Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To Not understand the purpose of alcohol free beer/wine/spirits

167 replies

MsJD · 12/03/2023 21:14

I am almost as afraid of buying alcohol free beer/wine/spirits mistakenly as I am of putting diesel in my petrol car. Why would anyone buy alcohol free gin? If I dont want booze, I drink orange juice. Dont get it.

OP posts:
NeverDropYourMooncup · 12/03/2023 22:29

You might as well ask 'what is the purpose of gluten free beer when you can have spirits or orange juice?'.

I drink gluten free beer because I like beer. If I wanted spirits or orange juice, I'd have spirits or orange juice. But I don't. I want beer. If there was gluten and alcohol free that tasted OK to me, I'd have that if I wanted to.

Some people want to have drinks that don't have alcohol but still have the bitterness of alcohol instead of sugar. some might be in recovery, some just don't fancy disturbing their sleep or risking them interacting with medication, there are plenty of reasons.

Remaker · 12/03/2023 22:29

I tend to stick to either alcohol or water/sparkling water. I don’t like sweet fizzy drinks and would never drink more than one glass of juice. If there were decent AF red wines I would probably drink them.

DH loves AF beer, he has that during the week and regular beer on the weekend. He enjoys the taste but doesn’t want to drink alcohol every day.

jackstini · 12/03/2023 22:30

@4EyesandBigThighs - if you remember it post on here - I have never found a decent alcohol free wine!

OP - orange juice is rank with a lot of meals, as is coke. I like wine with a meal, but if driving I need an alternative

Goodread1 · 12/03/2023 22:31

@MsJD
It's a mix range of reasons, suprise suprise there are some people who like to socialise and not get pissed out of their minds, puking their guts out and having a hangover from hell,

Also there are some people like myself on medication for a health disorder in which either Alchol is phobited by their doctor or medication has to be strictly limited adhered to cause of Alchol will counter act any benefits of medication as it will create a Adverse side effects with the chemicals ingredients inside Alchol,

Also cause of peer pressure even though left school many many years ago,

Guess what,
Social culture we live in pressures people that if they are not seen drinking Achol, that they must be Weird or boring,
Which is bullshit, really,

As its the company you keep with socialising on days or nights 🌙 is what dertimes a good time

Not Alchol consumption L.o.l 🙂

Its becoming more popular that some prefer low Alchol or non Alchol drinks..
Hopefully this will put pressure on pubs establishments restaurants hotels Alchol /non Alchol beverages factories, to start creating a much better more low and Alchol free beverages range, of drinks,
Not just a Token non Alchol one or two drinks if you lucky

CandleInTheStorm · 12/03/2023 22:32

Why do people always just refer to Diet coke as being the only soft drink available when you're not drinking! Maybes years ago, this was the case, but now you can get lots of different soft drinks that are lovely!

I could just drink tonic water on its own without needing to add non alcoholic gin. In fact, I bet a lot of people wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Hotvimto3 · 12/03/2023 22:32

I think its personal. I have had periods in my life where i have abstained from alcohol and i felt the AF stuff tempted me more as it made me think about alcohol. When i stuck to cranberry and soda or ginger ale i didnt even want a drink. Its what works for whatever reason you need it too.

Ohyeahwaitaminute · 12/03/2023 22:32

Some of them are quite nice and easy to drink, but I really balk at the prices they charge for them.
Seedlip is basically water and flavours and retails for around £20… same price as gin.
You pay no tax on AF so someone is making a killing.

DessertsForAll · 12/03/2023 22:33

I love the taste of alcohol free beer. I hate sweet fizzy drinks and juices. So it is water, tea, alcohol free beer or alcohol.

TheFormidableMrsC · 12/03/2023 22:33

I really enjoyed alcohol free wine during the summer I was pregnant. Nice and cold out of the fridge. Just made a change from water, tea etc. Later on when I had to have chemo for breast cancer, I couldn't drink at all so the same thing applied. Just nice to have a cold wine like drink. I also love really love an alcohol free shandy or Becks Blue with a 7Up top. It just makes a change. I prefer alcohol but sometimes it's good to have an alternative.

BeetlesForever · 12/03/2023 22:34

I quite like a beer most days but don't want to make a habit of drinking alcohol.

Win-win

TheFormidableMrsC · 12/03/2023 22:35

To add, Sainsburys alcohol free rose is aboiit 3 quid a bottle and very palatable. I don't like rose wine otherwise.

XenoBitch · 12/03/2023 22:39

Ohyeahwaitaminute · 12/03/2023 22:32

Some of them are quite nice and easy to drink, but I really balk at the prices they charge for them.
Seedlip is basically water and flavours and retails for around £20… same price as gin.
You pay no tax on AF so someone is making a killing.

This.
I did have an AF lager in a pub, and it cost more than the alcoholic version.

SpottyUnicorn · 12/03/2023 22:45

I bought quite a few AF ciders a few years ago when pregnant. It was terribly hot outside and cider cooled me down better than any other soft drink I tried.

KievsOutTheOven · 12/03/2023 22:51

I’m loving all these suggestions (and not really understanding why people are commenting if it’s not something they want to use - I’m not criticising the supermarket for selling lactose free products just because I don’t buy them.

I’ve recently started re-examining my relationship with alcohol (after a horrendous hangover, obviously) - I’m not sure if I’m going to stop drinking or just drink less, but I appreciate the ideas anyway!

I (mainly) drink for psychological reasons. At night, when the kids go to bed, I like to sit on the sofa with a nice cold glass of Pinot. Part of it is the taste, another part is the actual psychology of getting to drink out a glass without my toddler grabbing it (I drink out a bottle during the day) - so by using an alcohol free wine, I get at least a little bit of the taste and I get the enjoyment of the glass.

maddy68 · 12/03/2023 22:54

I want to reduce my alcohol /calorie intake. But want to have the taste.

Billyhargrovesmullet · 12/03/2023 22:57

PinkFizz1 · 12/03/2023 21:17

Because everyone is different and not like you?

I am an addict in recovery and let me tell you, the difference it makes to be able to have an AF gin & tonic/wine/nosecco at a wedding reception or a meal out instead of drinking Coke all night like a child MASSIVELY helps with my sobriety. Not for everyone, for some it can be a trigger. But personally I am so glad the AF market is picking up. I couldn’t be without it. Ironically, I’d probably be back drinking again if it didn’t exist. Don’t underestimate how bloody brilliant it is. Especially to us addicts.

Absolutely this

Artichokepiglet · 12/03/2023 22:58

Because I find many soft drinks too sweet and non-alcoholic beer isn't. I think it's lovely and refreshing for occasions when I don't want to drink alcohol.

Lcb123 · 12/03/2023 22:59

Because most soft drinks are horrible? don’t buy it if you don’t like it. It’s pretty
obvious…

Endlesslaundry123 · 12/03/2023 23:01

Yabu. I love beer (the taste and the buzz) but with two little kids now, the buzz is more like a recipe for feeling terrible and dehydrated the next day. Alcohol free beer lets me enjoy a nice drink without the negative side effects. And I have enough memories of "reduced inhibitions" from drinking that even when I drink alcohol free I still feel a placebo relaxation effect. I like it more than I ever thought I would 🤷🏼‍♀️

Ikeameatballs · 12/03/2023 23:13

I really like having AF lager. I like opening a chilled bottle and drinking from it as I cook dinner or watch TV. I also drink tonic with ice and no gin and I’ll definitely be trying the Sainsbury alcohol free rose!

I do really enjoy alcohol, but I value my health and that means trying to keep alcohol to weekends only and under 14u/week, more like 10 most weeks.

katsue · 12/03/2023 23:13

YABU - when you can't drink you get sick of sweet drinks. I also find i drink them much too fast, a glass of juice will go in minutes but I can 'nurse' an alcohol free beer for the same amount of time as an alcoholic drink so it feels much more sociable.

Mariposa26 · 12/03/2023 23:13

PeopleAreToads · 12/03/2023 22:03

I'm pregnant and spent an hour this evening reading reviews of alcohol free wines, so would really appreciate some recommendations!

I really like Oddbird. If you like prosecco, the nicest one I’ve found is Scavi & Ray.

PlainSkyr · 12/03/2023 23:16

Isn't this a similar argument to decaf coffee/tea. There are those that want/need it so I'd assume AF is similar.

ticklemepinker · 12/03/2023 23:16

AF beer I like. AF wine I do not.

what i cannot fathom - mainly because it is sooooo ludicrously expensive that I have never tried it - is alcolhol free gin. What IS it?? How does it work?? Is it just a load of expensive flavouring?

HaggisBurger · 12/03/2023 23:18

Just had an AF beer with my curry because I love an ice cold beer taste with certain meals but don’t want alcohol every night.

In Spain every bar has AF versions of the local beer on tap because it’s lovely 😀