Booze Free in the Sun: 5 Alcohol Free Drinks to try this Summer
The sun is shining (in the UK at least), the temperature is increasing and the nights are getting longer. Going out becomes more tempting, BBQ’s become a reality alongside a picnic date or two. And so the age old question what to drink when you’re not drinking question reappears …
So what to drink when you’re not drinking?
This is my first full summer not drinking, and I’m having fun trying alcohol free summer drinks. I used to love drinking lemon beers in the sun on holiday – cerveza con limon – and recently I found Becks Blue Lemon. It tastes just as yummy but is booze free. I’ll be turning to this as one of my go-to summer alcohol free drinks.
Recently, I read that sales of alcohol free drinks are at an all time high, with more of us deciding to stop drinking or moderate than ever before. I’m very excited about Club Soda’s Mindful Drinking festival that will be in July, the first ever alcohol free drinks festival. Tickets are free, and you can register for them on their website.
Having a wide variety of alcohol free drink choices to hand is really helpful
Whether you’re not drinking for health reasons, cutting down to lose weight or have committed to going alcohol free – in my experience, having something to drink that is not water helps with any temptation or annoying friends trying to encourage you.
The post I wrote about alcohol free alternatives to try is one of my most popular & so I thought I’d create a summer version as there is only so much diet coke one girl can drink …
However, if you find drinking alcohol free drinks triggers you to drink the booze version then I’d advise you stop reading this post here.
5 Alcohol Free Summer Drinks to try:
1.Becks Blue Lemon
I know I already mentioned this but it really is a good’un, tastes like the real thing. It is pretty sugary so I usually stick to only one or two. Becks Blue is cheap too, 6 for £3.50 in Sainsbury’s when I last checked …
2. Fit Beer
Another beer, my friend Joe – you can read his Not Drinking Diary here – and his wife gave me a Fit Beer when I met them for dinner and I think it’s the best non-alcoholic beer I’ve tried to date. I’ll caveat this by saying I was never much of a beer drinker so I’m probably not the most qualified opinion but, it’s light & fresh & one to try.
3. Fentimans Rose Lemonade
This is widely available in the UK (in alcohol free terms), stocked in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose & Tesco’s I think.
Made with pure Rose oil from the world-famous Rose Valley in Kazanlak, Bulgaria and the juice of real lemons – Fentimans Rose Lemonade tastes lovely & feels like a bit of a treat to drink. Fentimans do lots of different more grown up soft drinks – mum & dad stock their Ginger Beer & Curiosity Cola at their pub in Norfolk – you can find a local stockist here.
4. Shrb Prohibition Soda’s
A London based start up, Shrb make a prohibition soda in four flavours. Each has a complex flavour that is low in sugar – if you’ve done the alcohol free drinks rounds, you’ll know that finding something that isn’t sweet is hard! Anyway … these are good & not pretending to be anything they’re not. Inspired by Prohibition-era shrub making, the ingredients are steeped in apple cider vinegar for two days to capture the raw flavours… Shrub’s are set to be a big trend, with the New York Times recently stating:
“…shrub is a fast-rising star among both cocktail-nation kids and teetotalers with good palates. But it has roots in England…”
5. Alcohol Free Summer Pimms
Last but definitely not least! A recipe I’ve seen doing the rounds on the internet a lot recently and in many booze-free forums. I’ve tweaked this recipe from Pinterest, and a version was also recently featured on Club Soda, it really does taste quite close to the real thing!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 litres of diet lemonade
Usual fruit accompaniments (I tend to go with whatever is in my fridge!), choose any of the below:
Apple
Cucumber
Mint
Lemon
Orange
Strawberries
Method (it really is this easy!)
Chop fruit and add it to a jug with the two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
Leave to soak for 30 minutes or more.
When ready to serve, add ice & diet lemonade. Pour into glasses & enjoy!
Super cheap to make with ingredients you already have at home, I just had to pick up a bottle of diet lemonade which I did for 50p!
June 23, 2017 @ 9:24 AM
The best thing you can do in general. I love it when people promote alcohol free drinks, especially during summer simply because mocktails can be just as delicious! =D
June 23, 2017 @ 10:36 AM
Absolutely going to try the Pretend Pimms. Thank you for this. Some great ideas.
Sarah ? MamiSkilts.co.uk
June 24, 2017 @ 12:24 PM
There’s a fantastic range of drinks at http://www.alcoholfree.co.uk. cocktails, wines, a fab non-alcoholic gin and tonic, and lots of beers to choose from.