Wellpaero Ginger Lemon Balm – non-alcoholic

Wellpaero Ginger Balm brings the herb garden into your glass

The Wellpaero Ginger Balm from Sasse is a non-alcoholic aperitif syrup made from organic herbs: balm, mint, ginger, and lemon, plus rosemary, thyme, and lavender blossoms. They are infused for a week, then topped up with water.

Wellpaero Ginger Balm is the non-alcoholic aperitif syrup from the Feinbrennerei Sasse in Schöppingen, made from freshly harvested herbs from their own organic cultivation. With 0.0% alcohol, it is topped up with mineral water to create an aperitif that balances sweetness, acidity, and bitterness. It is available in a 350-milliliter bottle and in a three-pack.

It pours into the glass light yellow and clear, and the aroma is pure herb garden: balm and mint at the forefront, followed by the spicy kick of fresh ginger, framed by lemon. An aperitif for anyone who wants something special in their glass in the evening.

Balm, mint, and the spiciness of ginger

On the palate, the Wellpaero Ginger Balm shows a play of sweetness, acidity, and bitterness – the ginger provides the spice, the balm the mild herbal note, and the lemon the freshness.

The ingredient list is short and readable: lemon at 60 grams per liter, balm at 13, ginger at 4, plus mint, rosemary, thyme, and lavender blossoms. It finishes herbal, spicy, and citrus-fresh, and what sets it apart from many non-alcoholic drinks is the bitterness: it gives the drink the backbone that alcohol usually provides.

One part syrup, six parts water

Wellpaero Ginger Balm is topped up with mineral water – over ice, with a slice of lemon, and your aperitif is ready.

With plenty of ice and a sprig of mint from the windowsill pot, the ginger comes through at its spiciest when cold. It also works as a base for mocktails, and if you want to offer guests something that needs no explanation, just place the bottle next to it.

For a summer evening on the terrace, a pitcher is enough: 1 part syrup, 6 parts water, a handful of ice, a few slices of lemon. This ensures that those toasting without alcohol also have something decent in their glass – and the glass looks like an aperitif, not like a compromise.

The other varieties in the range are Vermouth & Orange and Limoncello; things get spicy with cardamom and juniper in the Junipaero. All four can be found among the non-alcoholic aperitifs from Sasse.

One week of infusion instead of distillation

With Wellpaero, Sasse takes the opposite approach to its core business: here, there is no distilling, only infusing – for about a week.

That is the crux of the matter. During distillation, the light, volatile components evaporate and are liquefied again; the heavy ones are left behind – bitter substances, color, herbal depth. These are exactly what one wants to have in the glass here. That is why Wellpaero tastes herbal instead of clear, and why it has bitterness where non-alcoholic drinks often only have sweetness.

The herbs come freshly harvested from their own cultivation, processed by hand in the Münsterland region. We love that a house that has been distilling in Schöppingen since 1707 and is now led by the 15th generation, Rüdiger Sasse, is also creating something completely without alcohol. Reinventing Korn time and again, they call it there.

The spice of the ginger can handle a lot of water

About 1 part syrup to 6 parts mineral water, plenty of ice, a slice of lemon – adjust from there to taste, because the ginger's spice handles water well. Store in a cool, dry place and consume within 2 months of opening. If you like, top it up with dry sparkling wine instead of water; then the evening won't be non-alcoholic anymore – but that is your choice.

Organic certification body number: DE-ÖKO-006 - EU / Non-EU Agriculture