Hot bloody buggering drink options ..... or lack thereof

[ScottOfTheArseAntics]

For various tedious and irritating health reasons this year I have slowly had to wave goodbye to caffeine (sob), dairy (blub) and alcohol (gibber).

After several months I am slowly getting used to not having a morning caffeine hit and instead I am drinking caffeine free herbal teas which are all watery and insipid and boring and the liquid equivalent of eating a polystyrene ceiling tile.

Currently in my cupboard I have redbush, chammomile, fennel, nettle, jasmine, green, decaf Early Grey, a dozen different fruity Twinings teas which all taste the shagging same and peppermint, which I kind of like but can't tolerate on my stomach - oh the irony.

Anyway. AIBU for thinking there are no hot drinks which can hold a candle to a delicious bubbling hot, creamy, sugary cup of propert coffee ?

Can anybody recommend and alternative hot beverage. Has anybody actually tasted a herbal or fruit tea that really hit the spot?. Please, please let me know. I am desperate.

DogsBeastFiend, have you considered putting less water in?

HTH [hsmile]

I see ptcatalyst has already mentioned the Yogi tea licorice and egyptian spice tea that I was coming on here to recommend. It's the only herbal tea I have found that is satisfying to drink - I think the fact it is made with sweet licorice and spices gives it a round, mouth-filling taste, if you know what I mean. It is also nice cold, which is very useful for me, as I have a terrible habit of letting drinks go cold.

I also like hot blackcurrant - with dispersible aspirin in it, it is my drink-of-choice when I have a cold - it soothes my throat and the aspirin helps with the temperature and the aching - and gives the blackcurrant a slight edge - but I do realise it's not a drink for everyday (and I realise how mad I sound too ).

i second Rooibos, vanilla one is lovely.

Can't work out if you are allowing yourself hot chocolate, but you can make this with hazelnut / almond or coconut milk* for a really indulgent treat. Maybe with plain cocoa powder?

*not the ordinary coconut milk (well you could but that would be really rich) but the one that's meant to be a milk substitute.

Not all sugar free squash has aspartame in. I bought some from asda or possible sainsbury's that had sucralose as the sweetener. Would that be OK?

My GD swore by chicory coffee, said they loved it during the war.

I love cocoa, it has to be the super posh 100% stuff if you're dairy intolerant, made with soya milk. As soya milk has that nutty sweet taste its ok. Feel your pain OP, not easy, I've had a period with these restrictions and it was a bit hard going.

Another option is to eschew hot drinks entirely and go for something totally different like a fresh smoothie each morning as it has a luxury/indulgence element and is no poor imitation.

What about the japanese miso soup

Love this thread you bunch of weirdos - chicken gravy in a mug !!!

If you like the yogi liquorice from Sainsburys try teapigs the liquorice & peppermit is scrummy.

They also do chilli tea, popcorn flavour and a chocolate one!!!

They normally have a basic range of their teas in Waitrose.

Another for "hot water with lemon" here. Or lime.
Redbush tea comes in various varieties if you don't like plain: earl grey, vanilla, etc.

too tired to read whole thread, but try using Agave nectar or honey as a sweetener and making your own cordial with frozen berries (strain it before drinking unless you like the bits).

I like raspberry myself, though cranberry and orange is nice too - just microwave the fruit with a bit of water and the honey/agave, then strain and add boiling water. Much nicer than bland fruit teas.

On honeymoon we had ginger tea - a knob of peeled ginger boiled up. We keep saying we'll have it again but the teabags are closer! It was lovely though

I haven't read the whole thread but I did see teapigs mentioned - they are fab. I love the super fruit tea. Not sure if the spiced winter tea has caffeine in it? That's nice too

weak black Rooibos tea with a dash of honey - it was the only thing I could handle when I was pregnant with DD.

I always thought the issue with artificial sweetners is that you need to use a whole lot more than natural sugar to get the same taste and it can wreck your insulin/sugar tolerances ...