Sobrelier Guide pour faire du jamais bu : Benoit d'Onofrio

Have you ever heard the term Sobrelier?

Coined by Benoît d'Onofrio, a former sommelier, the word combines the French sobriété ("sobriety") with sommelier, reflecting a new approach to food and beverage pairing without alcohol.

After beginning his career at La Closerie des Lilas, the historic Parisian brasserie founded in 1847, and later working in Michelin-starred restaurants, d'Onofrio built his expertise around the art of pairing food with wine. Around 2022, however, health issues forced him to stop drinking alcohol.

This turning point led him to rethink his profession. At the same time, clients increasingly requested sophisticated non-alcoholic pairings, inspiring him to dedicate himself to becoming the world's first Sobrelier.

Unsatisfied with conventional offerings such as specialty coffee, tea, or traditional soft drinks, he set out to create entirely new sensory experiences. By combining herbs, leaves, flowers, roots, bark, fruits, and spices with techniques such as infusion, fermentation, roasting, and pressing, he developed a new category of beverages called Sobrevages.

This book introduces 117 ingredients, detailing their flavor profiles, origins, seasons, properties, and extraction methods. It also explains 27 techniques, including pressing, roasting, fermentation, and distillation, before presenting 45 step-by-step recipes for original non-alcoholic beverages.

Far more than a recipe collection, this volume explores the concept of Cuisine Liquide ("liquid cuisine"), offering a fresh perspective on flavor, aroma, and food pairing. It is an inspiring resource for anyone interested in the future of non-alcoholic gastronomy.