‘Tis the season to be jolly…but what if you are the designated driver, currently pregnant, don’t drink, or trying to cut down on your alcohol intake this festive season? It’s still nice to enjoy a festive drink and it doesn’t have to be alcoholic!
What’s you favourite non-alcoholic drink? Do you have any favourites to share? You can let me know in a comment below.
I love a glass of champagne, prosecco or mulled wine at Christmas but I’m always open to a nice non-alcoholic alternative too. It’s possible to cut your alcohol intake without compromising on taste. With the festive season already upon us, it’s a great time to seek out good alternatives to festive alcoholic drinks.
You could have some fun experimenting with making some yummy mocktails for instance. There are tons of festive syrups around this time of year, which can form the base of your mocktail, then try topping them up with something like sparkling tea non alcoholic, to add some festive fizz to the mix. This is a wonderful alternative to a champagne cocktail as this naturally fermented sparkling tea is a great alternative to champagne or prosecco.
You can still use the fancy glasses and champagne flutes and you’ll feel much better than everyone else the next day! Why not try out some fun, festive garnishes too? Some winter berries perhaps? A cherry? Or even a cinnamon stick or slice of orange! Designing and making your drinks can be part of the fun.
There are some really nice alternatives to alcohol around. If others are adding Irish Creams to their hot chocolate, you could try adding some orange or mint syrup instead. Still festive, still delicious, but without the alcohol.
If you don’t want to cut out the alcohol all together, but want to reduce it, you could commit to drinking a glass of something non-alcoholic between each alcoholic drink and reduce your intake that way. You could also reduce the amount of alcohol in certain drinks. So, for example if you are having things like Kir Royale or brandy cocktails, keep the Kir and Brandy but top up with a champagne alternative rather than using champagne or prosecco.
The bottom line is that whilst many people enjoy festive drinks, having a good time and enjoying yourself isn’t/shouldn’t be dependant on the drinking and how much alcohol you consume. Overindulgence, whether drink or food related never served anyone well.
There are tons of lovely alternatives these days. Give some of them a try – you might be pleasantly surprised. As a bonus, many of the non-alcoholic options are also low in sugar and made with natural ingredients, just like the sparkling tea I mentioned earlier. These come in cases of six or 12 and there is more than one flavour. They are considered to be especially great for those people who enjoy a glass of wine with a meal, as they offer a real alternative to alcohol without compromising on taste.