Proteau offers zero-proof botanical drinks created by John deBary.

Proteau

Non-alcoholic drinks & mixers

Drink

I tried Proteau's Ludlow Red. Ludlow Red has a rich and dark consistency similar to red wine. While the name, bottle, and appearance make you think of red wine, it’s not really a suitable substitute.

The base for this beverage is fig vinegar, which certainly comes through, despite a cast of pleasant support flavors like blackberry, chrysanthemum, black pepper and dandelion. I found the flavor to be interesting, but not something I could see myself sipping straight. Again, my mental taxonomy filed this under “health food shot.” Some folks enjoy Ludlow Red on its own, but I needed to add some club soda to find the sweet spot. At a 1:1 ratio with soda, Ludlow Red really worked for me, tasting more like a sweet and herbal shrub.

Very vinegar-forward. I personally have a pretty big sweet tooth, so this wasn't it for me on its own. That said, the flavours were lovely and complex.

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