Celebrating 200 non-alcoholic drink reviews
I started this non-alcoholic journey of mine back in 2020 and finally, I’ve hit my 200th non-alcoholic drink review (it’s for Sagres and will be published soon). And what a journey it’s been. I started this blog review site having tried only a handful of alcohol-free drinks and can now say, with some confidence, that the sector has improved exponentially.
End of the day I’ve had some lovely comments from people who have found my reviews to be helpful, heartwarming and at times witty and who knows perhaps I’ll do 200 more. Anyhow, I thought I would share some of my insights and comments below on the non-alcoholic world.
How has the non-alcoholic drinks market changed over the years
As I said upfront when I started this journey the alcohol-free market was very limited however since 2020 the number of new producers coming on the market has been on the rise, I honestly struggle to keep up with all the choice out there. Looking at the three categories …
The non-alcoholic beer and cider market is full of really decent tipples. There are some dodgy beers, don’t get me wrong, but on the whole the quality and variety are impressive. This is helped by the fact there are a large number of artisan, low-batch alcohol-free focused brewers alongside the established brands.
The non-alcoholic wine market is a mixed bag. There have been great strides in the technology that removes alcohol from wine however the technique is just not there yet. Without a doubt, the non-alcoholic sparkling wines are by far the best and a good choice for a celebration. The reds, however, have a long way to go and unless you are desperate for an alcohol-free glass of merlot then I suggest looking elsewhere.
Non-alcoholic spirits and mocktails have on the whole been a strong sector over the past few years mimicking the taste of classic cocktails and spirits and acting as tasty alternatives to the alcoholic choice.
So overall I think there are a lot of positives to shout about in the alcohol-free world and with further investment and interest we should see more improvements and enjoyable drinks.
Best alcohol-free drinks I’ve tasted
The first thing I want to point out is that I’ve created a unique non-alcoholic drink selector tool that helps you navigate the world of alcohol-free drinking. However below are the top five non-alcoholic drinks from each category, click on the link for each review.
Beers
#1 – LUCKY SAINT – a firm favourite and a regular drinker
#2 – JOKER AF – lovely IPA and one of my faves
#3 – MAISEL WEISSE – German wheat beer full of flavour
#4 – COCONUT GROVE – easy-to-drink pale ale from Germany
#5 – GUINNESS 0.0 – a classic stout with a large creamy head
Wine
#1 – BELLE & CO ROSE – a very tasty sparkling rose
#2 – CHATEAU DEL ISH – refreshing and crisp sparkling white
#3 – CIMICKY RED – a rare decent alcohol-free red (albeit sparkling)
#4 – BELLA GLAMOUR – sparkling white full of character
#5 – VINADA – a tasty alcohol-free chardonnay
Cocktails/ spirits
#1 – LYRE’S PINK LONDON SPIRIT – fantastic gin perfect for a GnT
#2 – SPRITZ ISH – refreshing pre-mixed spritz mocktail perfect before a meal
#3 – CLEAN G – an award-winning non-alcoholic gin
#4 – LYRE’S COFFEE LIQUEUR – this makes the best guilt-free espresso martini
#5 – CUBA LIBRE – a tasty pre-mixed cocktail from the Clean Co team
All I’ve got left to say is that I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my reviews, enjoyed the tasty non-alcoholic drinks I’ve recommended and here’s to another 200 more reviews 🙂
Feel free to join the newsletter or follow on the socials to stay in touch.
James
