What to drink if not alcohol?

[thicklysettled]

I'm not doing dry January necessarily but as I'm getting older I think it would probably do me good to cut down on drinking. I drink approx. 1 bottle of wine a week, over 2 or 3 nights.

What I really like about drinking is the ritual - the nice glass, etc. - which is why a cup of tea or water won't cut it! So what do you drink when you're not drinking alcohol, say in a bar or out for dinner?

Build in a ritual around drinks you already like. Expensive glass or mug etc and make it special. I do drink tea but I have a teapot and mug I LOVE. Also have fancy Dartington glasses for special occasion other drinks (=sparkling water with ice and lime).

Elderflower cordial with tonic and ice, Coke Zero in a tall glass with ice and lemon. I find most of the alcohol free beers to taste weird and haven't yet found a pleasant af wine. I remember drinking Sloer as a child, no idea if you can still get that but it looked like wine and was quite pleasant (knowing my luck if it's still available they'll have changed the formula so it's now vile!)

Haven’t been drinking for over 2 years now and for me having your drink in a nice glass makes such a difference in terms of feeling like you have a treat. So good heavy cut glass, with ginger beer or ginger ale, ice and a wedge of lime is good (the kind you’d have a mixer and spirit in). M&S alcohol free white wine chilled very cold in a wine glass is nice and not as sweet as a lot of the alcohol free white wines. I like a lot of the low alcohol/AF beers out of a bottle. There’s also lots of really good mocktail ideas on Pinterest or just google. The first few weeks are the hardest but you quickly realise it’s not the alcohol itself you necessarily want but the habit/ritual of relaxing with a nice drink. Good luck.

I totally agree that it's the ritual of having a nice drink in a nice glass that is what I seek rather than the alcohol.

I'm not teetotal but when I don't want to drink alcohol but still want something nice my go to is either elderflower flavoured tonic in a gin glass with lots of ice and a slice of lemon. Or I like the little cans of Appletizer or Schloer and have then in a cut crystal glass.

Kombucha! Lots of lovely flavours.