ALCOHOL ALTERNATIVES FOR CHRISTMAS
Safe to say I was probably more into cockatiels than cocktails when I reached the legal drinking age. It was the late ‘90s, alcopops hadn’t yet arrived, thank goodness, but their more grown-up cousin on the scene, the cocktail, was often an expensive, too-easy-to-drink, sugary and sometimes artificial-tasting mash-up that gave you a terrible hangover — think the infamous Sex on the Beach that’s been hanging on since the ‘80s, and boozy mixers that ran a bit cheaper, such as vodka cranberry and Malibu and coke. Roll on another 20 years and the first cocktail I have ever actually enjoyed (other than the classic bloody Mary with a Sunday lunch... which now gives me acid just thinking about it!) is the botanical kind that has popped up in many fashionable joints — subtle and complex mixes, made with herbs, spices, infusions and more. The menu of dreams is over at Lyaness (formerly Dandelyan) in Sea Containers by the South Bank.
Since then, I’ve found a new way to enjoy a bit of fizz on a night out (or in) — the new fashion of beautifully crafted botanical non-alcoholic, or low alcohol, blends. Many of them could be considered herbal remedies, if you like. When Seedlip first hit Selfridges in 2015 and sold 3,000 units in less than a month, it was the first of its kind — a trailblazer. Even those who turn their nose up at the idea of paying good money for something that doesn’t even get you loose cannot deny that there is a new wave of conscious consumerism taking place, where people look for quality products to consume that are also good for their long-term health and perhaps even for the environment.
Books like British NY expat Ruby Warrington’s Sober Curious hit bestseller lists over the last few years — including one by two “finance boys” who realised that the ubiquitousness of alcohol in their work environment was significantly affecting their quality of life — their book The 28 Day Alcohol-Free Challenge has become a must-read for everyone trying to kick the habit.
It’s also worth mentioning in this new age of talking freely about spiritual health that the words “spirits” and “alcohol” both have spiritual origins. Think about it: when you ingest alcohol, it rids you of your sense of consciousness and conscientiousness, and allows you to act mindlessly, absorbing things around you that may not serve you. When, like me, you’re trying to bring a bit more of that mindfulness into your life, alcohol is just not helpful.
I am by no means teetotal, although I do go through periods where I’m definitely turned off it, and others when I am easily swayed by friends, advertising and more often than not nostalgia. I like a beautiful glass of red and occasionally white when I’m in the mood — a mulled wine or a hot toddy when the winter frosts come and even a cocktail on a summer’s night (I have a thing for Campari!), or a cider on a picnic, but these days I drink when I want to, not when it’s expected in society. Part of that I can put down to being able to tune in and articulate my needs better as I grow older and the fact that, as a London lady, it’s not unusual to go out with friends these days where nobody even mutters the word “drink” unless they’re talking herbal teas, a kombucha or splash of water. Mocktails (and I’m not just talking fruit juice and or lime and soda) are now as viable on the party scene and for events. It also helps that the artisanal creation of food and drink is now more respected than it has been for a century.
So enough of all that. Let’s get chatting about what's now available on the very open market of non-alcoholic (or low alcohol) “spirits.” I’ve tasted a vast range of no-alcohol or low alcohol options now readily available. Some of these are designed to replace certain spirits — like gin or whisky — while others are meant to be enjoyed as the creative ferments that they are. Some are punchy and almost like cordials, ready to be diluted with mixers or sipped slowly over ice — “on the rocks” for those in the know. Others are more subtle carriers of botanical extracts, enhanced once they hit the tonic and a squeeze of lime that you enjoy with your usual tipple. While I feel that some of the flavour of these alcohol alternatives could be enjoyed as simply a dash in, say, a more concentrated form, like an angostura bitter, what these beautiful bottles do do is allow the user to enjoy a drink that's more familiar and can be mixed by bartenders, mixologists or hosts in the same way as the real deal.
Comes in: CleanGin
Cost: £24.99 for 70cl
Alcohol content: 1.2%
Good for: instead of gin in a cleaner G&T
Comes in: a spiced blend, a botanical blend and a citrusy blend
Cost: £22 for 70cl
Alcohol content: 0%
Good for: a flavourful cocktail that’s just as complex as the alcoholic kind
Comes in: 3 complex herbal blends
Cost: £24.99 for 50cl
Alcohol content: 0%
Good for: on the rocks, or with your favourite mixer
Comes in: signature bittersweet aperitif
Cost: £18 for 50cl
Alcohol content: 0%
Good for: as an alternative to spritz, or enjoyed on the rocks for its notes of vanilla and saffron
Comes in: Spiced Citrus or Wild Blossom
Cost: £24.95 for 70cl
Alcohol content: 0.5%
Good for: in a simple, old-school cocktail
Comes in: Not Rum, Not Gin and Not Vodka
Cost: £18.99 for 70cl
Alcohol content: 0%
Good for: as a non-alcoholic substitute for your favourite spirit
Comes in: signature No.18
Cost: £19.95 for 75cl
Alcohol content: 0%
Good for: instead of wine to complement a good meal
Comes in: signature Scottish spirit
Cost: £28 for 50cl
Alcohol content: 0%
Good for: simply - on the rocks, with soda or with tonic
Comes in: 2 sweet and smoky spirits, Highland Bothy and Smokey Isle
Cost: £28-32 for 70cl
Alcohol content: 0%
Good for: an alternative to whisky in a sour cocktail or rum in a mojito
Comes in: signature gin-like botanical blend
Cost: €29 for 70cl
Alcohol content: <0.5%
Good for: an alternative to gin in classic drinks
Comes in: alcohol-free beer
Cost: in bars and restaurants, prices may vary
Alcohol content: 0%
Good for: when you’re in the mood for a cold one
Comes in: “Temptation” and “Seduction”
Cost: £20
Alcohol content: 0%
Good for: instead of gin