The festive season is often a time to overindulge, but possibly even more so this year. After the upset of 2020s curtailed plans, you might be looking forward to large family gatherings and catching up with friends for a festive tipple this year.
It’s also possible that you might be the “designated driver” or preparing yourself for the detox of Dry January. Whether you’re looking for a grown-up drink to see you through Christmas Day or looking to make a long-term change for the year ahead, keep reading for your guide to seven of the best “low and no” alcohol beer and spirits on the market.
This aromatic, juniper-based drink comes from Devon-based Sea Arch.
The company uses traditional gin distillation techniques and seaside botanicals including hand-harvested sugar kelp and samphire to create a vibrant gin alternative, perfect for a “Sea & T”.
Just serve with ice and a slice, and a premium tonic to enjoy a refreshing, flavoursome favourite without the alcohol – or the calories.
Named after a rock formation on the Devon coast and inspired by the same rugged landscape, Coastal Juniper is a complex, uplifting drink that is also perfect in cocktails. Consider a Strawberry and Lime Spritz or a Sea Arch Sour for added indulgence.
Vegan-friendly and “allergen-free”, Sea Arch packaging contains no single-use plastics. All boxes are made from recycled cardboard and each bottle is painted with solvent-free paint.
A 70cl bottle of Coastal Juniper will currently set you back £24.95.
If you’re looking for a smoky alternative to dark spirits like whisky or rum, Crossip’s Dandy Smoke may be the answer.
Sure to add a fiery kick to any cocktail, a nose of burning pinewood and peat gives way to sweet spices and bitter orange before leaving you with lingering chilli heat. It may be alcohol-free, but it isn’t intended to be drunk neat.
Built from a base of eucalyptus, ginger, cayenne, gentian, and glycerine, Dandy Smoke doesn’t attempt to mimic the taste of whisky or rum but has a taste all of its own. Its depth, smokiness, and mouthfeel, though, are reminiscent of traditional dark spirits, making it perfect in cocktails like an Old Fashioned.
This craft beer brewing company was founded by Logan Plant – son of Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant – in 2011. Back in 2018, it partnered with beer goliath Heineken, who provided the £40 million required to build a new brewery.
Lazer Crush is a 0.3% abv American-hopped IPA. Rather than fermenting and then removing the alcohol, a low-alcohol yeast is used that naturally produces its own peach flavours.
Azacca, Amarillo, and Citra hops, then add ripe mango, sweet orange, and citrus to create a zesty IPA.
Founded by Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews in 2019, CleanCo uses traditional distillation processes to create a range of non-alcoholic spirit alternatives and premixed cocktails.
Clean G Rhubarb is a non-alcoholic (less than 0.5% abv) gin alternative, prepared by a master distiller using fruit and botanicals to create a rhubarb and red berries pink “gin”.
A 70cl bottle costs £19.
5. Days Brewing Co alcohol-free lager
While some alcohol-free products brew a traditional beer and then remove the alcohol, others – like Beavertown’s Lazer Crush – use low-alcohol yeast to keep the abv low from the outset.
Other producers though, including the Days Brewing in Scotland, opt for a completely alcohol-free process. By eliminating the need for heat treatments, or other processes designed to remove alcohol, the beer’s entirely plant-based, local, and natural ingredients are allowed to shine.
It also means Days Lager is absolutely 0.0% alcohol. Taste-wise, expect a clean and crisp lager with floral and citrus notes.
Another company making distilled, non-alcoholic spirits, Seedlip’s Grove 42 is perfect for homemade cocktails.
Founder Ben Branson used his farming heritage and love of nature and design to create, and then launch “the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit” Seedlip Spice 94 in London’s Selfridges back in 2015.
Since then, the company has received two gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, opened offices worldwide, and published a book of cocktails.
70cl of Seedlip Grove 42 will cost you £26.
7. Big Drop Brewing Galactic Milk Stout
Big Drop Brewing is dedicated to making beers under 0.5%. You’ll find stouts, pale ales, IPAs, brown ale, and winter ales (among others) in their range, all made without the need for artificial alcohol removal.
Using barley, rye, wheat, and oats as well as 20 speciality grains, an abundance of taste combinations means that there is a beer for everyone.
If you’re looking for a warming winter drink to replace your usual stout, try the “honeycomb covered in chocolate” of Big Drop’s Galactic Milk Stout. You might also consider the “chocolate bar in a glass” of their Off Piste Hazelnut Porter.
