Alcohol-free for the people – all of the flavour – none of the faff
A disruptive new entrant to the market, Citizen Spritz is reimagining adult drinks with its range of innovative concentrated spritz mixes. Sophisticated and deeply complex in flavour, when combined with sparkling or soda water, the carefully crafted but simple-to-serve drinks, create a refreshing aperitif style beverage, designed to be enjoyed either at home or served via the on-trade.
The brainchild of successful food industry entrepreneurs, Mark Gould and Mike Bagshaw, Citizen Spritz was born from the desire to moderate their own alcohol intake. Both passionate foodies with a zest for life, they appreciate a cold beer or glass of wine but were on the hunt for a refreshing and genuinely delicious drink to be enjoyed as an alternative to alcohol.
Citizen Spritz Co-Founder and owner of I.T.S. International Taste Solutions, one of Europe’s fastest-growing flavour companies, Mike Bagshaw says, “We weren’t looking to quit alcohol completely but wanted something for the times it was too early to start drinking, or for when we just fancied a break from the booze. We tried so many mocktails and non-alcoholic spirits, but most were sickly sweet, with no complexity or depth of flavour. We thought that we couldn’t be the only ones looking for a satisfying ‘in-between’ drink that wasn’t a compromise, so Mark and I combined our many years of food and flavour expertise and decided to create our own.”
Designed to make everyday moderation desirable and effortless, Citizen Spritz is carefully crafted with over 40 natural ingredients, expertly blended and layered, to provide the depth, complexity and taste profiles normally only found in alcoholic drinks. Launching initially in December 2022 with four spritz recipes, the down-to-earth but deliciously sophisticated drinks, deliver an intense flavour experience, simply served by combining a 25ml measure of Citizen Spritz with 175ml sparkling or soda water and ice.
In contrast to most other non-alcoholic spirits, which just remove the alcohol through high-energy distillation, Citizen Spritz is innovatively created from the ground up, using a natural blend of plant compounds and extracts, resulting in a very realistic-tasting spritz. It cleverly balances vibrant natural ingredients with the elusive and familiar warming tingle usually associated with alcoholic drinks. Not only is the production process more environmentally friendly than most other zero alcohol brands as the product is neither de-alcoholised nor filtered to remove the alcohol, but Citizen Spritz has the bonus of containing only a fraction of the sugar and calories found in either alcoholic beverages or many other low and no-alcohol options.
Co-Founder of Citizen Spritz and previously Founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Wholebake, (9Bar and Bounce Balls) Mark Gould says, “The number of adults in the UK choosing not to drink alcohol is increasing, and there has been a definite focus in recent years towards healthier living.
According to a 2021 Mintel Report, more people reduced their alcohol intake in 2021 compared to 2019 – 21% of adults report not drinking alcohol at all and over a third say they’ve reduced or limited their intake in the past year.
This doesn’t always mean quitting alcohol completely but just being more mindful and moderating alcohol intake.”
Mark continues, “We identified a gap in the market for a desirable, delicious zero-alcohol drink, that rather than feeling like a compromise, would be a genuine first choice. A drink to be savoured alone or with friends, that heralds the next part of the day, to fill the space between work & play. Complex in flavour but still very simple to serve, it was essential to us that Citizen Spritz not only hit the mark when it came to the flavour, but that it was accessible and value for money too, for both consumers and the on-trade. A non-alcoholic cocktail that is complicated and expensive to make, whether at home or behind a bar, just didn’t make sense. We’ve put in the work so that you don’t have to!”
Over the last two years and through dozens of concepts, the Citizen Spritz team developed a flavour almost indistinguishable from authentic Italian Prosecco. This flavour became the base notes for the whole spritz range. The first spritz to take shape was a non-alcoholic Aperol style drink, which they have called Bitter Orange Spritz, followed by Cool Lime, Pink Grapefruit and Passion Fruit, with a bank of other flavours and formats in the pipeline.
The Citizen Spritz range comprises 4 fabulous recipes, Bitter Orange, Cool Lime, Pink Grapefruit and Passion Fruit:
Bitter Orange
● Zesty & Bright: Citizen Spritz’s signature spritz. All the atmosphere of aperitivo hour, made deliciously alcohol-free. Olives optional.
● Includes a blend of bitter orange oils, rhubarb and subtle hints of herbs and botanicals
Cool Lime
● Minty & Fresh: Havana drink? Make it this mojito-inspired spritz, a deliciously alcohol-free blend of refreshing mint and lime flavours, guaranteed to bring Cuban kudos to your kitchen.
● Contains pressed lime oils along with a careful blend of mint and notes of rum to provide the refreshing kick of a mojito.
Pink Grapefruit
● Sharp & Intense: This Mexican-style tangy thirst quencher is full of punch, but free of alcohol, to keep you as sharp as a grapefruit and feeling perfectly in the pink.
● Sharper-tasting pink grapefruit has ruby grapefruit juice along with a blend of natural flavouring components
Passion Fruit
● Sweet & sharp: Never met a teetotal pornstar? This passion-filled classic is deceptively alcohol-free but exceptionally fruity.
● Includes real passion fruit and orange juice
The product will retail at £20 per 500ml bottle, delivering 20 serves per bottle. This will initially be available direct to selected trade partners from mid-November 2022, with a full-scale launch taking place during January 2023.
To view the full range from Citizen Spritz, please visit: citizenspritz.com