ALCOHOL-FREE ALTERNATIVES TO GET YOU THROUGH DRY JANUARY
From Gordon’s 0.0% to an alcohol-free pint of Guinness: here’s the 0% options that will make the month a breeze.
Alas, January has creeped up on us and a new year is underway. With the Turkey leftovers finally used up, the Chrimbo-limbo period ticked off for another year, and the hangovers from raucous new year celebrations almost forgotten, inevitably our minds are turning to bold claims of personal reinvention in the next 12 months.
From going vegan, braving the gym, or cutting down on the TikTok addiction, there’s no denying these pesky resolutions test our mettle. And, surely there’s little worse than cutting out booze in the month we need it most. Or is it? Proclaiming to everyone who will listen that we’re “doing dry January” might just be one of the easier lifestyle changes we can opt for thanks to the array of 0% alcohol beverages gracing shelves this year. Below we round up the best options, from 0.0% Guinness, pink gin, and spirits that emulate the coveted 2-drink sweet spot – with these tools in your arsenal, dry January may not actually be so dry.
SENTIA Spirits
SENTIA spirits have seemingly achieved the unimaginable. Their fusion of botanical ingredients are proven to activate the brain’s GABA neurotransmitters. It’s these bad boys who are responsible for triggering that blissful ‘two drink sweet spot’. You know, that point early in the night where the day’s tensions start to drift away and your inhibitions loosen enough for you to enjoy a convivial but coherent chat with someone you’ve just been introduced to. The loss of this seemingly inimitable sensation is so often why giving up drink seems like such an impossibility, so SENTIA really do look poised to change the game.
SENTIA’s original spirit, SENTIA Red, is like an alcohol-free sibling of a vermouth, warmed with spiced pepper, making for an earthy body but smoky, bitter finish. Ideal for an after-work drink or ambient night in, it pairs perfectly with a soda or ginger beer and also makes for a convincing Negroni. However, then there were two, as new kid on the block SENTIA Black also draws on the vermouth taste, this time with a spicy ginger twang, conducive more to late night socialising, perfect also with a soda or the secret ingredient of a Black Espresso Martini or Black mule.
SENTIA is Available on Amazon and the SENTIA website, RRP £29.50.
If a gin & tonic is an essential component of your weekend wind-down then Gordon’s have you covered whilst keeping your dry January promises in tact. Fill a coppa glass with ice, before pouring over 50ml of Gordon’s 0.0% and top up with chilled Indian tonic – they recommend Fever-Tree – for the perfect alcohol-free G&T. For a fruitier alternative, switch up the standard 0.0% Gordon’s for Gordon’s Premium Pink 0.0%, garnish with some strawberries, and you have a taste of summer in the gloom of these winter nights.
Or if an Apple Sour is your bag – add 40 ml of Gordon’s 0.0% to 50 ml cloudy apple juice, 15ml fresh lemon juice, 15 ml cinnamon syrup, before shaking gently in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake again to achieve an optimal fluffy texture. Strain into a coupette and garnish with a light dusting of cinnamon syrup and there you have the ultimate mocktail.
Gordon’s Premium Pink 0.0% Alcohol Free Spirit (70cl) is priced at £16 (RRP) and Gordon’s 0.0% Alcohol Free Spirit is priced from £15.00 (RRP), both available in all major retailers.
Tanqueray 0.0%
Also filling that gin-shaped hole in the lives of many a Dry January participant is Tanqueray, with their alternative Tanqueray 0.0% alochol-free spirit. If a Gimlet is the classic cocktail you just can’t suppress your cravings for then grab 50ml of Tanqueray 0.0%, 25ml fresh lime juice, and 15ml Simple syrup in a shaker. Mix vigorously with a bar spoon until very cold, before straining and pouring into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a lime peel for a citrus, alcohol-free mocktail dream.
Or, when a morning, celebratory tipple calls a Tanqueray Mi-no-sa might just fill that hole. Mix 30 ml of Tanqueray 0.0%, with 30 ml orange juice, 10ml Mornin blood orange syrup and soda and voila – let the day begin!
RRP £17.30 70cl, ABV 0.0%, available at most major supermarkets and Amazon.
SEEDLIP – The World’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit
The glorious flavour of Pimms may be known for adorning a summer’s day, but Seedlip’s recipe for recreating the iconic drink without the alcohol, proves itself as a warming accompaniment to any winter’s day. To make their alternative, the Winter Cup – combine 50ml of Seedlip Grove 42, with 50 ml Sweetened Winter Tea and 1tsp Balsamic Vinegar in a wine glass full of ice and stir. Top with ginger ale, garnish with fresh sage, fig, pear and the cockles have been officially warmed.
Or if a burst of energy is what you need – and let’s face it, in January don’t we all? – mixing 50ml of Seedlip’s Spice 94 in a shaker with 50ml coffee, 15ml sugar syrup and ice will do the trick. Simply garnish this rich Espresso Martini with three coffee beans and one would simply never know it’s not the real thing.
Seedlip Grove 42 & Seedlip Spice 94 – RRP: 70cl, £22*, ABV: 0%, Available at Amazon
Guinness 0.0%
If cocktails mean nothing to you and all you’re craving is a smooth, malty pint of Guinness, then the Irish stout makers have something up their sleeves just for you. This alcohol-free alternative gives the same one-of-a-kind taste, created almost identically to the real-thing, with the alcohol merely filtered out gently through a cold filtration process. Taste and character maintained, one can indulge in the creamy head and chocolate and coffee notes of this beloved drink and without even considering a hangover.
Guinness 0.0% – 4 x 440 ml cans, £4, ABV: 0%. Available at all major supermarkets and Amazon.