I discovered CleanCo Clean G accidentally through a paperwork mixup with an alcohol distributor. Distributing alcohol is very complicated… well at least the paperwork is. Each state has its own regulations and reporting for each drop of alcohol sold. Southern Glazers, one of the largest companies in this sector, has pretty much cornered the market on doing this efficiently. So when they picked up a non alcoholic drink – it piqued my interest. How does this gin alternative hold up to the real thing? Read our full review to find out. TLDR? Skip to the rating.
About CleanCo
Developing our non-alcoholic spirits so that they are world beating is a wild ride, completely driven by taste – fun and exciting but not without challenge. As well as hitting the flavours you’d expect from your favourite full-strength equivalents, our multi award-winning global taste developers work hard to replicate the sensation and mouthfeel of alcohol.
Never ones to accept mediocracy, we are constantly innovating across our existing range as well as investing behind new product development to bring you choice, flavour and experience without compromise.
Our job is delivering the highest quality non alcoholic alternatives – sugar, sweetener & gluten free.
Your job is to enjoy them, find your passions and celebrate a life less wasted.
Oh, they’re vegan and low calorie too.
DrinkClean.com
This non-alcoholic beverage company was founded by Spencer Matthews. If you’re wondering who that is, get in line. It’s probably because we live on this side of the “pond”, what we know as the Atlantic ocean. The celebrity behind the brand may have been the driving force in getting Clean G launched with the biggest US distributor. Although I don’t personally know him, sales speak for themselves. If enough customers enjoy CleanCo Clean G in the UK, there’s no reason why it wouldn’t do well in America as well.
CleanCo is a producer of non-alcoholic spirits. The name “Non alcoholic spirits” is just a bit long for a category so we will use Sham Spirit instead. These beverages start out alcoholic, then through a dealcoholization process and some meticulous flavor blending, get transformed into the final product.
Dealcoholization process
Is ‘non-alcoholic’ the same as ‘alcohol-free’?
Put simply, no. Our range of drinks contain up to 0.5% ABV, which makes them non-alcoholic but not alcohol-free. For a drink to be considered completely alcohol-free, it must contain 0% alcohol.Seems a lot of money for something that has no duty
We’ve created what we believe to be the best tasting range of non-alcoholic spirits on the market. For our drinks to pack a punch without all the alcohol, we’ve had to distil 50% more of our key ingredients. This is both expensive and laborious, but we believe the flavour of our spirits show it’s worth all the hard work. There are of course cheaper alternatives out there, but we want to use the best techniques and botanicals to create the best liquids, without compromise.
DrinkClean.com
CleanCo doesn’t detail its dealcoholization process on its website. However, they do share that they “distill down” their base ingredients to create this Sham Spirit. I also love the way they explain that producing non alcoholic drinks isn’t as easy as just removing alcohol. They also challenge the idea that when you buy a gin, you’re just buying the alcohol. What’s important is the experience, taste, and social aspect of enjoying a drink.
CleanCo Clean G First impressions
Is Clean G a gin?
No. For a drink to be classed as a gin, European law states that it must contain 37.5% alcohol and have a predominant flavour of juniper. Our belief is that we’re opening up a new category, which allows people to enjoy properly distilled and expertly created drinks without the alcohol. We have the predominant juniper flavour but only a fraction of the alcohol.
DrinkClean.com
CleanCo has been clear that they are a “gin alternative.” In the world of alcohol, what can be defined as a particular type of alcohol can be excessively overstated at times. Who decided that 37.5% alcohol should be the marker? The English aren’t the only ones who have very technical rules like this – us Americans are also sticklers about what can be labeled as Bourbon.
Onto the product itself. We ordered the Clean G directly from CleanCo, as it was their first product to launch. The website was very clean and easy to navigate. The package arrived fairly quickly, with the bottle undamaged and perfectly snug in its box. With this order, they also shipped a very nice recipe book. We’ll try some of their recommendations and share the ones we enjoyed the most.
The CleanCo Clean G “Gin” came housed in a beautifully-designed, green, hexagon glass bottle. The outside was decorated with a combination of pad printing directly onto the glass and a shiny foil label. Overall, it gave a feel of a premium and well-designed package.
What does Clean G Taste Like?
Manufacturer Tasting Notes:
Our take on a traditional London Dry Gin, Clean G features a crisp flavor with notes of balanced botanicals. That’s because we carefully source and distill aromatic botanicals, like real juniper, to create a non-alcoholic spirit with a very fine finish.
IWSC TASTING NOTE
” Inviting nose with pine, wood, floral, citrus and juniper aromas shining through. This combines with the well-balanced palate: a smooth mouthfeel of spice flavours gives complexity to the gin character. Ginger provides the finish with good heat and depth.”
IWSC
CleanCo Clean G Review and Rating
If you’re looking for a traditional gin flavor, you will miss the strong juniper notes. I have never been the biggest fan of Gin, but I did enjoy the dry lemony flavor profile of this alternative. The dry finish gives this non alcoholic spirit a unique twist that is sure to mix well into a non alcoholic cocktail. Overall, this Sham Spirit gets a 4-sip rating and we recommend everyone should try it at least once!
CleanCo Clean G Details
Nutritional Breakdown: 10 Calories / 1.5 fl oz serving, Total Fat 0g, Sodium 0mg, Total Carbohydrate 2g, Protein 0g.
Ingredients: Water, Vegetable Glycerine, Natural Flavourings, Acid (Citric Acid), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate). **Although this brand also uses preservatives, the shelf life is 3 months unrefrigerated.
Awards: 2022 IWSC Bronze Low No Drinks & Tonic, 2021 IWSC 96 Pts
Serve: Mix like Gin
Price / Bottle: $29.99
Where to buy Clean G
Clean G is available directly on the Clean Co US website.
You can also purchase it on Amazon as both a one-time and a subscription product.