Ah, the start of a New Year. A time to reflect on the last 365 days and make plans for what we want to achieve and experience in the year ahead. Something that I know that so many people get involved in in the New Year is Dry January (drinking no alcohol for the entirety of January), whether that be for health reasons, a challenge or something else. So, I thought I’d put together a list of 15 of my favourite no, low and alcohol-free drinks for anyone who’s looking to explore the alcohol-free drinks scene this January (and beyond).
This post includes products or services that were provided to me as press samples. For more information about this, please take a look through my privacy policy and disclaimer.
Kicking things off is one of the major players in the no, low and alcohol-free drinks scene: Everleaf. Everleaf is an award-winning, non-alcoholic aperitif brand based in the UK. Its core range consists of three non-alcohol aperitifs all made from sustainably-sourced botanicals. Whilst there are three options to choose from, my main focus is on one of their aperitifs in particular: Everleaf Forest. Made using a blend of 14 sustainability-sourced botanicals, Everleaf Forest is a complex and bittersweet aperitif designed for spritz-loving drinkers. When mixed with tonic, it had an instant sense of warmth to it, greeting me with bittersweetness on the first sip. But, I noticed that it also shone by itself – sans tonic. A rarity when it comes to alcohol-free spirits, let me tell you. If you’re a fan of a bittersweet spritz like an Aperol Spritz, this should be a winner for you.
If you’re not 100% sure that Everleaf Forest is for you, take a look at their other two aperitifs. For a crisp and refreshing take on an alcohol-free spirit that’ll take you straight to your favourite seaside location, try out Everleaf Marine. Or, if you’re looking for something that’s a little bit more vibrant and aromatic, Everleaf Mountain could be right up your street. Both are £19.00 for a 50cl bottle, available on the Everleaf website.
Next up is Three Spirit Drinks, a UK-based spirits company on a mission to bring delicious non-alcoholic, plant-based, vegan drinks to the low and no-alcohol market. Like Everleaf, Three Spirit Drinks has three options in its core range: the Social Elixir, Livener and Nightcap. Each of the drinks is plant-based and made in collaboration with top-notch bartenders, herbalists and professors.
All three of their spirits have a completely unique flavour to them. The Livener offers a tangy, fresh and fiery flavour that’s sure to help you feel invigorated. Three Spirit Drinks’ Nightcap calms and relaxes you, making it the perfect end-of-the-night drink. But, in my eyes, the real showstopper is the Social Elixir – a syrupy, vibrant red spirit with a slightly bittersweet taste to it. Check out my full review of Three Spirit Drinks to learn more.
Number seven on the list is a fabulous gin from Quarter. Now, technically, Quarter isn’t a no, low, or alcohol-free spirit by definition. It actually contains a quarter of the alcohol of your average bottle of gin (hence the name). Sitting at 12% ABV (alcohol by volume) Quarter is a fantastic lower-alcohol alternative to a standard gin, making it a great option for anyone who’s looking for a lighter version of their favourite spirit. As for the taste? It really does pack a punch considering its 12% ABV. I can’t fault it. It’s everything that you want from a simple and reliable bottle of gin, with a fraction of the alcohol.
We’re getting a little bit spicy with this next one…Dark & Spicy to be precise. For an alternative to your favourite dark spirits, you’re going to want to look towards Caleño for the answer. Caleño is all about finding the joy in not drinking. And, with their Dark & Spicy, you’ll easily be able to find your joy. Sweet, spice…and all things nice. Pair it with a ginger beer and you’re onto a winner. Want to learn more? Check out my full review of Caleño.
For the next two alcohol-free treats, we’re heading over to Cloudwater Brew Co. – a Manchester-based brewery and taproom founded in back 2014. My family are very much into their beer, so Cloudwater is a name that I’ve become familiar with over the last year or so. Whilst I’m not the biggest beer fan myself (other than a great sour or fruit beer), I found myself really enjoying almost all of the beers that I tried from Cloudwater. So, when I found out that Cloudwater was releasing alcohol-free sodas I was pretty excited to try them.
They have a few different sodas in their range, but I chose two from the HonestBrew website to try out: the Mango Sour and the Raspberry and Rhubarb Lemonade. The Mango Sour had a surprisingly thick texture to it but was still carbonated and light. As for the flavour, it was deliciously fruity with a light Citra hop. The Raspberry and Rhubarb Lemonade was light, bubbly and tart, with a flavour of Belma hops – everything you’d want!
Freixenet 0.0% sparkling wines
I’ve tried and tested Freixenet’s alcohol-free options over the years and I enjoyed them just as much over Christmas this year as I did in previous years. As an alcohol-free fizz alternative, it’d be a challenge to find something that could rival Freixenet in my opinion. If you haven’t tried them for yourself yet, then get on it ASAP.
Tanker Pinco Pineapple and Coconut Sour*
For number 13, we’re heading back to HonestBrew for a non-alcoholic take on a sour. This time, though, it’s coming from Estonian brewery Tanker. As soon as I saw the word sour, I was intrigued. Add that to the fact that this beer promised flavours of pineapple and coconut and it sounded like a dream come true to me. How did it stack up against my expectations? On the nose, it wasn’t giving much away. I was expecting a really strong scent of pineapple and coconut but I wasn’t getting any of it. After the first sip, though, I was sold. It was sweet, light and completely pineapply. Delicious.
Gordon’s 0.0% alcohol-free gin
The penultimate alcohol-free option comes from the UK’s favourite gin brand: Gordon’s. I’ve seen mixed reviews about Gordons’ alcohol-free option but, for me, it’s right up there as one of my favourite non-alcoholic gins. It’s got all of the strong juniper flavours that you get in a classic Gordon’s but none of the overpowering harshness that I find the usual Gordon’s has. Fancy trying it? Read my full review of Gordon’s 0.0% alcohol-free gin for yourself.
Mindful Mixology 0% Grapefruit Margarita
Rounding things off is the 0% alcohol grapefruit margarita from UK-based cocktail brand Mindful Mixology. The Mindful Mixology mission is to provide high-quality, hand-crafted cocktails that aren’t full of unnecessary sugars. Their 0% Grapefruit Margarita sums up their mission completely. It’s a truly bar-standard mocktail that packs a punch. Light, tangy and full of citrus flavour – it’s the perfect party drink. To find out more about Mindful Mixology, check out my review.
Which alcohol-free option will you try?
Have any of these no, low and alcohol-free drinks tickled your fancy? Let me know if you’re planning on trying any of them out for yourself, or if you’ve tried any before. And, if you’ve got any no, low or alcohol-free drinks suggestions then send them my way! I’d love to give them a go.
Female Original
Liked this? Give this post a read: How the alcohol-free drinks market has grown (and why you should take notice).
Like this:
Like Loading...
The cloudwater soda sounds so refreshing and packed with flavor, but I love the sounds of the Everleaf Marine and sparkling wines! It is amazing how such good drinks can be alcohol free and still deliver the experience people are after. 🙂
They’re all delicious and completely unique in their own way. Glad you enjoyed discovering some more alcohol-free drinks 🙂
There is nothing better than Cloudwater, their stuff is just so great and so many of the options you have here are just brilliant! Caleno sounds good, need to get my hands on it!
Agreed! Caleño Dark & Spicy mixed with ginger beer is SO delicious – I highly recommend it.
Those sours sound absolutely amazing! I love them but can’t find any that are GF, such a shame, This is a great round up, there’s something for everyone here!
Oh no! I’ll have to see if I can track down and GF sours for you haha.