...To ask for your alcohol-free drinks recommendations?

[lidoshuffle]

Can anyone recommend brands of wine, fizz, lager that isn't sweet and thin please? I'm hoping things have improved since the last time I tried alcohol-free "booze"; hideous Kaliber lager that tasted like sucking a penny.

Has anyone any ideas for a guest who won't drink alcohol alternatives either? (Alcohol free beers etc become a gateway to actual beer).

I still like to offer something with grown up flavours if that makes sense?

I meant alcohol free alternatives obviously

Another vote for Heineken 0 here

Lime and soda?

Just had to look up the sparkling wine i drink, it's echo falls tisane which is another green tea based one, sounds weird but I guess the tannins give it a slight sharpness and stop it being too sweet. I can drink an entire bottle over lunch (just like i can with real wine, which is how we got here in the first place! )

Another vote for bees knees wine

Tonic water with a slice of lime is my go to. Have an excellent non alcoholic wine from our local Turkish restaurant whilst I waited for takeaway just don't know what it's called, will find out. It was dry and flavoursome

Oh and for a festive warm drink, heat quality apple juice, cinnamon & cloves - pour into mugs and top with squirty cream. Could use cider if alcohol isn't an issue. Dry apple juice makes a good cider alternative

Seedlip spiced and ginger ale is quite nice but it’s expensive

Wines are generally rank but the bees knees sparkling is OK

The Heineken beer is the nicest

Also Kopparberg AF strawberry and lime cider.

Tesco and Gordon’s do G n T substitutes which are lovely too

Why is Seedlip so expensive?! It’s just flavoured water and clever marketing.

I like to add extras such as lightly crushed rosemary and a wedge of fresh orange to a well chilled decent flavoured or plain tonic water.

Old Jamaica ginger beer, fresh lime and lots of ice is good too.

Feverfew ginger ale with pure cranberry juice over ice. Tastes sophisticated and looks Christmassy.
2/3 ginger ale, 1/3 Cranberry juice.

As a veteran of non alcoholic drinks due to medication I have developed some favourites over the years - none of the AF beers or wines but adult style soft drinks
Bundaberg ginger beer (smoother)
Fentimans ginger beer (more kick)
Fentimans tonic water
Teisseire syrups with fizzy water (favourites are grenadine or passion fruit - they are sweet but not sickly like coke)
Bottle green cordials with fizzy water especially the sloe & juniper or the coconut & lime one or the spiced berry one with hot water for a mulled wine sub)
SAn pellegrino grapefruit or blood orange

I've been a non drinker for about 8 years now.

I like Belvoirs festive punch, Cobra 0%, Kopparberg Non-Alcohol. Gave up on alcohol free wine as wasn't a big wine fan anyway, but like Appletiser or lime and soda.

Ooh yes San Pellegrino is lovely if you can get hold of it - Costco do it.

I've been drinking Bensons Mulled Apple recently.

I've still got 6 litres left, hope it lats through Christmas

Fentimans ginger beer- yes , my favourite , with a dash of lime cordial .
I bought some Crabbies as well to compare
Teisseire syrups with fizzy water - I love the lemon one

Fruit juices like clementine or PomWonderful

Robinson’s lime and mint cordial is lovely with sparkling water/soda/lemonade, and I’ve just bought the robinsons Apple and cinnamon cordial to have hot in the evening

I agree with the Heineken, it's really good and I don't normally like beer much!
For grown up flavours Sainsburys do a cocktail range with the juices - a ginger twist which has a rose flavour and isn't too gingery, and a rosemary mojito. Both lovely, u sometimes dilute with diet tonic to reduce the sugar a bit.
Haven't found any passable wine substitute sadly.

I never bother with alcohol free stuff anymore and stick to soft drinks.

Fentimens rose lemonade or ginger beer with lime
Tesco's finest sparkling apple and elderflower
Or Canada dry ginger ale with lots of ice

Bees knees or zero point zero as bubbly alternatives. Both dry.
Most af beers and ciders
Not one single red or white wine ()
Kombucha is my current fave in all different flavours.
I'm also stocking the fridge with nice things like rose syrup and cordials to add to sparkling water. Oh and pomegranate seeds. Chuck a few in a champagne glass, add a splash of pomegranate juice and top with bees knees or sparkling mineral water... lovely

So the consensus seems to be that alcohol-free wines aren't much good; beers a bit better.

I like Fentimens Victorian lemonade, which is very tangy rather than sweet, but there's a limit to how much pop one can pack away. I used to like the Pellagrino stuff till they filled it with artificial sweeteners.

Manufacturers are missing a trick here, a decent non-alcoholic wine, or even an adult soft drink would be really popular.

I bought an alcohol free mulled Ribena punch in Aldi this morning. I wouldn't recommend it I'm afraid.

Another vote for Rawsen's Retreat bubbly.