The Next Round: What happens after you change your drinking?
The Next Round: What happens after you change your drinking?
Want to hang on to your no alcohol habits as we come out of lockdown and into a summer of picnics, BBQs, and other sunny outdoor meet-ups? No alcohol, no problem. We’ve rounded up the best new low and no alcohol drinks so that a long-awaited summer full of get-togethers minus the hangxiety is your new favourite activity.
With our fantastic Discovery boxes, created in conjunction with Wise Bartender, you can have a box of something new and exciting delivered right to your door each month, with recipe ideas and online tastings to help you make the best of your new discoveries. This month we’ll be tasting a variety of things, from alcohol-free beers, to kombucha, G&T, and wine alternatives. Join us for our live tasting, or catch up in your own time. Here is our tasting from last month with Anja from the Club Soda team, and Chloe, who works in the beer industry and moderates her drinking as part of her strategy to manage chronic eczema.
We’re sure you’ve heard the news by now, but if not, here’s a quick reminder that some of our favourite big drink brands have brought out non-alcoholic versions of popular favourites. Gordons 0.0 and Tanqueray 0.0 are this summer’s must buy if you are a fan of a G&T but are choosing to have a no alcohol summer – we wrote a blog about being G&Teetotal here just for you!
Juniperl is the perfect summer drink – oozing with bittersweet grapefruit and juniper berries with a distinctive and unique aftertaste of vibrant rosemary, you certainly won’t be missing out with this delicious drink. Perfectly paired with tonic, ice and a wedge of fresh orange, you’ll be glad to replace your G&T with J&T this summer. The retro packaging is an added bonus, as is the fact that it’s vegan, low calorie, packs the perfect fruity punch and contains absolutely no alcohol.
Popular alcohol-free aperitif company Everleaf aren’t new to the market, but they have brought out two gorgeous new flavours just in time for a cool drink in the sunshine. Spoiling us with two very distinct flavours, gin lovers should opt for Marine with its fresh, crisp botanical tones. Mountain is dark and fruity, like a rich berry punch, perfect for summer evenings. Both flavours are so indulgent, you’ll forget that they contain no alcohol!
Stylish and sophisticated brand Eceaux is about to hit the market, and we’re excited to stock up on drinks that the brand themselves deem suitable “from brunch, elevenses, lunch to cocktail time”. You’ll be surprised that such a rich, complex taste associated with carefully crafted liqueur can contain no alcohol. Tranquilite is a heady mix of valerian and passionflower, perfect for a quiet evening in, whereas Vitalite’s ginseng and wormwood is a vivacious taste for sociable evenings. Rediscover your joie de vivre post lockdown!
Making appetising drinks with no alcohol doesn’t have to be boring with tangy mixers and tasty fruit shots to create mocktails you’ll want to drink all summer long…
If you’re looking for a drink that contains no alcohol and is actually great for your health and makes a great, punchy summer drink, then look no further than Gimber. Packed full of health-boosting ginger, lemon, herbs, and spices, Gimber is a party for your taste buds. It can be served with fresh sparkling water and mint for a full-on Gimber experience, or it can be added to other recipes such as a Virgin Mojito for that extra bit of zest. Our US members will already be familiar with this striking brand, and we’re pleased to see that it has reached the UK in time for summer.
Another brand that our members are familiar with is Urban Cordial, who have brought out a new range of delicious flavours for some fun and fruity long drinks in the sun. This gorgeous range of cordials uses up surplus British fruit, creating delicious concoctions such as Raspberry & Rosemary and Apple, Lemon & Fennel, while also helping to fight food waste. Add sparkling water or a dash of your favourite AF gin to create a fruity surprise for your family barbecue.
If you’re trying to have a healthier year, then Pura Soda is the perfect mixer for your no alcohol drinks – it’s low sugar, contains no colourants, and has all-natural flavours. It’s a taste of pure refreshment without any of the bad stuff and comes in a range of 7 delicious flavours such as cranberry, lemon & elderflower and cucumber & lime. If you’re partial to an AF Cosmopolitan or a fruity mocktail cooler this range of skinny sodas in cool flavours is definitely worth a try.
For some of us, putting together a mocktail for the first time might seem a bit daunting, especially if choosing no alcohol is a new concept to us. But fear not! Here are a few no alcohol alternatives to your favourite cocktails that these clever companies have conveniently put together for us – cheers!
This new-to-market pre-mixed cocktail brand has created the perfect pre-prepared alcohol-free spritz so that all you have to do is pop it in the fridge – no alcohol summers made easy! This cool, refreshing ready-made beverage may be an easy mocktail option, but Thomas Tipple have ensured that the flavours are still complex and intense, invoking feelings of cool Italian summer evenings…you’ll be saying ‘Si, si’ to a second drink.
This 0.5% cider alternative is perfect if you’re a fan of a fruity evening tipple but you’re looking for something containing no alcohol. It’s simultaneously sweet and rich, and suits a hot day when the tart rhubarb is served over ice, and also a cool evening where the ginger leaves a fuzzy warmth. A delicious and unusual addition to the alcohol-free cider range. You might like to check out their alcohol-free sparkling apple juice too, which makes for a delicious, grown up fizz option.
Buckinghampshire-based Nunc Kombucha has created some really beautifully fermented and crafted drinks using Jun-Kombucha, which uses raw honey and green tea, unlike the usual sugar and tea combination. Nunc’s Hops Monster non-alcoholic Jun-kombucha is the perfect substitute for beer and, with premium botanicals and whole hop leaves added to the Kombucha, tastes infinitely better than beer! It’s clean-tasting, it’s good for you, and it’s a great sparkling drink to sip all evening.
The range of alcohol-free beers just got even bigger and more exciting with some new players on the market giving alternative options to the supermarket stalwarts this summer.
If no alcohol this summer is making you feel uneasy, then this is the beer for you – Impossibrew‘s functional hopped later is brewed with innovative ingredients to help boost your happy hormones. Yes, that’s right, this alcohol-free beer claims to make you happy! It’s designed to help boost your serotonin levels by using L-theanine from green tea, Xanutohumol from high-alpha hops and the active botanical s.ginseng, all natural ingredients and adaptogens that help adapt your body to deal with stress. No alcohol, no worries!
UNLTD recognise that beer aficionados can also choose to become alcohol-free, so they have created a range of beers that restrict the alcohol but keep the fantastic flavour for a great tasting beer. These delicious beers combine an aroma of tropical fruits with deep, rich malt and a hint of bitterness to create a delectable beer without the bad bits. It’s also only 13 calories per bottle, vegan, low carb and gluten free, all without compromising on taste and experience.
In the UK, you can find many of these drinks to order online at Wise Bartender, some are also available at Amazon.
Club Soda may earn affiliate fees from any purchases made on Amazon using links on the Club Soda website.
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