I am waiting for some surgery, so decided to look into substitutes for that early evening cocktail I’ve grown to love. Once the orthopaedic surgeon comes calling with a date, I’ll need to change up a few deeply ingrained habits!

Seems I am not the only person who is looking for alternatives to gin, vodka, rum and other spirits. Lumette is one of the options available in our market – and has been brought to life by the award winning, world class distillers at Sheringham Distillery in Sooke, BC, Canada.

Lumette can be used as a substitute for gin or vodka with tonic, other mixers, or in sour cocktails. The process to create it involves starting with botanicals and water which are then distilled, but no there is no wort made to start distillation as would be done if it was an alcoholic spirit. As a result, there’s no alcohol in the finished product whatsoever.

The nose on the Lumette is heavily musty and shows a lot of lemon, pine, and fir cone, while the back end is dominated by mint. This is not a product that is meant to be drunk straight though. It really needs a mixer to help you enjoy it. A premium tonic works wonders for it and can actually trick your palate and nose into thinking it’s gin. This was borne out when I offered it to a complete non-drinker who reported, “I could probably drink that.”

In the name of science and research, I will try more of these products so I can find a favourite one in advance of surgery.