle at a time.