Nochino Ruby is an alcohol-free aperitif made in Slovakia by Vlcie, billed as the country's first non-alcoholic aperitif when it launched in 2019. It was created to give people a drink for social settings without alcohol. The recipe draws on 21 herbs and spices, and it took two years to settle on the ingredients and the production process. The colour is dark red to burgundy. On the nose there is cinnamon, anise, clove and bitter wood, alongside forest fruits and an earthy character that brings beetroot and pomegranate to mind, with a sharp, almost vinegary edge. The taste starts sweet, carrying stewed syrup fruit and bitter orange peel, a delicious bitterness and mild acidity before turning to a spicy warmth. The finish develops slowly between bitterness and sugar, closing on a herbal aftertaste.