With Christmas party season around the corner, the fizz is bound to be flowing – but you don’t always have to ‘drink’ to enjoy the festive spirit
In years gone by, being the designated driver meant sticking to sodas, or maybe treating yourself to a lime cordial at the pub. But with the rise in people choosing to stay sober in recent years, companies are catching up to the trend and offering some more interesting alternatives. Whether you don’t drink as a lifestyle choice, because you’re pregnant, or are just wanting to be on your best behaviour at the work Christmas party, you can still join in the fun with alcohol-free versions of your favourite festive drinks.
Happiful have put five drinks to the test to see what we would raise a glass to, and what we’d pour down the sink. Bottoms up!
Who doesn’t love a bit of mulled wine at Christmas time – which is essentially the scent of the season in a bottle! This alcohol-free version is a blend of organic fruit juices, mixed spices and oils. RRP: £4.99
“I would prefer this over alcohol, although it’s only good when piping hot, as suggested on the bottle. Once cooled, it was not so good.”
– Simon
Taste: 4/5
Compared to alcoholic version: 3.5/5
No one should feel left out when celebrating a toast, so here’s an option for an alcohol-free sparkling wine. It’s a medium-dry chardonnay with plenty of fizz when you’re raising a glass. RRP: £5.99
Taste: 4.5/5
Compared to alcoholic version: 3/5
A refreshing alcohol-free twist on the classic G&T, these carbonated Indian tonic waters, with selected natural botanicals, certainly went down a storm in Happiful HQ. RRP: £21.99 per case of 12 bottles
Taste: 4/5
Compared to alcoholic version: 3.5/5
Renowned for producing alcoholic ciders, this low-alcohol version from Stowford Press is a great alternative for those who can’t get enough of the refreshing bevvie. RRP: £22.99 per case of 24 bottles
Taste: 4/5
Units: 0.2
Compared to alcoholic version: 2.5/5
Although not completely alcohol-free, this beer contains five types of hop, eight speciality malts, and at less than 0.2 units you won’t find yourself feeling tipsy too quickly. RRP: £1.25
“Although it may take a little while to get accustomed to for seasoned, alcoholic-beer drinkers, I think this is definitely the best alcohol-free ale on the market at present.” – Paul
Taste: 4/5
Units: 0.165
Compared to alcoholic version: 3.5/5
Based on our 28 reviews, it looks like the Happiful office is pretty happy with alcohol-free bevvies. A clear-headed 86% of us said “yes” or “maybe” when asked if we would choose that particular alcohol-free festive drink again, and 82% would recommend the drink to a friend.
One question that did cause a bit more debate was whether we would choose the alcohol-free version of the drink over the alcoholic one. Only 22% of us said a straight “no”, 33% were a firm “yes” and 26% would drink the alcohol-free option if they couldn’t or didn’t want to have alcohol at an event.
Overall, it looks like we have some great options to have a sober social this year, while a few of us are still a bit happier getting merry.
You can find all the drinks we tested either in supermarkets, or they can be ordered online at alcoholfree.co.uk
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