Amazing tasting NON alcoholic drinks please

[hangingoutattheendofmywick]

I stopped drinking yesterday and I am looking for alternatives to my usual alcoholic drink (wine).
I would love suggestions of hot and cold and preferably healthy (not sugar).
So far I have been having fizzy water, green teas and coconut water - I am also thinking about what I can put in coconut water to spruce it up a bit as lemon doesn't work in it.
Any help / suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[ThirstyNell]

Hi hanging
Well done you.
I love the three mint tea from Pukka. I bought myself new extra big cups and mugs.
I loved the "Mummy was a secret drinker" blog, and she swears by Becks Blue, which is a non alcoholic beer. Most experts say not to use substitutes, to break the habit completely, but I choose to ignore that advice. I drink lots of teas etc, but for socialising, I'll drink non alcoholic beer when out, and if I'm going for drinks or a dinner party, I'll bring my own bottle of Echo Falls zero alcohol sparkling infusion, which is a sparkling green tea and grape juice drink. It's much lower in sugar than schleor (sp?), at 26 calories per 100ml. I drink it from a champagne flute, again breaking the association rules, but it gets me through. The most important thing to me is not to drink. I've only ever found it in Sainsburys, so I stock up when I go there- it's about £3.50 a bottle, and if you cork it well, it lasts for days.

Best of luck on your journey - do lots of sober reading, and check out the above blog, and the Dry thread on here- I didn't post on it, it's just not my thing, but I read it a lot.

[msrisotto]

Hi hanging, congrats on taking your first step!
I've recently quit sugar, and that took my choice of drink down to plain tea (don't drink), coffee (don't drink), milk (rarely), water, water with fruit in and some fruit juice. It has been hard for me! For this reason, I might recommend that you tackle one thing at a time? Because all the really nice drinks are not saintly and there's no need to make this harder than it needs to be....
Anyway I like cranberry juice and lemonade (soda water works fine if you don't mind the tart flavour).

[PointlessUsername]

Strawberry and kiwi slush.

There are lots of recipes on Google.

[CMOTDibbler]

My current favourite posh drink is a fauxijto - soda water, splash of lime cordial, mint, ice, wedge of lime

[notamummy10]

Homemade smoothies!

[hangingoutattheendofmywick]

thank you - these are great. I like the idea of getting a new huge mug (a sober mug) and having comforting herbal teas in it. I understand the substitutions argument - for me i think I will need to avoid those. I am an all or nothing person and I feel it has to be nothing at all - not even a no alcohol sub. if that makes sense.

[notamummy10]

Thirsty I love Pukka Three Mint (and Twinings Thoroughly Mint) tea, it helps me when I'm having an anxiety attack!

[YouAreMySweetestDownfall]

Becks blue, almost freezing. I chugged it through pregnancy and now am back on it. I find picking the metal label within an inch of it's life very therapeutic too!

Mint and licorice tea is good too.

[Zampa]

I love the Belvoir Fruit Farms pressés and cordials. They're not sickly sweet like lots of soft drinks.

[PlugUgly]

Pukka teas especially the 'vanilla chai' and 'three licorice'. Amazingly sweet and zero calories
Aldi Fruit crushes -the strawberry and lychee one is a lovely summer drink and only 7 calls per 250 ml

[LotsOfDots]

San pellegrino lemon and mint. Tastes a bit like a mojito. Very refreshing. Not sugar free though...

[FellOutOfBed2wice]

This Moroccan mint and white tea from M and S. Lovely in a hot day.

[Groovee]

I fill my water jug up with raspberries and another one with cucumber and pour out of them. I also like a smoothie so any fruit, fat free yoghurt and blend with a touch of apple juice.

[FellOutOfBed2wice]

On not in!

[FurryDogMother]

San Pellegrino water (which has a taste all of its own) with a dash of Belvoir Elderflower cordial. Very similar to sparkling wine, and not too sugary.

[CatherineDeB]

I love fentimanns 1905 tonic water on its own with a sliced up strawberry and ice at this time of year (and their rose lemonade) San Pellegrino, bottle green cordials and anything I can buy that is local, like apple juices with raspberry or blueberry diluted with sparking water (not San Pellegrino, just a cheaper supermarket own brand).

I love a proper ginger beer or fentimans dandelion and burdock .

[Sirona]

I'm really liking the Twinning's ginger bread green tea at the minute. Coconut water with grapefruit juice and grated ginger.

[PeaceOfWildThings]

Monin cordials/syrups are great. I love the cucumber one, and watermelon on a hot day. Add a few drops of either lemon or pepermint oil (from the baking aisles) over ice, and it's really refreshing.

The Gingerbread, Cinnamon, Vanilla etc are lovely added to a coffee in winter. Costa use these and sell packs of small bottles of their coffee syrups.

Another nice refreshing cold drink is Naked coconut water, again over lots of ice in a pint glass.
Aloe vera juice is also great. If you ever see cans of mangosteen juice (ususlly only in world foods/Asian stores) do try it.

[PeaceOfWildThings]

If you like tonic water, try out the Fevertree range too. I like drinking those straight, no gin, they are so good.

[Damson9]

Non-alcoholic gin, anyone? :)

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[Wisteria1979]

Cawston press has a lovely new mixer which is quite refreshing on its own, cucumber and mint. Or the fever tree tonic with elderflower. Neither too sweet. Or soda water with chopped up grapes and cucumber. When I was pregnant I tried many non alc wines and they all tasted rubbish to me.... Everything seem so sweet you get fed up after a slurp. I used to drink the mixers as they feel more refreshing than normal soda. Bitter lemon another favourite - I'd go half bitter lemon half soda water.
For hot drinks I'd go citrus roibos because it can be drunk hot, lukewarm and cold :)

[PrimalLass]

I drink bottles and bottles of Tesco diet tonic with elderflower. It is about 45p.

[Onehellofaride]

I love the Bottle Green sparkling lemonade and mint. It's lovely with a slice of lime

[DidoTwiteInnit]

The Bottle Green Mango and Coconut is lovely too. Very refreshing with lots of ice in this heat. Sainsbury's do a booze free Rose which admittedly doesn't really taste like rose (I have discovered alcohol is definitely what makes wine taste of wine) but is very nice and feels 'special' when served with lots of ice in a wine glass.