The New No- & Low-Alcoholic Drinks To Know

The New No- & Low-Alcoholic Drinks To Know

Dry January might a bit of a ritual for you – in which case, we’ve rounded up some of the best booze-free options out there. But if the prospect is too much to bear as we enter our third lockdown in the last 12 months, take note of these drinks market newcomers – many of which are low in alcohol instead. From an absinthe replacement to an alcohol-free spirit made by award-winning bar Artesian’s former head bartender, here are 16 options to try this month.

Low-Alcohol

Cotswolds Dry Gin Essence

The Cotswolds Distillery has launched the latest edition in its gin portfolio, Cotswolds Dry Gin Essence. The mix is a full-strength gin (ABV 46%) designed to reduce the amount of alcohol required in a G&T and in gin-based cocktails, while at the same time retaining intensity of flavour. Made using ten times the botanical concentration of its award-winning Cotswolds Dry Gin, the result is a huge amount of flavour per unit of alcohol, meaning just 5ml is needed for a full G&T – which has one tenth of the alcohol of a normal serve. Just fill a copa glass with ice and add five full drops. Top with 200ml of your favourite tonic water and garnish with a slice of grapefruit. 

Visit CotswoldsDistillery.com

Whisp

Whisp is a new low-calorie, lightly alcoholic sparkling water. Created by Harriet Cuming, a personal trainer, Whisp is a decent choice to reach for when you want to drink less. The brand is currently available in two flavours: cucumber & mint and raspberry & elderflower. Each can contains 66 calories and there’s no added sugar, sweeteners or additives. It even contains seasonal supplement of choice – milk thistle – to help tackle inflammation and help support a healthy liver.

Visit WhispDrinks.co.uk

Mary

With 6% ABV and 9 calories per 25ml serving, the team behind newcomer Mary, Illogical Drinks, has added some alcohol to this new botanical launch so consumers can still enjoy a drink, but without the high alcohol content. Mary’s fresh, dry taste comes from sustainably sourced plants including basil, thyme, sage, coriander seeds, angelica roots, pine needles and juniper. A delicate green spirit, packing bright, zesty herbal flavours with a touch of fresh citrus, it works excellently when paired with tonic water. 

Visit Drink-Mary.com

Atopia

Atopia is an ultra-low alcohol spirit at 0.5% ABV. It’s made from natural distillates and extracts and comes in two flavours – Spiced Citrus and Wild Blossom. Award-winning master distiller at William Grant & Sons, Lesley Gracie, wanted to create something accessible yet special to elevate the modern drinking experience. Not is Atopia full on flavour, it’s also low-calorie, too – each serving contains 75 times less alcohol than a regular G&T. 

Visit AtopiaSpirits.com

Non-Alcoholic

ZEO

ZEO was created by an independent start-up in collaboration with the world-renowned and multi-award-winning bartender Simone Caporale, formerly of World’s Best Bar winner, Artesian. The team worked alongside other world-class mixologists for three years to research the finest ingredients and techniques. The result is ZEO, a non-alcoholic spirit developed to realistically mimic the flavour and mouthfeel of alcohol. There are two flavours: Botanical Dry and Spiced Oak, each available in 70cl, 50cl and 5cl bottles. ZEO Botanical Dry is a clear spirit made from nine botanicals, which mixes well with tonic and a lemon slice as well as in cocktails such as a collins or classic martini. ZEO Spiced Oak, an amber-coloured spirit made from eight botanicals, can be enjoyed on the rocks, in cocktails such as an old fashioned, or simply served with a splash of cola.

Visit FeelZEO.com

Fluère

Beautifully packaged Fluère offers a fresh base for non-alcoholic long drinks and works as a versatile mixer for non-alcoholic cocktails. Available in four flavours – original, raspberry, amber and smoked agave – the brand recommends serving 65ml of Fluère Original with 150ml of tonic water, lots of ice cubes, two sprigs of lavender and a few juniper berries to garnish, or add Fluère Raspberry to an ice-filled glass, before topping with tonic, a few sprigs of lavender and juniper berries. As you’d expect, the smoked agave bottle makes a great alternative to tequila – ideal for booze-free margaritas.

Visit Ocado.com

Crossip

Crossip is a non-alcoholic spirit made from botanical ingredients, offering a rich flavour, texture and body. The spirit replacement was designed for health-conscious people who want to enjoy their social life by industry veteran Carl Brown, a regular on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch. The drink currently comes in three flavours: Pure Hibiscus, Fresh Citrus and Dandy Smoke – an ideal whisky or rum replacement in your favourite cocktails. Best of all, the brand gives 5% of profits away to charitable causes.

Visit CrossipDrinks.com

Maria & Craig’s

Maria & Craig’s is a new-to-the-market non-alcoholic botanical CBD spirit, from the husband-and-wife team behind Ceder’s distilled non-alcoholic alt-gin. Maria & Craig’s blends premium broad-spectrum CBD from the USA with distilled juniper, sage, camomile and orange blossom with additional classic gin botanicals. Handcrafted in small batches and best paired with premium tonic water and garnished with fresh orange peel, the brand offers a ready-made festive drink – without the booze and calories.

Visit Maria-And-Craigs.com

Wilfred’s

Wilfred’s uses only naturally bittersweet ingredients to conjure all the crisp, citrusy and refreshing flavours of a spritz, without any alcohol. The dark red drink comes in an art deco-inspired bottle, a nod to the period which saw the rise in popularity of aperitif-style drinks. Designed to be served simply with tonic water, this alcohol-free aperitif is made from a blend of zesty bitter orange, herbal notes of rosemary, rhubarb and just a hint of clove. To make a non-alcoholic mulled wine, add 30ml of honey or maple syrup, freshly sliced oranges and a small sprinkling of earthy spices, such as cloves, cinnamon, aniseed or coriander seeds, to a pan. Warm up until almost simmering, but don’t boil. Leave to rest with a lid for five minutes, then ladle into mugs. 

Visit WilfredsDrinks.com

Salcombe New London Light

The award-winning Salcombe Distilling Company in Cornwall created New London Light as a low-calorie, alcohol-free alternative to their signature gin. Distilled with natural ingredients chosen for their health properties, like juniper, cardamom, ginger, sage and cascarilla bark, this drink has benefits for both the body and brain. Beautifully refreshing, yet full on flavour, NLL (as the locals call it) is infused with orange, star anise and lemongrass and is best served over ice with fresh orange slices. 

Visit SalcomBeGin.com

Bax Botanics

Bax Botanics produces alcohol-free spirits by distilling herbs and botanicals in traditional copper stills. It combines flavours from wild herbs, roots, berries and flowers to create complex alcohol-free spirits. The flavours currently include Sea Buckthorn (containing fragrant herbs, berries and Seville oranges create a complex, bitter-sweet fruit profile) and Verbena (with flavours of lemon verbena, fresh herbs, menthol and fennel to create dry delicate floral and citrus notes). Each bottle contains no sugar, sweeteners or allergens, and there’s only half a calorie per 50ml serving.

Visit BaxBotanics.com

Saicho

Saicho sparkling teas come in a range of three complex yet delicate flavours; Jasmine, Darjeeling and Hojicha, all of which are designed to be served chilled in a champagne flute or coupe, making them the ideal alternative to fizz traditionally served at festive breakfasts, Christmas dinner and NYE toasts. Each Saicho expression, like single-estate wines, comes from a specific region and the variety expressed in each bottle has been carefully chosen to be paired with certain foods and flavours, so each can be consumed during the day, depending on the occasion.

Visit SaichoDrinks.com

Lyre’s

Lyre’s develops products aimed at replicating the taste of classic spirits and liqueurs. Working with some of the world’s most recognised sommeliers – and with over 6,000 ingredients at their disposal – these non-alcoholic spirits combine all-natural essences, extracts and distillates to match the aroma, taste, appearance and tell-tale burn of some of the best-loved spirits out there. Flavours in the collection include amaretti, Italian orange and dark spiced cane, while classic drinks cabinet essentials such as absinthe, American malt and a coffee-flavoured ‘sprit’ will all help add a touch of realism to non- or low-alcoholic cocktails.

Visit Lyres.co.uk

Three Spirit 

After years spent researching in libraries, labs, bars and fields, the founders of Three Spirit created a number of plant-based alternatives to celebrate drinking in a new way. Thanks to plant scientists, world-class bartenders and herbalists, the drinks combine different ingredients aimed at stimulating not only the palate, but mind and body too. Livener, the non-alcoholic spirit, is one of our favourites from the brand. With notes of watermelon, guava and ginger, it’s a crowd-pleasing drink which tastes just as good on its own as it does with a fruit-based mixer.  

Visit ThreeSpiritDrinks.com

Lockdown Liquor & Co x Seedlip

Originally created in lockdown 1.0 last year, Lockdown Liquor & Co has become an SL favourite thanks to its selection of punchy pre-mixed cocktails. In time for Dry January, the brand has recently collaborated with Seedlip to create a non-alcoholic version of their signature Picante. The Grove Picante contains lime, chilli, agave nectar, orange blossom water, coriander and Seedlip’s classic Grove 42 Citrus non-alcoholic spirit. Simply pour it over ice and garnish with a chill pepper for an extra kick. 

Visit Lockdown-Liquor.com
 

Jukes Cordialities

With over 30 years of expertise in the wine industry, Matthew Jukes began his foray into the non-alcoholic business after noticing a gap in the market for quality non-alcoholic drinks. Cue Jukes – the low-calorie, non-alcoholic wine that’s meant to be enjoyed every day of the week. At around 16 calories per glass, when mixed with water, the drinks are both low-calorie and alcohol-free. There are several varieties to choose from, including red, white and rosé wines, but one of our favourites is Number 6 – a deep red with notes of blackberry, strawberry and plum. 

Visit JukesCordialities.com

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