Try these for an alcohol-free kick: Susannah road-tests the new zero per cent spirits
It’s not too late to join me for Sober October (it’s day four but, hey, who’s counting). I made a decision when I got fit, aged 36, not to drink alcohol from Monday to Thursday, which I have stuck to for eight years. Now, with a huge workload, plus a teen, tween and toddler to juggle, I want to see how I feel if I abstain for a month.
Sober October means cutting out alcohol for 31 days, often for charity: gosober.org.uk was set up by Macmillan Cancer Support six years ago and has raised more than £540,000 for cancer research. Last month the Royal College of Psychiatrists published a report that found the number of people drinking at high-risk levels has doubled to almost 8.5 million since the pandemic took hold earlier this year.
So, out with alcohol and in with… what? Five years ago, the answer would have been orange juice, but today there’s an entire drinks category devoted to alcohol-free alternatives that’s growing so fast it’s predicted to be worth over £1.2 trillion by 2025.
The nonalcoholic spirit Seedlip (£26, seedlipdrinks.com) is spearheading stylish sobriety. Created using a distillation process from botanicals, fruits and spices, the brand was started in 2015 by Ben Branson from his kitchen table. ‘No one got it at the time,’ he says, ‘but today there is a focus on moderation and being conscious of what we’re putting into our bodies. It’s no longer uncool not to drink.’
Ceders (£20, ceders-alt-gin.com) is distilled in Sweden using gin botanicals. I like its blush-coloured Pink Rose, containing juniper, rose and hibiscus, which I mix with Twelve Below tonic (£23.99 for 12, twelvebelow.co.uk) – sweetened with agave and just 12 calories a bottle.
Then there’s Borrago Paloma Blend (£19.99, borrago.com). Created with mocktails in mind, it makes a brilliant addition to a non-alcoholic mojito. And its botanical ingredients – lemon verbena, basil, peppermint, lemongrass, rosemary – sound good enough to tip in your bath.
My favourite booze-free spirit, though, is Caleno (£18, calenodrinks.com), which is inspired by the vibrancy of Colombia, its creator’s homeland. With inca berry, juniper, lemon peel, lemongrass and cloves, it has a delicious zesty kick: ice, mixer and garnish are essential.
As for nonalcoholic beer, one of my sober buddies says Lucky Saint (£25 for 12, luckysaint.co) is the one. Luke Boase, the founder, had a mission to ‘create a nonalcoholic beer worth drinking’ using the highest-quality barley, freshest hops and homemade yeast. My friend swears it helps him forget he’s not drinking.
For nonalcoholic wine, try Opia (around £6.50, opia-organic.com). Created in Béziers, in Southern France, the organically grown grapes are macerated at cold temperatures to ensure they retain their health-giving benefits, then aged with French oak to create a sophisticated taste.
Each Friday evening this month I’ll be raising a glass of the brilliant Noughty Alcohol-Free Organic Sparkling Wine (£8.99, thomsonandscott.com). Made in Spain, at just 14 calories a glass (instead of around 80 in regular wine), it gives new meaning to the phrase ‘bottoms up’. Cheers!
@susannahtaylor_
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Mo Gawdat is an author and TED Talker. The former chief business officer at Google set out to teach people how to be happy following the tragic death of his 21-year-old son. In April this year he started the podcast Slo Mo where he interviews fascinating people, from spiritual leaders to filmmakers, athletes, speakers and life coaches, with the goal of spreading happiness. It’s like a warm hug for difficult times. Available from podcasts.apple.com.
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