Dry January and New Year’s resolutions have come and gone, but the demand for alcohol alternatives has remained. This was a major trend prediction for 2024 and, so far, this is looking pretty accurate. “Sober curiosity”, whether for health, general well-being or any other reason, seems to be here to stay.
For me, I often find that choosing an alcoholic drink is a lazy habit, or simply something to do with my hands. It’s easier to be inspired by a glass of wine or an exciting cocktail than an insipid “mocktail” or soft drink list. But if not alcohol, then what? Some may say, “why not just drink water?”, but as a chef, I want everything I consume to be delicious. Water, while obviously the healthiest option, is kind of boring! Other traditional soft drink options are often sickly sweet, which often puts me off.
Even if you have no interest in reducing your alcohol consumption (no judgement here!) expanding your options can still be fun. I’ve assembled a list of ideas to solve this dilemma, and to keep your thirst quenched in the tastiest way possible.
1. Get yourself a Soda Stream
For me, this was step one to enjoying better drinks at home. Producing your own sparkling water ensures that you always have a ready supply, with the added bonus of being a great money and waste-saving move.
There are so many options – plain with a squeeze of citrus or sprig of herbs, or mixed with an interesting cordial, or even just a drop of Angostura bitters. For me this makes water feel like a treat. Level up the experience by investing in some chunky ice blocks and a nice glass.
2. Try the vast range of alcohol-free gins and mixers
These are easy to drink because they have a lot going on: some bitterness, many aromatics, and usually not too much sweetness.
The options are vast. Mahala, and Symmetry are really excellent local options, and Abstinence and Seedlip, while not locally produced, are also delicious. Babylonstoren’s Bitterlekker can also be included in this category too, with its bitter notes and the addition of quinine.
A quick note here for readers who are completely abstinent: Bitterlekker, Angostura bitters and a few of the fermented products mentioned below have a very small percentage of alcohol in them, so make sure you read the labelling carefully.
There are plenty of other mocktail-esque options on the market these days. I love Two in a Bush rooibos iced tea cordials and El Burro’s delicious range of Mexican-inspired mixers (the Palomarita is my favourite). While the latter is intended to be mixed with tequila, I find the range equally good without.
A recent discovery is Tomarchio Aperitivo. This is akin to a zero-alcohol Negroni or Aperol Spritz. I recommend diluting it slightly with some sparkling water and adding a slice of ruby grapefruit for a perfect aperitivo hour drink, sans the booze.
3. Explore fermentation
One of the things that give many alcoholic drinks (especially wine and beer) their intriguing flavour is the fact that they’ve been fermented. The fermentation process adds a sourness, tartness, and complexity that’s hard to replicate.
In the non-alcoholic line, kombucha and kefir water drinks fill this gap. I love Culture Lab, whose drinks are flavoured with unusual fynbos and local botanicals.
4. Tired of sweet drinks? Give alcohol-free beers ago
While simply removing alcohol from a beverage isn’t always the answer (I have a strong dislike for unpleasantly vinegary, de-alcoholised wines, for example), the range of zero-alcohol beers has drastically improved in recent years. For me, this is an appealing option as there’s no sweetness whatsoever in beer, which is a pleasant respite. The Devil’s Peak Hero is particularly convincing, and locally produced too.
5. Make your own
Making your own interesting, non-alcoholic drinks is easier than you may think. The key is the same as with food – you want to try to appeal to all the senses. Try to cover all of the taste bases: bitter, acidic, sweet, even salty. Also think about adding a herbal or aromatic element, as this adds flavour and complexity without feeling the need to add sugar.
I have recently become rather fond of a shrub. A slow infusion of fruits with vinegar and sugar, these are a good way to use up less-than-perfect produce, and the slight vinegary flavour is a bit more intriguing than citrus.
Iced tea is also very simple to make. Simply bring water and sugar to the boil, add lemon juice, aromatics, fruit, or any other flavouring, and steep overnight. In the morning, strain through a sieve and store in the fridge for up to a week.
If you’re wondering where to source any of the above, you’ll be pleased to know that non-alcoholic drinks are becoming increasingly easy to find. Zerodrinks.co.za is an excellent online option. They stock most of the products mentioned in this article, including a mixed 6-pack of non-alcoholic beers. Yuppiechef also has an impressive range which can be shipped across SA, and boutique delis such as Olive Branch or Giovanni’s in Cape Town stock a good selection of both local and imported options.
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My favourite combination is half soda, half kombucha, with a dash of bitters – best non-alc cocktail.
Thanks, Nichole, I’m definitely going to try this! Adding bitters to anything makes it instantly more sophisticated. It’s also a great way to introduce people to kombucha.