If you’re taking a break from alcohol – either short term or as a longer-term lifestyle choice – you may want to find a new favourite drink from the growing range of alcohol-free options.
Taste is very individual so there may be some trial and error to find the drinks you enjoy.
For me, that was part of the fun of finding my new drinks of choice!
I’ve listed six of my favourites across the different drink types and all of them are Australian brands.
Some of these are available online through Sip & Enjoy and, if you use the code 15Change, you can get a 15% discount.
Those that Sip & Enjoy don’t stock – yet – are readily available either online or in bottle shops (depending on where you live).
Botanicals
Banks
When looking for a good alcohol-free drink, particularly a spirit, I want something that packs a bit of a punch, taste wise. Lemonade just doesn’t cut it plus it’s full of sugar.
Banks describe their botanical drink as ‘flavour without the fall-out’ and I think that sums it up perfectly.
It’s organic, sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan and – of course – alcohol free so you can practically feel a golden halo forming above you as you drink this!
I mix Banks with tonic water, a squeeze of lime and some mint.
Cocktails
Lyre’s
Lyre’s was at the forefront of developing alcohol-free spirits and their range is now very extensive.
Whatever your spirit of choice, you’re bound to find a replacement in the Lyre’s range.
If you go to their website you’ll find recipes for almost any cocktail you want to recreate.
My favourites in the Lyre’s range are the Dry London Spirit (gin replica) and White Cane Spirit (non-alcoholic white rum).
Cocktails
Smug AF
I was drawn to this brand by the clever name, the funky design on the cans and the promise of a good, alcohol-free mojito (which was my favourite cocktail in my drinking days).
Smug AF started with two cocktails – Mojito and Margarita – both of which I love and they have recently added the Cosmopolitan and Bellini.
My favourite is still the Mojito (which recently won Australia’s best non-alcoholic drink at the Drink Easy awards).
By the way, I feel very smug AF (particularly the morning after) when drinking these great mocktails!
Wine
Tempus Two Pinot Grigio and Prosecco
I used to be a white wine lover (in fact I loved it too much!) so I’m always keen to try new alcohol-free whites.
Australian wine maker Tempus Two has recently brought out a zero-alcohol wine range and my two favourites are the Pinot Grigio and the Prosecco.
While it’s still difficult to find an alcohol-free white wine or bubbly that replicates the alcohol version, both of these are good substitutes particularly the Prosecco.
Another plus is they are low cal – the Tempus Two Pinot Grigio has 36 calories per serve while their Prosecco has 44 calories per serve.
Cider
Hills Cider
I was not a cider drinker in my drinking days so when a friend suggested a non-alcoholic cider I was a bit uncertain about whether I would like it.
However, in the interest of exploring new options in the alcohol-free space (such a selfless act!) I had a taste and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was.
Hills Cider has two flavours in their alcohol-free range – apple and apple with lemon and rosemary.
The apple with lemon and rosemary is my fave but I would recommend them both.
Beer
Heaps Normal
Beer, like cider, was not something I used to drink, however I have given a few alcohol-free beers a try and have enjoyed them more than I thought I would.
Often a mocktail or an alcohol-free wine is a bit too sweet with food but I’ve found that alcohol-free beers go well with a lot of meals.
The Heaps Normal Quiet XPA is my favourite.
On a side note, I love their slogan – “Too good to be wasted”!
Find out more
These are just some of my faves.
There are plenty of other drinks that I could recommend and I often post alcohol-free recommendations on my Instagram account @nowinenoworries.
You can follow me for more recommendations and other tips.
Note: Some people find alcohol-free versions of wine, beers and spirits triggering so, if that’s the case for you and your aim is not to drink, then it is safer to choose something that doesn’t replicate an alcoholic drink.
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