Blackberry Leaf & Apple – alcohol-free

Blackberry Leaf & Apple non-alcoholic from the von Wiesen manufactory, tannic and smoky

Blackberry Leaf & Apple non-alcoholic from the von Wiesen manufactory is a carbonated fruit juice beverage in which an infusion of blackberry leaves meets direct-pressed apple juice, caramel malt from barley, and a decoction of smoked salt lemons steeped for weeks, without any alcoholic fermentation ever having taken place.

Blackberry Leaf & Apple non-alcoholic is the darker of the two non-alcoholic bottles from von Wiesen, as apple accounts for only 19 percent, and the leaf sets the tone.

Yellow apple beneath the tannins of the leaves

The aroma leans towards meadow flowers and yellow apple, bright and summery, without turning into lemonade. The color, however, shifts toward amber, which is due to the roasted malt.

The blackberry leaf infusion brings tannins similar to those found in a long-steeped black tea, layering a dry, slightly rough band over the fruit without masking it. Of its sweetness, 2.1 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters remain. The perlage is fine and persistent, carrying the bitterness along with it.

Pan-fried chanterelles on toast, falafel with sesame cream, and smoked almonds pair well with it because the smoky note in the glass responds to the roasting on the plate. Pickled beetroot with horseradish also stands up to the tannins, which otherwise like to cling to fat. It is not suitable for breakfast; the bitterness is too serious for that.

Smoked salt lemon, ginger, and roasted barley malt

The lemons are soaked in smoked salt for weeks until their rinds soften and the acidity gains a salty edge. Preserved salt lemons are well-known in North African cuisine, though they are not smoked there. Half a percent of this decoction is enough to give the entire drink its dark depth.

Added to this are 6 percent caramel malt from barley, which contributes roasted aromas and draws the color into a warmer spectrum. One percent German ginger juice sits right at the back, providing the slight sharpness that keeps the final sip open. Because of the barley, gluten is present, which is highlighted on the label.

The apples used come from meadow orchards and organic farms in the region, where old high-stem trees with many varieties grow side by side. These farms include the Obsthof am Steinberg in Frankfurt and the Filsinger fruit orchards in Wiesloch. Such stocks have been disappearing from the landscape for decades, and a drink that purchases their fruit helps keep them in use to some extent.

What "non-alcoholic" really means at von Wiesen

The typical non-alcoholic sparkling wine is dealcoholized wine. It has fermented, then the alcohol is removed, and with it, aroma is lost, which is often added back later from a bottle.

At von Wiesen, this entire detour is avoided because no alcoholic fermentation is ever initiated. Herb infusions, fruit juices, and decoctions are blended and carbonated; nothing more happens, and therefore nothing needs to be removed afterward. What is missing in the end is only the alcohol, not the flavor.

For those who would otherwise stick to water, this provides something in the glass that is a match for food at the table. Served well-chilled, the bitterness remains clean, whereas at room temperature it becomes broad. Next to it stands Verbena & Quince as the more herbaceous of the two, and if you would prefer the apple to be fermented, the Ancestral with Hops as well as the Rosé Apple Brut from 2018 are waiting.