ACALA Red Sparkling Tea (Alcohol-Free)

ACALA is a range of certified organic, alcohol-free sparkling teas created by Martynas Zemavicius, a sommelier with more than twenty years in the London restaurant scene. Struck by how little there was worth drinking for his wife during her pregnancy, beyond sweet cordials and soft drinks, he set out to make something with the complexity, balance and food-pairing potential of a good wine, and none of the alcohol.

The process takes over six months and borrows from winemaking rather than soft drink production. The teas are brewed over fire, then fermented and matured in a combination of stainless steel tanks, oak barrels and glass jars. The fermented teas are afterwards blended with freshly brewed teas, botanical extracts and natural fruit juices, which is where the texture and length come from. Everything is made from organic ingredients, and the range is carbon neutral, vegan and vegetarian.

The three bottlings are built like a wine list rather than a flavour range. White uses hemp, green tea and lemongrass; Rose is based on wild fireweed and hibiscus; Red combines pu-erh, fireweed and Assam with blueberry, blackcurrant and chokeberry. All three carry noticeable acidity and, in the case of the Red, real tannin, which is what makes them work at the table rather than merely alongside it.