The alcohol-free beers, wines and spirits you have to try

Aldi’s just had its biggest Dry January ever, with sales of non-alcoholic drinks soaring. Its Zerozecco sales are up 190% year-on-year, with over 200,000 glasses sold in the first two weeks of January alone. The newly launched Greyson’s Alcohol Free cans have been flying off the shelves at over 100 an hour.

So, if you’re looking for something different to try in the last week of Dry January, or if you’ve decided to give up alcohol longer-term, there are plenty of options to wet your whistle.

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Some are zero per cent, others up to 0.5. If you’re not drinking alcohol for religious or medical reasons, stick to the zero ones to be on the safe side.

These have been my favourite ‘NoLo’ drinks I’ve tried this Dry January. 

Beers

There is a low-or-no version of pretty much every major brand lager on the market from the wonderfully crisp Stella Artois to the fresh and clean Corona and the thirst-quenching Bud (which I actually prefer to its alcoholic equivalent), but – as yet – nothing in the realm of John Smiths or Bombardier or Boddingtons to be seen.

While the range of alcohol-free lagers and pils and IPAs is expanding at an incredible rate, it can be a challenge to find a suitable unleaded alternative for bitters and darker ales.

There are, thankfully, a number of very impressive low-alcohol or alcohol-free stouts around.

Galactic Milk Stout by Big Drop has a smoky finish to it courtesy of some warm coffee notes, and their Reef Point is packed with deliciously satisfying malt flavours.

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Nirvana Brewery’s chocolate and vanilla-flavoured offering has an impressive finish.

For those who want bolder flavours still, Mash Gang’s Lesser Evil Chocolate and Cherry stout is a very palatable option.

For those who might prefer a fuller-bodied bitter as their alcoholic tipple, alcohol-free alternatives are not easy to come by.

Nirvana’s Best Amber Ale (£29 for 12) is probably the closest thing to a pint of bitter you’ll get in the alcohol-free world, with a warm, faintly caramel aftertaste and very little of the fizziness of the lagers and IPAs.

Also worth mentioning is Nirvana’s lovely Hefweizen wheatbeer, which has all the fragrant, wheaty flavours of any traditional German or Austrian wheat bear.

But what of all those lagers, pils and IPAs?

Well, the good news is some of these are virtually indistinguishable from their alcoholic counterparts.

(Image: Impossibrew)

Firebrand Brewing Co’s Shorebreak (£2.70) is full of zesty, refreshing hoppiness to it (their Little Wave is also excellent), and Athletic Brewing Co’s Upside Dawn Pale Ale is a similarly crisp, lively drink, of which a good gulp ice-cold from the fridge will provide a little energising shiver.

Purity Brewing Co’s Point Five (£27.20 for 12) has a copper orange appearance and sweet malt backbone. Hopped and dry hopped again with organic nelson sauvin, mosaic, citra and wakatu hops, it has citrus notes of grapefruit and lime.

Similarly Adnam’s Ghost Ship (£26.99 for 24) is a bright and flavourful mouthful that’s starting to make an appearance in more and more bars now.

Impossibrew (from £2.49) helps drinkers unwind naturally, using natural nootropics and  adaptogens. Its lager and pale both scooped prizes at the World Beer Awards and won a Great Taste Award.

Wines

(Image: La Gioiosa)

These days, there are almost as many non and low sparkling whites on the shelves as their regular counterparts.

La Gioiosa 0.00% alcohol free sparkling (£6.50) has been created by the Moretti Polegato family, experts in viticulture, in Treviso in the heart of ‘Prosecco country’ for generations. It’s a pale straw yellow with intense, fine bubbles and a fruity aroma with clear hints of ripe golden apple, exotic fruit salad. We drank it as an aperitif, and it worked well as a light and fruity drink to start the evening.

Similarly, ASDA Extra Special Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc Low Alcohol Wine, 0.5 (£4.00, currently on offer for £3.50) is light and easy to drink. If one of the reasons to forego booze in the leanest month of the year is saving money, try this reasonably priced own-brand fizz, based on a sauvignon blanc. 

Nozeco Sparkling  (£3.50, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Morrisons, Waitrose) 
is another affordable and very drinkable light zero-alcohol fizz, dominated by white flowers and muscat white grapes. It’s a refreshing choice to enjoy as an apéritif, perfect for celebrations. 

At the other end of the price spectrum, Bolle, 0.5% ABV is £19.99 from Bolledrinks.com. Its sparkling wines are some of the first to introduce secondary fermentation, and you can certainly taste it. The wines capture the essence of traditional wine, offering a non-alcoholic option that offer a real depth, and complexity. Both have plenty of fine bubbles, with flavours of crisp apple, juicy pear, zesty citrus, and a touch of minerality. These aren’t cheap, but are great for a treat.

(Image: Bolle)

Zonin Cuvee Zero 0% (£7.50 from Ocado) has been made by one of Italy’s oldest wine families from Glera – the grape variety used to make Prosecco, and it’s a dry, alcohol-free glass of fizz with a creamy mousse of pear and green apple, with light citrus and florals and a long finish that gives a nod to the sensation of alcohol. 

(Image: Zonin)

For the non-sparkling whites, Not Guilty Zero Alcohol Pinot Grigio NV (£5.49 from Virgin Wines) is a good option. Packed with notes of citrus and pear, it worked well with food, and while very much on the lighter end of the wine spectrum, it would be perfect served very cold on a summer day.

Moderato (£13.99 for a single bottle price, or £11.99 when you buy six) is now sold in Majestic stores up and down the country, as well as online. Created to be enjoyed with food, it comes in red and white, and has been de-alcoholised and blended, starting with a vinted wine. The Moderato Cuvee Revolutionaire Colombard was really good served very cold with dinner, a zesty and refreshing accompaniment to a meal. 

Getting red wine right is tricky. They all seem to be thinner and lacking the depth of a true red. But Eisberg has the right idea with its Pinot Noir, 0%, which is juicy and light, with flavours of blackcurrant, cherry and sweet spices. We tried it with pasta, and it was easy to drink and enjoyable. 

Kombucha

Kombucha is a fermented drink made from tea, sugar and a bacterial culture called a scoby. It might not sound hugely appetising, but it’s a great alternative to alcohol, and unlike many drinks, it’s actually good for you, thanks to its good bacteria. It has a grown up flavour, and tastes a bit like alcohol, so is often served in its place.

LA Brewery Sparkling English Blush NV (£11.99 from Virgin Wines) feels like a celebratory drink, and comes packed with fresh rhubarb and subtle strawberry leaf on the nose, followed by a burst of peachy sweetness on the palate.

(Image: Counter Culture)

Try Dry (RRP £2.19 per single can or £23.95 for a case of 12, from Counter Culture Amazon or Wise Bartender) the Bristol-based kombucha brand, has launched this light and naturally tangy, citrus-packed organic kombucha drink. With punchy yuzu, this citrus explosion is perfect for anyone craving something zesty and refreshing. It’s good to see that 5% of all sales from Try Dry go straight to Alcohol Change UK to support their vital work to tackle alcohol harm.

Spirits

Aldi is giving shoppers even more reasons to raise a glass (without the alcohol) with the launch of its Greyson’s 0% can range in Pink Berries Lemonade and London Dry and Tonic (both 79p). The ready-to-drink cans offer a convenient and refreshing alternative to alcohol, for a bargain price.

There’s a great sense of occasion about ANON (£12 for 20cl or £20 for 70cl, from Anon) non-alcoholic spirits, flavoured with distilled botanicals which have been filtered to remove the alcohol.

(Image: Clean G)

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The Bittersweet Aperitif fills the space in my life left by a negroni, with its blend of bitter wormwood, vermouth, orange, gentian and quassia extracts. The English Garden is good too – like a non-alcoholic Pimms, perfect for a sun-kissed summer afternoon in the garden (I can dream).

Similarly, CleanCo (£16) founded in 2019 by entrepreneur Spencer Matthews, CleanCo includes a Clean T (Tequila), Clean G (Gin), Clean G Rhubarb (Rhubarb Gin), Clean R (Rum), and Clean W (Whiskey). While you wouldn’t mistake any of them for alcohol, they all work well in cocktails or with a mixer, served with a fancy glass and lots of ice.

Whatever your tipple, there’s plenty of choice. I found so many that I liked that I don’t think I’ll be rushing back to alcohol any time soon. Here’s to a dry February and beyond.