Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Alcohol Free Beer/Cider for DC’s

26 replies

StopBloodyRaining · 29/09/2019 19:56

Just after opinions really. DS is 12. I don’t really drink very often but when I do, and he asks for a taste, I let him. Generally he doesn’t like it, but he does like fruit cider.

He and a few friends had some alcohol free fruit cider at a friends BBQ a few weeks back and he now keeps asking for me to buy him some.

I don’t really know how I feel about him drinking it. On the one hand it’s alcohol free, so not alcoholic. On the other hand, it’s still sold as cider.

Any opinions gratefully received.

OP posts:
raspberryk · 29/09/2019 20:24

I would for special occasions or whenever you have an alcoholic drink.

EdersonsSmileyTattoo · 29/09/2019 20:31

DS is 12, 13 in a few weeks. During our Summer holidays he had a taste of a Mixed Fruit Koppaberg Cider and liked the taste. When we came home we discovered they do an alcohol free version, so occasionally on a Friday night DH will pick him one up from the offie when he goes for our wine and he’ll have it in a glass with ice.

I have no problem with it. DH and I have a healthy relationship with alcohol, we never get drunk, and it’s not something we do for DS every week.

prepared to be flamed and told I’m terrible

Anoisagusaris · 29/09/2019 20:39

Can you get Cidona in the UK? It’s a fizzy apple soft drink that tastes a bit like cider. But I think it might just be an Irish product.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General food
VirtualHamster · 29/09/2019 20:42

You still need ID to buy alcohol free Koppaberg, I was not impressed when they refused to sell me it when i was in my 30s

Rystall · 29/09/2019 21:00

Sorry OP... I think alcohol free cider / beer is a slippery slope. 12 is very young.

iwoulddoanything · 29/09/2019 21:19

Does it not just taste like a soft fruit drink?

Original poster
StopBloodyRaining · 29/09/2019 22:41

Thanks for the opinions. No need to apologise Ryatall. I’m in 2 minds. That’s why I’ve asked what others think.

Most mums there didn’t offer any opinion and seemed absolutely fine with it. And one reacted like they were downing neat vodka.

OP posts:
Original poster
StopBloodyRaining · 29/09/2019 22:42

iwoulddoanything It does taste like the real thing, which to be honest doesn’t taste particularly alcoholic.

OP posts:
Greggers2017 · 29/09/2019 22:43

Slippery slope? It's alcohol free! It's what I'm trained to tell my recovering alcoholics to drink as it doesn't have the addictive qualities of the alcoholic varieties.

TreacherousPissFlap · 29/09/2019 22:47

DS is 15 and this summer is our first experience of alcohol, prior to this he was adamant that a drop of alcohol would never pass his lips Grin

We've decided against alcohol free. I figured that it tastes the same (which is great when you're driving for example) but as a young person it doesn't teach moderation or being able to pace yourself.

I haven't put that very eloquently as I've struggled to actually verbalise it to myself Grin

BikeRunSki · 29/09/2019 22:48

The berry nonalcoholic Koppaberg tastes like Ribena to me! I have an 11 year old DS. He still thinks that 7Up is treat. I’m anticipating that cider, of any sort, is more that a year away.

Original poster
StopBloodyRaining · 29/09/2019 23:04

Treacherous I think you’ve got a point. Whilst he’d only ever have the odd 1 now and then, it won’t teach him that alcohol does have an effect.

OP posts:
Rystall · 30/09/2019 06:37

@Greggers2017. When I was very young it was possible for children to buy chocolate cigarettes in imitation cigarette packets. ( anyone remember those?). So you had kids walking around pretending to smoke. Essentially emulating harmful adult behaviour. I think allowing children to drink alcohol free beer / cider / wine is the same thing. By becoming accustomed to the taste and the habit very young, the step to the real thing is very easy.

I’m assuming your recovering alcoholics aren’t 12?

user1480880826 · 30/09/2019 06:42

Not a good idea. Kids emulating drinking alcohol is very odd. Add what age will he want to graduate to the real thing?

Those fruit ciders are clearly targeted at kids. They’re revolting and sweet. It’s no wonder kids like them.

stucknoue · 30/09/2019 07:00

Just buy apple juice and add a shot of black currant squash ... tastes the same as fruit cider for a lot less

fancytiles · 30/09/2019 07:05

Agree with @TreacherousPissFlap
It doesn't teach you how to pace yourself and that alcohol does have an effect on you.
If he gets used to drinking alcohol free cider (which tastes very similar to to alcoholic version) then it will be a real shock when he does get the alcoholic version and experiences the effects.

Thople · 30/09/2019 07:10

Can't he just have a normal fizzy? That's alcohol free so the same surely? I think it's how you spin it to him that's import.

swapsicles · 30/09/2019 07:16

Having it as a treat and just the one nice drink i think is fine, could use any other soft drink for that though.
Having several instead of the real versions isnt ok as they are not learning the effect of alcohol whilst tasting the same.
Dd is 17 I do let her drink if she wants to luckily she's not fussed, dont know whether its because i have the same attitude to alcohol, shes never seen me drunk and rarely ever tipsy but I do still drink occasionally.

Celebelly · 30/09/2019 07:18

Kids mirror adult behaviour, so it's not odd for them to want to 'join in or want to feel grown up by doing what the adults are doing. I used to get a little glass of wine and water on special occasions so I could feel like an adult GrinI've managed not to become a raging alcoholic and am in fact now essentially teetotal as I haven't had a drink in so long. I also didn't do the whole teenage binge drinking thing as alcohol wasn't really some mystical thing.

TheVoiceInTheShed · 30/09/2019 07:27

Absolutely agree with Rystall it's also 'training' kids they have to join in with drinking to make any event special, it's completely different to the demystifying of alcohol by letting them have a sip, it's making it have more importance than it should.

BikeRunSki · 30/09/2019 07:32

When I was very young it was possible for children to buy chocolate cigarettes in imitation cigarette packets. ( anyone remember those?). So you had kids walking around pretending to smoke. Essentially emulating harmful adult behaviour. I think allowing children to drink alcohol free beer / cider / wine is the same thing. By becoming accustomed to the taste and the habit very young, the step to the real thing is very easy.

The difference is that chocolate/sugar cigarettes were sold as sweets at pocket money prices, clearly aimed at children. Alcohol free cider is sold with alcoholic ciders and you need ID to buy it. Ckearky aimed at adults.

Dyrne · 30/09/2019 07:43

I agree it’s a slippery slope - especially with something like Kopparberg where the alcoholic version is so sweet it masks the taste of the alcohol; so when they “move on” to the alcoholic stuff they won’t pace themselves. Normalising drinking is not a good thing to do at that age.

Also be very careful with the “alcohol free” drinks as many of them actually do still contain alcohol, albeit in small quantities (0.5% etc). I think Kopparberg is genuinely 0% but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

OrangeSwoosh · 30/09/2019 08:23

I wonder what it is that appeals to him? Is it the fact it looks like he's drinking alcohol or is it simply that he feels more grown up and it's a bit of a novelty drinking from a glass bottle?

If it's the latter there's plenty of soft drinks sold in glass bottles

Camomila · 30/09/2019 09:16

Buy him posh/grown up pizzy drinks for special occassions?
Like San Pellegrino or Shloer or something.

Greggers2017 · 30/09/2019 11:31

And yet on the continent where they have a more relaxed attitude towards alcohol than in the UK. They do not have the same problems.
Making something forbidden, in my opinion makes it more tempting to over binge. Look at freshers week.
I grew up in a home where we had wine spritzers and shandy as a treat at family occasions. None of us have issues with alcohol. My DD and DSD age 11 and 12 have a bottle of nosecco with me in the hot tub on occasion. They have no interest whatsoever in the alcoholic version. They just want to seem grown up.
Obviously it's up to people what they do with their own children but OP I'd advise one every so often will not lead to your son being an alcoholic. Just as my 12 year old listening to rap music will not make her an angry adult into crime.