17 Drink Ideas For Sober October
Real
Real is a new cork-and-cage bottled, non-alcoholic sparkling wine, produced in the Chiltern Hills. This fizz alternative can be delivered straight to front doors in its new 750ml 'wine' bottles, designed for sharing. Fermented, using similar techniques to that of a sparkling wine, Real is made from loose-leaf teas, blended to produce two elegant drinks, the champagne-like ‘Royal Flush’ and ‘Dry Dragon’, which has notes similar to a sauvignon blanc. It’s so good, that multiple Michelin-starred restaurants now stock it.
Visit RealKombucha.co.uk
Fortnum & Mason Sparkling Tea
The latest trend in the no-ABV movement is sparkling tea. We really like Fortnum & Mason’s celebration-ready version – a perfect non-alcoholic alternative to champagne or prosecco. Its new edition has berry flavours which reflect the taste of rosé. The complex brew consists of 11 organic teas, including Fortnum’s sencha, silver needle and Darjeeling. The addition of hibiscus, which lends a pink colour to the liquid, is responsible for the dryness, red fruit flavours and complex herbal tannins, making this drink perfect for tea fans.
Visit FortnumAndMason.com
Jukes
Wine expert Matthew Jukes has designed a luxe range of non-alcoholic drinks which offer the same perfume, mouthfeel and aftertaste of a fine wine. New this month is ‘Jukes 2’ – an autumnal red wine alternative. Made from a range of organic ingredients, the main flavour themes of this lighter red are built on the precise blending of cranberries, sour cherries, blueberries, pomegranates, red apples and raspberries with the addition of earthy vegetables, fragrant herbs and warming spices which evoke the smokiness of bonfires made from cuttings found in vineyards. It’s easy to serve: take a large wine glass and mix your chosen Jukes with chilled still, sparkling or tonic water.
Visit JukesCordialities.com
Æcorn Aperitifs
Blended and bottled in England, Æcorn Aperitifs are an ideal way to open an occasion. Informed by 17th-century herbal remedies, the concoctions are made from English-grown pinot noir, meunier and chardonnay grapes, pressed early and blended with appetite-stimulating herbs, roots and bitter botanicals. The team suggests mixing up a ‘MartiNo’ by combining 40ml of Æcorn Dry with 40ml of Seedlip Garden, a lemon twist and an olive.
Visit AecornAperitifs.com
Everleaf
Everleaf, a non-alcoholic aperitif sourced sustainably, was launched in 2019. Created by bartender and conservation biologist Paul Mathew, the drink is made up of 18 different plants chosen to impart complex and delicate flavours. Aromatic and bittersweet, it is designed to be mixed with light tonic to create a refreshing spritz, as a base for cocktails or even sipped neat over ice. To make an ‘Everleaf Spritz’, mix one part Everleaf with three parts light tonic. Serve in a spritz glass with lots of ice, garnished with an orange slice.
Visit EverleafDrinks.com
Caleño Juniper & Inca Berry
Caleño's inca berry-flavoured spirit is a distilled infusion of juniper, citrus and spice botanicals, inspired by founder Ellie’s Colombian background. A great alcohol-free alternative, it’s an ideal base for anyone wanting to create a tropical cocktail. Serve simply with tonic water and an Inca berry, or mix 50ml of Caleño with 10ml of lime juice and top with pineapple juice for a South American hit.
Visit CalenoDrinks.com
Ceder’s
Ceder's is a distilled non-alcoholic alternative to gin. It is made with classic gin botanicals, giving it an authentic gin-like flavour, and includes buchu, a plant used for thousands of years by indigenous people of South Africa, as well as rooibos grown in the Cederberg mountains. Serve 50ml of Ceder’s Classic with 10ml of lemon juice, 10ml of gomme and top with sparkling white grape juice for a twist on a ‘French 75’.
Visit Ceders-Alt-Gin.com
Jeffrey’s Tonic Syrup
Jeffrey’s tonic syrups and tonic waters are made from herbs and spices such as galangal root, cinchona bark, rosehips, yarrow flowers and cassia. Its flavoursome syrups work brilliantly in cocktails and each of the syrups have been added to Jeffrey’s range of tonic waters. For a non-alcoholic drink, add 50ml of Caleño to Jeffrey’s Yarrow Flower, Rosehip and Elderflower tonic and a slice of orange.
Visit JeffreysTonic.com
The London Essence Co
The London Essence Company uses traditional distillation techniques to create light and elegant drinks. The collection is light, with naturally sourced sweetness and no more than 20 calories per 100ml. The result is a more sophisticated flavour profile that tastes great served solo with ice and a slice or in a zero-proof cocktail such as a ‘Pea & Cardamon’: 25ml of Seedlip Garden with London Essence Co’s Rhubarb & Cardamom soda, served over ice with a mint sprig.
Visit LondonEssenceCo.com
Monte Rosso
Missing the ‘Aperol Spritz’? Monte Rosso is a non-alcoholic version of the Italian aperitivo that lends bittersweet notes of wild mountain cranberry and rowanberry, fragrant botanicals, and extracts of summer fruits and citrus. To serve, add 175ml of Monte Rosso to a large glass of ice and garnish with a freshly cut slice of orange.
Visit MonteRossoaperitivo.com
Nine Elms No.18
Nine Elms No.18 blends the juice of four types of berries and the botanical infusions of 20 flowers, herbs and spices. Although the drink was designed to be served as a straight pour to accompany food (think of it like wine), it has enough acidity to shine in a non-alcoholic cocktail. We like the idea of an ‘Olson’: 75ml of Nine Elms No.18, 10ml of cold-brewed coffee, 75ml of tonic water, a fresh sprig of rosemary and a twist of pink grapefruit.
Visit NineElmsDrinks.com
Scavi & Ray Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine
The gentle vacuum-based, de-alcoholisation process used to make this Scavi & Ray version of fizz preserves the rich, round aromas to create a high-quality, non-alcoholic sparkling wine. Its golden colour and notes of honey and apple make this an ideal alternative to prosecco or champagne – great for special occasions.
Visit Scavi-Ray.com
Seedlip
Perhaps the best-known of all the non-alcoholic spirits on the market, Seedlip now offers three complex blends: Spice 94, Garden 108 and Grove 42. Each of these can be simply served with tonic water or mixed to create sophisticated non-alcoholic cocktails. We like the sound of the ‘Lemon Grove’: 50ml of Grove 42, 15ml of lemongrass cordial and 10ml of raw apple vinegar with a soda top.
Visit SeedlipDrinks.com
Stryyk Not Gin 0%
Stryyk Not Gin is a distilled zero-proof spirit that includes hints of herbs (coriander, sage and basil) and the classic juniper notes that mark this as a derivation of a London Dry gin. It’s 100% natural with no sugar, no fat, no carbs and no artificial flavours. This makes an ideal non-alcoholic G&T: take a glass, fill with ice, add one part Not Gin to two parts tonic, then add your favourite garnish. Look out for its Not Rum version, too.
Visit Stryyk.com
Three Spirit
Three Spirit is a plant-based alternative to alcohol. It’s the result of a year spent in libraries, labs, fields and bars, experimenting with plants for taste and effect. Three Spirit is not an imitation of an alcoholic drink; it’s for when you want to try something new and do things differently. We like the sound of a ‘Herbal Stimulant’. Based on an ‘Espresso Martini’, the drink comprises 50ml of Three Spirit charged with 25ml of espresso and 10ml of maple syrup.
Visit ThreeSpiritDrinks.com
Nexba
Nexba creates naturally sugar-free drinks that taste great and are good for you. The range contains next to no calories and no artificial sweeteners due to its patented formula – a natural sweetener blend made of erythritol and stevia. Drinks in the range include sparkling water (in Watermelon, Cucumber & Mint; Coconut & Mango; and Strawberry & Raspberry flavours) kombucha, kefir, and pineapple and raspberry-flavoured soft drinks.
Visit Nexba.co.uk
Punchy
Punchy is a premium canned drink for those looking for a non-alcoholic option with an adult flavour profile. The natural fruit punch is packed full of bold flavours and each is made with sustainable ingredients and served in well-branded cans. Flavours in the collection include peach, spicy ginger and fragrant chai; cucumber with yuzu and a hint of rosemary; and blood orange, aromatic bitters and floral cardamom.
Visit PunchyDrinks.com
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