Low/No alcohol at Christmas

[Pepper Pig]

It has occurred to me now that I’m a non-drinker that part of this is because the alcohol alternatives are getting better and better. I’m just doing my Christmas Ocado order and the only real booze I’m ordering is white wine to take to people over the festive season. I still have a stash of Chris’s red. The other part is that my immediate family barely drink these days. We’ll probably have Prosecco and Nozecco on Christmas Day and even the beers the lads have might be alcohol free.

My top buys:

Sipsmith’s Free Glider “Gin”
Tanqueray 0% “Gin”
Seedlip Grove 42 botanical “Gin”

Captain Morgan Spiced Gold 0% “Rum”

The price has come down a bit on all of these too especially if you use your Loyalty Card.

I like the 0% Peroni but am not knowledgeable enough about beers/lagers.

Still looking for the driest Nosecco.

There are some lovely upmarket mixers too. Some of the Margarita types are particularly good. And Fevertree do some interesting flavours.

Any more?

[Suffs]

PepperP https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/ ... lsrc=3p.ds

Now our beer of choice for much of the time … and we’re real beer drinkers

Adnams also do a similarly named one with alcohol so check which you’re buying.

[herbidacious]

Ha I had some of that last week and I could detect the alcohol in it… 0.5%! I am clearly very sensitised* The person who bought it for me had asked for alcohol free beer. And actually I think it said that on the label… but it doesn’t on the one in the link.
Ah well. It tasted nice though from that perspective I would second the recommendation.
* I once felt woozy just from breathing in Lidl fondue fumes… so yes.

[scullion]

we have a mix of alcohol free beers in the pantry. most of them are pretty good.
san miguel, stella artois and heineken are our preferred - i think - and our son likes the brewdog alc free one.
we were unimpressed with the guinness 0% - won't be buying that again - unless it gets better.

[Stokey Sue]

I tend to have an actual soft drink such as Sicilian Lemon if I don’t want alcohol, but do drink 0% beer and cider if I’m out playing, as I’m getting it from the bar I have whatever is going, Peroni and Erdinger are fine as beers. Many of the backgammon players like the Guinness.

PP you probably need to check through the red wine and see if any of it would be best used as Christmas presents, most of it doesn’t keep as well as people expect it to.

[Pepper Pig]

I’d forgotten the ciders. Koppaburg do at least one alcohol free. They also do a gin and fruit flavour in tins.

Re the red wine, none of it’s particularly old. Chris had a delivery from Laithwaites every 3 months or so for years but I e probably only got a couple of dozen left.

Thanks for the Ghost Ship recommendation Suffs.

[herbidacious]

I do like the Koppaburg fruity ones but they don't taste remotely like cider to me. Just sweet drinks. You can get some more cidery dry AF ciders.

I have not yet had an AF wine that I like, sparkling or otherwise. I'd rather stick with sparkling water...

[WWordsworth]

My friend's daughter drank Tanqueray 0% during her last pregnancy and pronounced it acceptable.

[Stokey Sue]

I don’t like Koppaberg, with or without alcohol, bars tend to have Stowford Press or Thatcher’s which are ok.

Did you know that the full on version of Stowford Press was made to be the same abv as session lagers and beers so the cider drinker in the round could safely keep pace with their mates? Trad ciders are very much stronger. I think it’s a great success

How old is not very PP? I mentioned because I finished up the ends of my dad’s Laithwaite bottles, and they were definitely best within 2 years, perhaps 3 for the more full bodied.

[Pepper Pig]

I didn't like the Thatchers when I tried it but I'm a bit funny about cider anyway. There's an aftertaste with some that I really don't like.

I shouldn't think any of the bottles are more than 5 years old Sue.And as I'm giving them away my conscience is pretty clear. Doubt I shall be entertaining anyone who's not driving.

[herbidacious]

Sheppey's is ok. Tring to remember the other one I had. I bought a box of mixed ciders AF from Dry Drinker during lockdown, but I don't think they sell all the same ones now. It takes me a long time to get through it...

[Amber]

I like Nosecco with a teeny tiny taste of elderflower cordial.

[Stokey Sue]

Someone making mulled wine on tv has just reminded me of Norfolk Punch, very Christmassy, usually available at Holland Barrett. I might get some

https://www.norfolkpunch.com/

[liketocook]

No alcohol ginger wine (or ginger beer) with soda and lime cordial is my go to.

[Busybee]

Whilst I technically drink, I don’t often indulge.

Whilst it’s always nice that someone has gone to the effort of getting AF drinks, tbh I’d prefer just plain water dressed up with ice and a slice of something. It’s usually far more thirst quenching and refreshing.

My favourite it either lemon, lime, orange, cucumber or mint.

BB

[slimpersoninside]

I don't truly fit into the category of a non-drinker (my liking of a shot of Kahlua in my evening hot chocolate sometimes blows that out of the water) but I don't drink much alcohol. I've never been much of a spirit drinker but beer, lager and cider have been known to pass my lips! Post chemo my tastes have changed in some areas, beer etc is one. I don't drink beer etc any longer as it doesn't taste right. I did discover a drink widely available in Europe called Radler, it's a mix of beer/lager and lemon(ade?) not quite the same as our shandy and I much prefer it. It does come in a no-alcohol version but the alcohol versions are around the 2% mark. This is now my alcoholic drink of choice and even this I only drink rarely.

I do not like n/a beers, to me they all have a taste element I find unpleasant, pre chemo included. I much prefer a nice soda, I use Mr Fitzpatrick's cordials and water from a sodastream.

[herbidacious]

I buy and usually bring back something similar when in France, slimpersoninside, called Tourtel. Really nice chilled when it's hot out. I have had Radler too and liked it.

They do some nice AF beers in Belgium...

I don't often feel like having an AF beer etc. but it's really nice to have something other than soda water every now and again when out. (My default when out used to be lime soda but I realized I really hate lime cordial and so few places will do fresh lime juice.)

[Stokey Sue]

OK, it's not Christmas but I've just become a fan of Lucky Saint no alcohol beer, an excellent hot weather refresher

They have a lager and an IPA, widely available round here in cans and bottles, not sure which I prefer, possibly the IPA, which is fractionally more bitter, there seem to be offers in some supermarkets

Available on draught in some pubs, I hope to catch up with that on Tuesday, and they have their own pub in Marylebone (it's not temperance, and looks nice)

https://luckysaint.co/

[aero280]

I tried 0% Doom Bar beer. It was horrid.

So I then went on to a 0% Thatchers cider, and that was fine!

[Pepper Pig]

I’m drinking Ghost Ship now as Suffs recommended. Very refreshing. Apparently, according to fellow non-drinkers, 0% Guinness is really good. I won’t be trying it as I don’t like Guinness but it keeps cropping up as being a good option. Yes Aero, I tried the Doom Bar and it nasty.