Sober October: All the non-alcoholic drinks you need for a deliciously dry month
Drinking for a good cause? Sam Wylie-Harris reveals the must-try tipples to stock up on.
If you’re looking for a grown-up drink to sip and savour, the advancing world of no and low-abv offerings means moderators and adventurous non-drinkers rarely have to compromise on flavour.
Supporting Macmillan Cancer and Sober October has never been easier.
Here’s how to whet your whistle with a booze-free bevvy…
Nozeco Alcohol-Free Sparkling Wine, France, £3.25, Tesco
When you want the bubbles to keep flowing with a standout sparkle, this de-alcoholised wine triumphed at the IWSC 2021 (International Wine & Spirit Competition) with a Silver medal. Fun, fruity and fresh, aromas of white flowers and touch of apple blossom align with ripe, blossomy undertones, and subtle touch of sweetness.
Piquant & Sanguine, Spain, £37, half case (3 bottles), Wednesday’s Domaine
These de-alcoholised wines aim to hit the sweet spot for days when you’re not drinking. Piquant white is made with airen grapes (a local variety) from La Mancha and comes across as very approachable. Crisp and rounded with citrus notes and touch of lime, it’s a good match with seafood. In the red corner, Sanguine is made from tempranillo, and blackcurrant aromas lead to a smooth, plummy palate with a dry, lingering finish. One for roasted veggies.
Nitro Cans, from £26.99 (12 pack), Mocktails
Recreating some of the world’s most popular cocktails – the cosmopolitan, margarita, Moscow mule, espresso martini and sangria – Mocktails have teamed up with Macmillan Cancer Support as their headline partner, offering donations throughout the fundraising campaign. The range features five premium alcohol-free cocktails: Mockapolitan, Mockarita, Mockscow Mule, Espress0% Martini and Sansgria, which come in 200ml single serve cans and glass bottles, made from natural flavourings and low in sugar and calories.
Pentire & Tonic Cans (includes both flavours: Seaward & Tonic, Adrift & Tonic), 12 x 33cl, £30, Pentire
Elsewhere, Cornish-based non-alcoholic spirit brand Pentire have launched their two variants in ready-to-drink pre-mixed cans. A gin-style, plant-based drink made from naturally distilled coastal botanicals, Seaward tastes super fresh and zesty with a bitter, pink grapefruit, citrusy element. Meanwhile, Adrift feels crisp and herbaceous, with a lovely saline note. Both will put the wind in your sails and great for when you want to grab and go.
New London Light Range, from £25 (70cl), Discovery Collections, from £50 (with choice of two flavours and case of Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Tonic Water, 8 x 150ml cans), Salcombe Gin
A non-alcoholic spirit and aperitif, New London Light is a three-bottle range inspired by the sun, sea and gin-making principles. Midnight Sun can be topped with tonic to bring out delicious notes of coastal berries, hints of evergreen and fresh pine flavours. Aegean Sky hints at the Mediterranean coast and offers aromas and flavours of bitter citrus and olives. While First Light combines classic notes of juniper, zesty citrus and spicy ginger. Each multifaceted and a top drop.
Feragaia Alcohol-free Spirit, £24.95, 50cl, Feragaia
Scotland’s also calling the shots with this alcohol-free spirit made from 14 botanicals, foraged from the land and sea. Distilled, blended and bottled in the Scottish Lowlands, it’s versatile enough to enjoy on the rocks, mixed with tonic, soda or ginger ale, or used in a range of non-alcoholic cocktails, with its top notes of blackcurrant leaf and pink peppercorn finish.
ATOPIA Rhubarb and Ginger & ATOPIA Hedgerow Berry Non-Alcoholic Spirit, £23 each, 70cl, Clink
A new release from William Grant & Sons, their master distiller at Hendricks Gin has created two new expressions to top with tonic. Made from natural distillates, extracts and flavours, both are distilled from orange, juniper, coriander, angelica root and lemon peel, with the addition of blackberries, raspberries or rhubarb and ginger shaping the flavour profile. The result is an extremely tantalising and refreshingly complex serve.