Everleaf's botanicals

Everleaf Forest contains:

Vanilla – Another costly ingredient, the vanilla used in Everleaf Forest is sustainably sourced from NE Madagascar, from a supplier that provides full traceability and organic growing methods, as well as education of forest protection, and empowerment to the local community. This sweet ingredient adds dimension to the mid-palate by providing richness and body. Founder Paul says, "I was lucky enough to visit some of the people who grow ours this year, taste Everleaf with them, and join them for an educational forest walk with local school kids. It's this connection to ingredients and the people growing them that I absolutely love."

Saffron – The golden colour of Everleaf Forest is due to the use of saffron, the most expensive spice on the market. Offering both an interesting aroma and a savoury bitter flavour to the finish, founder Paul says, "This was a really important ingredient for me, as my dad has studied Crocus for years (saffron is the female part of the flower of C. sativus), and I grew up with saffron around the house. As well as writing a book on them, he used to examine samples for authenticity for food companies. There's even a Crocus named after him (Crocus mathewii, discovered and named in the 1990s). It's not a forest plant, but it gives that unique flavour that fits the profile perfectly (the best description I've seen is 'metallic honey with grassy hay'."

Everleaf Mountain contains:

Cherry Blossom – Hand-picked in the Shizuoka region of Japan in two stages, first the blossom in Spring followed by the young leaves after the flowering stage is complete, Everleaf use Prunus speciosa – Oshima Sakura to make a traditional Japanese cherry blossom (Sakura). The flowers and leaves are brined and fermented for 3-4 months to allow the aromas to develop before being turned into an alcoholic tincture that is then vacuum distilled.

Everlasting – With a fitting name for Everleaf, everlasting, also known as immortelle, provides a complex exotic and aromatic spice note. Founder Paul says, "Its purported effects include de-stressing and rejuvenation, but for me, it's just one of those fascinating plants that people might not recognise at first. The name comes from the fact the flowers and leaves retain their colour after they've been cut and dried - they last forever!" Used in smaller amounts to avoid an overpowering flavour, it has similarities to sage and wormwood by providing a bitterness, but also works with the orris root as a fixative.

Everleaf Marine contains:

Bergamot – An aromatic-citrus flavour sourced from Calabria.
Dulse – Used alongside kelp in Everleaf Marine, dulce provides a peppery umami flavour that works with the savoury saline seaweed notes of the kelp. Dulse is a red seaweed that, as well as flavour, also provides the carrageenan that supplies texture to the liquid. Due to the nature of red seaweeds, in that they are quick to degrade, Everleaf uses an alcoholic distillate made from their hand-harvested Irish Dulse, which is an example of how Everleaf is non-alcoholic but not alcohol-free.

Labdanum – Only used in very small amounts due to its natural intensity, Labdanum is a Mediterranean rock rose (Cistus creticus) that is often used in perfumery as an alternative to ambergris, and has an aromatic, sticky resin. It was said to have once been harvested from the coats of sheep and goats and also used by ancient Egyptians as an incense scent.

All three Everleaf expressions contain:

Orris Root – An ingredient again found in all three Everleaf products, founder Paul says, "Another ingredient with a personal connection, orris root comes from the Iris plant - which my father was writing about when I was growing up."

This sustainable ingredient is grown for purpose using leaves from previous plants, often as a secondary crop among other plants and takes three years to mature. It takes a further five years to age the dry rhizome and for the oils to transform and develop their unique flavour. Commonly used for its fixative properties in the making of gin and perfume, orris helps other botanicals work pleasantly together (there is a hard-to-find but important violet note). The extract that Everleaf use comes from an orris "butter", a steamed distillation of aged rhizomes.

Gum Acacia – Hand-picked and then powdered before being rehydrated by Everleaf to help create the base liquid of all three of their aperitifs, their Gum Acacia is sourced from The Sahel region (particularly Sudan). The supplier provides sustainable harvesting and replants acacias trees, which in turn offers income and combats desertification. Founder Paul says, "I think one of the key ingredients to a non-alc. alternative is texture. Without something to add body, everything is just too watery, and the flavour doesn't carry. Gum acacia has a long and illustrious history of use in cocktails as a key part of gum/gomme syrup, but is so often left out these days, I wanted to give it a key role in Everleaf (along with other plant gums) - it does a great job of adding a silky texture, is an amazing sustainable plant ingredient, and a soluble dietary fibre into the bargain."
Gum Acacia being hand-picked photograph by Robert Alland.