MORE of us are taking time out from alcohol these days, but if you still need an excuse, go dry this autumn by signing up to Cancer Macmillan’s Go Sober For October event.
As many as 250,000 people are already on board, and the charitable challenge gives you a chance to assess your drinking ahead of Christmas while raising valuable funds that will be used to help people living with cancer.
The Thinking Drinkers – aka Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham, above, share their top booze-free tastes[/caption]
With the growing demand, it’s no surprise that the quality of alcohol-free beer, wines and spirits is improving all the time – so there’s no need to feel left out of the party.
Here, The Thinking Drinkers – aka Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham, above, share their top booze-free tastes.
BEERS
Guinness 0.0 looks and tastes almost like the real thing, with just a hint of missing texture[/caption]
AS we head into the autumn, Guinness becomes a staple.
But if you’re staying off the sauce, then the Guinness 0.0 (Tesco, £5.45, 4x440ml) is astonishingly close to the original.
Perhaps it lacks a bit of the texture but it still tastes near perfect, and thanks to the appearance in the glass it looks exactly like the real thing.
Brooklyn Special Effect is bursting with zesty grapefruit and hoppy aromas, yet packs just 0.4% alcohol[/caption]
IF you’re worried about missing a craft beer while you abstain then try the Brooklyn Special Effect (Sainsbury’s, £4.50, 4x330ml bottles), which is full of zesty grapefruit flavour and hoppy aromas.
Thanks to a special fermentation process it comes in at only 0.4%.
It has an unexpected piney scent and a soft bitter flavour, making it an easy light drink.
Athletic Brewing’s Run Wild IPA delivers full-bodied, punchy IPA flavour without the alcohol[/caption]
ALSO worth checking out is Athletic Brewing’s Run Wild IPA (Waitrose, £5.10, 4x330ml cans), which uses five different hops for punchy flavour.
Medium bodied, this offers full IPA flavour without the alcohol and is brewed with Northwest hops.
MEANWHILE, there is a host of thirst-quenching lagers available, from Heineken to Peroni, and all of them can help replace the ritual of your first beer of the evening.
But Lucky Saint’s Lemon Lager is one of the best and drinks like an adult fizzy pop (Sainsbury’s, £6, 4x330ml cans).
It’s perfectly crisp with refreshing citrus notes and is only 80 calories.
SPIRITS
WHEN it comes to spirits and cocktails, you’ll find surprisingly accurate non-alcoholic gins as well as some new creations that, when poured over ice with a mixer, taste just like the real thing.
Seedlip was something of a trendsetter when it launched and with new innovations such as the more luxury Sylva, it continues to offer interesting complex alternatives to spirits.
The Grove 42 is vibrant and packed with citrus (Threshers, £15.99, 70cl) – it’s best mixed with a ginger ale or ginger beer.
Tanqueray Sevilla 0.0 delivers bold orange flavours, making it one of the best non-alcoholic takes on a classic gin and tonic[/caption]
FOR those missing their gin and tonic, the Tanqueray Sevilla 0.0 is among the very best interpretations of this British classic (Asda, £13.98, 70cl), with big bold orange flavours that really burst out of the glass when you mix it with a decent tonic.
FANS of Jagermeister should try The Pathfinder (£29.75, 70cl, thewhisky exchange.com) – a botanical concoction that is made from fermenting and distilling hemp and is herbal, spicy and fruity all in one go.
BUT if you want something packed with flavour and originality, try Botivo (Amazon, £27.50, 500ml).
This non-alcoholic British botanical aperitivo is stunning with a simple mixer such as soda, or, thanks to the apple cider vinegar in there, it also works well with apple soda in a highball glass over ice.
WINES
Kylie Minogue’s Alcohol Free Sparkling Rose is full of strawberry flavour, low in calories, and perfect for parties[/caption]
WITH non-alcoholic wines you’ll find the most successful efforts have been with sparkling.
Kylie Minogue’s Alcohol Free Sparkling Rose (Asda, £4.98) is a great starting point for parties.
Full of big strawberry flavours and made with a blend of European premium grapes and Chinese green tea, this no-alcohol alternative won’t have you “spinning around”.
At just 22 calories per 100ml it’s around 80 calories per glass less than a standard glass of Prosecco.
Wild Idol sparkling white offers floral and fruity notes with a crisp finish, making it a luxe alcohol-free alternative to champagne[/caption]
FOR a sparkling white try Wild Idol (Ocado, £25). This is a bit of a fancy choice for anyone trying to celebrate during the sober month – and while it’s priced closer to a champagne, the blend of floral and sweeter fruity notes and the crisp finish deliver a profile that’s very close to a real wine.
Codorniu’s Zero Sparkling Alcohol Free Wine delivers the acidity and dryness of a classic Spanish cava, perfect with salty snacks[/caption]
FOR cava lovers the Codorniu is a safe pair of hands when it comes to Spanish wines, and the creators of the Zero Sparkling Alcohol Free Wine (Ocado, £5) have used airen grapes to create a sparkling tipple with all the acidity and dry qualities you look for when you’re pairing with salty snacks.
SCHLOSS Wachenheim, meanwhile, are seen by many in the drinks world as pioneers of wine-making, and that includes non-boozy versions.
If you don’t need bubbles, try its Eisberg Selection Pinot Grigio (Majestic, £8).
The lighter Pinot Grigio style really suits alcohol-free offerings and, bursting with fresh flavours of lychee and gooseberry, it really stands up . . . unlike those drinking too much of the full-strength stuff.
