Discover the story behind Botivo, the handcrafted botanical aperitif redefining non-alcoholic drinks. In this exclusive Q&A, Imme Ermgassen, co-founder of Botivo, shares her journey into creating this unique beverage, the meticulous process behind its distinctive recipe, and the philosophy that makes Botivo a drink of "more, not less." Whether you're a curious sipper or a seasoned enthusiast, dive in to learn what makes this blend so extraordinary.

Can you tell us about the moment you realised there was a gap in the market for a product like Botivo? What inspired you to create it?
Hi, it's Emma. I'm the co-founder of Botivo, which is a big sipping botanical aperitivo that is non-alcoholic and sold in Reserve Wines. I'm here to tell you a little bit about Botivo and what it's about. How Botivo came about was quite an interesting story and quite unusual. Sam, my co-founder who makes Botivo, had another company called Rum Runner, which created the drinks for really high net worth private clients. So he was handpicked to make the drinks for Royal Wedding 2018.
He's done parties for Kate Moss, Calvin Harris, you name it. And Botivo was originally created to serve at these events. Once it was served, so many people would come up at the end of events and say, where do I buy this delicious drink? And in the end, Sam decided to bottle it and sell it. It was going for a few months when I tasted it. I'm someone who loves the complexity of alcohol and I hadn't connected with the non-alcoholic category before.
I tried the liquid and became completely obsessed with it and effectively approached Sam and said, I need to be part of this. This drink is something so special and so different and I would love to come on and redo the brand and relaunch it and the Botivo that you see today was born.

Botivo is known for its distinctive blend of botanical ingredients. What was the creative process like when developing the recipe, and how did you decide on the final flavour profile?
The creative process behind Bativo was Sam, who is our maker, who still makes every batch by hand now on Lanark Farm in Hertfordshire. He wanted to create something which brought in this little craft and the making that you see in alcoholic categories like whisky or crayons. Half beer or wine and he wanted to bring it into non-alcoholic category and what that meant was using no flavourings, no essences, no preservatives, using really low intervention techniques. Techniques that took a really long time to to make. And actually, Botivo was born from or inspired by oximals.

Oximals are ancient tonics that existed since the days of Hippocrates and they were a base of a sort of vinegar, apple cider vinegar and a base of honey and they were infused with various kind of fresh botanicals and they were used in the olden days to treat things like indigestion or insomnia but also just tasted delightful.
Sam, when he was creating Botivo, was inspired by oximals because you don't have to use preservatives in them and on top of that, apple cider vinegar is an amazing carry-off flavour so when you infuse botanicals into it, it takes on the flavour really powerfully into the molecules and it means you can create really punchy complex liquids in a way that you can't with water-based products.
Botivo goesamazinglywithfood,it'sgotanagedapplecidervinegarbaseandthat'sobviouslyreallygoodforthedigestionbutapartfromthatithasasortofbittersweetherbalcitrusprofileandthefactit'snottoosweetmeansitpairsamazinglywithsomanydifferentcuisines.
What’s your go-to occasion to enjoy Botivo?
Forme,Iactuallydrinkataveryspecificmomentwhichiswhatweasateamcalltheyellowhourandthisisourkindofplayonthegoldenhour.Thecomehomefromworkandyou'relookingtotransitionintothatnextstageinyourday,movingfromthatworkingmindsetthroughtoeitherasocialorakindofmetimemomentandthat'sareallyspecialmomentIthinkand Botivo isthedrinkthatkindofdemarcatesyourmovefromworkthroughtothenextphaseforme.
So it's a very specific moment, I come back from work and I undo the wax and I cut it the orange and I mix a soda water and the TiVo and it's a real ritual that allows me to say ah this is now your free time and you're going to have a delightful evening.
When you’re not working on the brand, how do you like to spend your time? What keeps you inspired?
When I am not working on the brand, I have two kids, twins, who are four years old which takes up a lot of my time. They are at an age where you have to be on form the whole time because they're asking all kinds of questions that I don't know the answer to. So I spend a lot of time just trying to keep them active and engaged and trying to have fun with them.
I'm very social and I just love hanging out in the pub and chatting to my friends and reading. I'm also obsessed with Holly McNish, the poet. I don't know if anyone knows her but if you don't she's this amazing sort of feminist poet who just blows my mind and I've seen her live many many many times.
Your ethos of "having more, not less" challenges traditional narratives around non-alcoholic drinks. Can you elaborate on what this means to you and how it shapes Botivo's mission?
We have this idea of sort of more, not less, is something which Botivo stands by. I think when it comes to non-alcoholic drinks in general, often the discourse or the narrative around it is things around moderation and holding back and, you know, drinking, so you feel good tomorrow. And actually, Botivo is not a moderation brand, it's a pleasure brand. It adds more botanical layers, it adds more flavours, it adds more to your life. So it's a very, very different emotional space.
We never really talk about dry Jan or, you know, or sober October, because actually Botivo is not a drink that you drink when you're not drinking, it's a drink that you drink when you want something really delicious. One in four of our customers actually drink it with alcohol.
So my favourite drink is actually a tequila and soda with a splash of Botivo in it because it adds these really beautiful bittersweet herbal and citrus layers to the drink. Because it doesn't have the sugar of tonic I feel so much better the next day, there are so many different pleasurable ways that you can drink it it's such a versatile liquid.
Aside from Botivo, what are your favourite drinks, alcoholic or non-alcoholic? Is there a specific cocktail, wine, or beverage you always enjoy?
When it comes to my favourite drink, I love a bittersweet drink, so I love a white Negroni. A special tipple, my favourite of all actually is one that includes Botivo. It's equal parts gin, a white vermouth, Botivo and water with a lemon twist over ice. That is my absolute favourite.
What’s next for Botivo in 2025?
Exciting things that I'm not even allowed to talk about yet but we have some really exciting limited-editions on the horizon which really allow us to show our wheelhouse of different flavours and complexities in our drink. So that's what I'm most excited about - watch this space.
You can shop Botivo here.
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