Azor Zero

Take the alcohol out of Azor Premium and what remains is Azor Zero, with the Azorean pineapple still at its centre. It is made from the same botanical distillates as Azor Premium Gin, a recipe of nineteen botanicals put together from five separate distillations, then bottled without alcoholic strength. Juniper, angelica root, cardamom, Galician lemon and that island pineapple give the drink a tropical profile with a recognisable gin frame.

Citrus · Floral · Fruity · Non-Alcoholic

Pineapple leads the aroma, ripe and sunny, before cardamom adds a dry, gently exotic lift. Citrus draws a bright line through the middle while juniperJuniperThe one compulsory botanical: gin must taste predominantly of juniper. Its "berry" is really a small conifer cone, resinous and peppery.Glossary and angelica keep the whole thing closer to a gin than to a fruit cordialCordialA concentrated syrup of fruit (often lime) and sugar, made to be topped up.Glossary, which is the hardest thing to achieve in a spirit-free drink.

On the palate the fruit stays supple, the resinousResinousAn aroma reminiscent of pine or fir resin. It is juniper's signature, due to compounds such as pinene.Glossary green edge of juniper gives it structure, and the finish is clean with a lightly spiced aftertaste.

The Azor range takes its name and its story from the Azores archipelago, and the pineapple is the island crop that made the brand recognisable. Working without alcohol means the aromatic work has to be done entirely by the distillates: there is no spirit to carry the botanicals, so concentration and balance matter more than they would at 40%.

Serve it very cold in a balloon glassCopa glassA large stemmed balloon glass, popularised by the Spanish gin and tonic: it stays cold for longer and gathers the aromas above the drink.Glossary filled with clear iceClear iceIce without air bubbles, made by slow, directional freezing. Denser, it melts more slowly and dilutes less.Glossary, topped with a neutral tonic. Three green cardamom pods and a slim wedge of pineapple echo the recipe without weighing it down. Taste it soon after stirring, while the tonic is still lively: the opening aromas are at their clearest then, and as the ice softens the botanical structure rounds out and the finish gains room. It is a genuinely useful bottle for a long aperitif when alcohol is not wanted, and it gives a host something better than sparkling water to pour.