The Fat Duck is one of the most creative restaurants in the world – we've paid to go, twice – and since 2018, Head Sommelier Melania Bellesini has made sure its soft drinks have measured up to its vast wine list. We were invited to get the gossip on their non-alc drinks and, unsurprisingly, jumped at the chance! From Melania's attempts at perfecting an own-label cola to the drink the staff vetoed, she shared her knowledge and then some – this is completely fascinating and has revolutionised how both of us think about putting a drink together and how we pair drinks with food. Put it this way – Helen's favourite drink is now a dead ringer for an Old Fashioned, and Kat's finally caved and brought some of the seasn 0% cocktail bitters which were used in lots of Melania's drinks, and is one step away from taking out shares in Wild Eve, Monin syrups, and Non. Plus, we asked Melania last week's listener question about food and booze, and someone fell down the stairs mid-interview – they're totally fine, but that's what the kerfuffle was all about. A big thank you to Melania Bellesini for her time and expertise, and to everyone at The Fat Duck for hosting us so beautifully. We did leave, eventually.

Episode summary

Introducing Melania. (3:21)

Where to start with creating a non-alcoholic drinks pairing. (8:07)

How to create a signature cocktail. (12:17)

Creating alternatives, not replacements. (19:21)

Pairing the right drink to the right dish. (26:16)

The importance of glassware – and coffee. (32:36)

What a sommelier drinks at home. (39:55)

The Fat Duck version of Coca-Cola. (46:11)

Non-alcoholic drinks at The Fat Duck restaurant. (52:34)

Episode transcript

The Fat Duck drinks menu

If you’ve got cool knowledge about soft drinks that you'd like to share with us, or any other non-booze-related gossip, then email us at [email protected]. You can see what and where we've been drinking lately on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast, and join our mailbag! DM us a voice note, a quesion, or your thoughts on all things drinks so we can share it on a future show.

Pop Culture is on Bookshop.org! Read books by us, our guests, and others we like, while helping to support the show. Thank you for listening and, until Helen comes up with another catchphrase, keeeeeep drinking!

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