click to enlarge - Courtesy Of Patricia Trafton
- Guinep
The days of Dry January may be waning, but the founders of Guinep have a new pitch: "Guinepuary," a six-month celebration fueled by their nonalcoholic ocean mineral cocktail.
Their what?
That was my first reaction when I saw the slim, beachy cans nestled among the sodas and kombuchas in a local drink cooler. Vermont's zero-proof beverage options are exploding, but "ocean mineral cocktail" was a new category for me.
As I dug into the subject, Guinep started to make sense. The drink's name — like its main flavor and aroma — derives from the tropical guinep fruit, which grows wild in the Caribbean and Central and South America. Launched in late spring 2023, the product comes from the sensory geniuses behind Alice & the Magician, a flavor company based in Burlington's Soda Plant.
Alice & the Magician has always had a beverage slant, which manifested most significantly in its now-defunct cocktail aromatics line. While running the business, which started in 2012 and is now a consultancy, cofounder Aaron Wisniewski gave up alcohol. So did Lindsey Carter, now Guinep's operations manager. Two years ago, they got to work designing their own NA bev.
Wisniewski first encountered Guinep's namesake in Puerto Rico several years ago. He was struck by the sweet, tangy flavor of the round green fruit — which resembles a lime on the outside and a lychee on the inside — and, more importantly, by its intense aroma.
"The flavor of alcoholic drinks is really, really aromatic," he said. "[Using guinep,] you get the full bouquet that's hard to achieve with nonalcoholic drinks."
click to enlarge
The tropical theme ties in nicely with the drink's other unusual inspirations: deep ocean minerals. When designing Guinep, the team knew it needed to do more than just taste good, Wisniewski said.
As they researched hydration, Guinep's makers discovered the benefits of deep ocean minerals — a combination of 70 different minerals and trace elements extracted from water more than 200 meters below the ocean's surface, headlined by magnesium, calcium and potassium. These minerals have been linked to improved cellular function and cognitive performance, though research on their effects is still pretty new. Wisniewski sees their potential health benefits as an alternative to the "booze-free buzz" promised by other nonalcoholic drinks.
For sustainability reasons, Guinep doesn't contain actual guinep fruit, Wisniewski said. Instead, he re-created its essence in his flavor lab and combined it with monk fruit extract, a zero-calorie sweetener. The result is full-bodied, lightly bubbly and not quite sweet, with a refreshing, tropical taste.
Curious drinkers can find cans ($3.65 each) at Vermont stores or try it at the flavor lab in the Soda Plant at 270 Pine Street on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Wisniewski also hosts regular Shift Drink happy hours at Burlington bars for folks interested in living alcohol-free, though he said he thinks Guinep might fit more logically into day drinking than nightlife.
"The social-drinking ritual has bled earlier in the day, and — we lovingly and ironically say this — [Guinep] kind of fills the same category as a classier, tastier version of White Claw for the nonalcoholic community," he added with a laugh.
The national hard seltzer brand launched White Claw 0% Alcohol on January 1, so it's a timely comparison. I, for one, would much rather have cans of Guinep in my beach cooler this summer.
Small Pleasures is an occasional column that features delicious and distinctive Vermont-made food or drinks that pack a punch. Send us your favorite little bites or sips with big payoff at [email protected].