Whether you’re gearing up for Dry July/Dry January/Ocsober or just dabbling in that sober-curious life, you’ll be pleased to know that when it comes to non-alcoholic drinks, your options are better than they’ve ever been before.
With alcohol consumption on the decline in Australia, producers have finally jumped on board. They are creating alcohol-free drinks that truly taste delicious and won’t make you feel like an outsider the minute you crack one open.
Here are the best non-alcoholic drinks you can get your hands on in Australia right now. If you're looking for alcohol-free beers, head this way.
Etota Bittersweet Aperitivo
Price: $50
If you're looking for a grown-up non-alcoholic drink that won't make you feel like you're drinking lolly water, then look no further than Etota's Bittersweet Aperitivo. The brainchild of Kate Forrester who struggled to find drinks that she could mix, that were shelf-stable, had no artificial preservatives and tasted great, she set out to make her own.
The result is a punchy drink for mature palettes that can be mixed or enjoyed on its own. Big yes.
Monday Distillery Zero Alcohol Gin
Price: $40
When it comes to non-alcoholic drinks, it doesn’t get much better than Monday Zero Alcohol Gin. If there was only one non-alcoholic drink on this list that you could fool your friends into thinking was the real deal, this would be it.
Ready to mix into your fave cocktails like a classic G&T, Gimlet or French 75, the botanical flavours like juniper berry, bitter lemon, and grapefruit with a hint of coriander mean this tastes like real gin, which is exactly what we want. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also all-natural, sugar-free and vegan.
French Bloom
Price: $52.99
Just want to pop some bubbly? Then you need to get around this organic, vegan, halal, and alcohol-free French sparkling. Far from being a grape juice with some bubbles, this premium sparkling tastes about as close to the real thing as you're going to get, and also lends itself easily to mimosas and fruity spritzes.
Not that you'll want to mix anything with it after a sip of French Bloom—the crisp, clean taste is truly delightful, and a worthy accompaniment to any celebration where you need to raise a glass without raising your blood alcohol levels.
Lyre’s Classico Prosecco
Price: $10.24
When you’re craving bubbles minus the hangover, Lyre’s Classico Prosecco is probably the closest thing you’ll get to the real deal. There's a reason why Lyre's are a market leader when it comes to non-alcoholic drinks and authentic flavour profiles are a big part of that.
If you’re craving an Aperol Spritz, you can always add a splash of their Italian Spritz or let them take the guesswork out of it and just go straight for their Amalfi Spritz which comes in handy ready-to-drink cans.
Seedlip Spice 94
Price: $48
The original and one of the top purveyors of non-alcoholic tipples, Seedlip is a must for your drinks cabinet. Perhaps the best-known non-alcoholic gin in Australia, Seedlip has long been the non-alcoholic drink of choice for those craving gin that tastes like the real thing.
If that sounds like your bag, the lauded Spice 94 will see you right with its warm spiced notes of lemon and grapefruit peel with a long bitter finish that you won't say no to after a long day of work.
Naked Life Non-Alcoholic Margarita
Price: $17 for 4
Can't bear the thought of a weekend without a marg? Naked Life does a damn good alcohol-free margarita that’s almost as good as the real thing—a tough gig when you consider a true margarita is usually three-quarters alcohol.
We don’t know how they’ve done it, but when it tastes this good, we don’t care. Rest assured it’s all-natural and sugar-free, so you can drink this guilt-free all night long.
Strange Love Bottles Range
Price: $6-$13.99 for 4
We’ll be straight with you, Strange Love doesn’t really promote their drinks as non-alcoholic RTDs, they were designed as a mixer, but one sip of them (with or without the booze) and you’ll be hooked.
Whether you go for the yuzu, lime & jalapenõ or double ginger beer (to name just a few), you won’t be disappointed. Dry or not, who could go past the sleek design on these?
Wise Craic
Price $69 for 16
We haven’t actually tasted these yet—they're still only available for pre-order—but we couldn’t resist including a pickle juice and tang-flavoured alcohol-free drink. Brought to us by Monday Distillery (so we’re pretty sure it’s going to be good), Wise Craic is here to “take the piss out of hard seltzer”.
Whether that makes it soft seltzer or just straight seltzer, we’re not sure, but we’ll definitely be giving these a go the minute they're available. If pickle juice is not your thing, there’s also a blackberry flavour which might be more up your alley.
You will need to find a pickle-loving friend though because right now you can only order a mixed 16 pack which comes with eight of each flavour.
Intrigued? Have a read of this piece about mindful drinking, low alcohol and booze-free beer.
Image credit: Etota, Monday, Lyre's, Seedlip, Strange Love.
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