Try Seedlip’s non-alcoholic spirit in one of these mocktails.

Us Generation X and Z-ers often get schooled by millennials, on everything from social media to general 21st century woke-ness. And now they’re teaching us how to be more virtuous. Or more sober, at least. Two years ago, figures from the Office of National Statistics showed that non-drinking among 16 to 24-year-olds had risen by 40 per cent. Apparently, young ’uns don’t think drinking is cool or useful. They have a tendency to discuss their problems more, too, so require fewer depressants to mask them.

Going easy on the booze is a trend which is catching on. As we reported in our food and drinks feature – more and more “mocktails” are creeping their way onto restaurant menus, and the soft drinks market is diversifying and becoming more sophisticated for our maturing palettes. A company helping to drive this is Seedlip, which makes “the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic (NA) spirits”. It was founded by Mr Ben Branson, who tells MR PORTER that he set up his brand to “rid the world of poor, fruity and sweet mocktails and solve the dilemma of what to drink when you’re not drinking with adult, complex non-alcoholic cocktails.” He talks about the trend for abstinence being driven by various factors, including social media. “Our lives are now well documented,” he says. “The curation of how we appear to the world has greater importance when your potential boss or partner has the opportunity to snoop around online.” He also suggests that we are becoming increasingly demanding, and lime and soda no longer satisfies the taste buds when you fancy a night off the sauce.

As we enter January, the most abstemious month of the year, we asked Mr Branson for some of his favourite cocktails, and how to make them at home. If you’re going dry (and we don’t mean a Martini), do it in style.

Ingredients: 35ml Seedlip Spice 94 25ml non-alcoholic bitter aperitif 25ml non-alcoholic sweet vermouth

Garnish: twist of orange

Glass: Old fashioned

Method: build and short stir

Ingredients: 50ml Seedlip Garden 108 30ml rhubarb and kaffir lime shrub (see below)

Garnish: kaffir lime leaf

Glass: coupe

Method: stir and strain

Ingredients: 50ml Seedlip Spice 94 30ml Parsnip and pear shrub (see below) Soda to top

Garnish: twist of lemon

Glass: highball

Method: build and stir

Rhubarb and kaffir lime shrub

Ingredients: Three stalks rhubarb, finely sliced Five kaffir lime leaves 500ml cider vinegar 200g caster sugar

**Method: **Add all ingredients to a Mason jar and muddle. Leave for 24 hours in the fridge, then strain

Parsnip and pear shrub

Ingredients: Two parsnips Two pears 500ml cider vinegar 200g caster sugar

**Method: **Add all ingredients to a Mason jar and muddle. Leave for 24 hours in the fridge, then strain.

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