There a lot of reasons people avoid alcohol, but there’s certainly an influx of individuals in January thanks to the growing trend of “Dry January”. While many spirits that try to impersonate other spirits suffer from their mimicry (looking at you Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey), amaros and other things that don’t directly try to be something they’re not tend to do well. We of course had a great time with Lyre’s Italian Spritz, so how does a homegrown offering like Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano do?
Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano
Made from water, sugar, natural flavor, fruit and vegetable juice (for color), and some stabilizers, preservatives, and vitamins, The Spirit of Milano is definitely lower calories than it’s alcoholic cousins. So does it taste as good?
Nutrition Highlights (per 1.5 fl oz):
- Calories: 15
- Total Sugars: 4g (Includes total added sugars of 4g)
- Vitamin B3: 4.8mg
- Vitamin B6: .51mg
Sight: A ruby red that fringes on cranberry.
Smell: The nose has a distinct spice of cinnamon with hints of cloves. The rhubarb plays the primary here, but the bitter orange is present and winds around in a nicely complex way. The nose has that bitterness of an Amaro, though it does suggest it’s a touch sweet.
Sip: The start is bright with bitterness hitting the outside of the palate. The flavor of rhubarb is the lead that could be mistaken for cranberry thanks to the quickly evolving orange and cinnamon. It gets slightly sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. There’s also a solid amount of body (moderate) without being cloying from sugar. As it continues or you take more sips, more of those cinnamon notes come out, and there is a little hint of spiciness.
Savor: The finish carries it’s bitterness, but gives pleasant nods the clove, bitter orange, and spice.
Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano is a nice substitute for an amaro. It offers a decent amount of complexity, showing off fruitier notes with a good bitter undertone. There’s some sweetness, but not enough to overwhelm the amaro. The biggest short fall here is a lack of depth and complexity, but that’s forgivable if you’re not trying to analyze this deeply as you’re drinking it (or combine it with other things – like juices, bitters, or sodas).
In Cocktails
In a Highball, Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano works well, providing a lay of spices and fruitiness that you would expect from an amaro. The flavor feels like a complex spice and herb syrup added to cranberry juice. The result is something easy to sip that pairs well with a number of foods, and looks great in the glass. Again, the same shortfall exists here, where you may want just a little more flavor, but you could easily add some bitters from Fee Bros (which are not alcohol based) or a homemade vanilla syrup. This will also cover some of the lighter body notes.
In Review – Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano
Free Spirits: The Spirit of Milano is tasty, and priced comparably to an amaro like Campari. The biggest downsides here are complexity and longevity (with no alcohol – this will last best in the fridge for about 3 months after opening), but these are relatively minimal issues with a non-alcoholic spirit. The flavors are clean, crisp, and well balanced. If you’re looking for something to substitute to alcohol free, this is a good choice in this space and it is available at Amazon* for about $37 dollars at the time of publication.
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