Mocktails or nice drinks

[FearnRJ]

I usually a big fan of gin but obviously now I'm pregnant alcohol is off the agenda.

Can anybody think of nice drinks or mocktails to drink while pregnant? X

The Seedlip alcohol free spirits are nice. You can get them online or in Tesco. The Caleño (I think) at Sainsburys is also good - they seem to be less sweet than a lot of alcohol free choices plus depending on the tonic/garnish it feels more like an evening/night drink

@Hall84 thanks I'll have a look x

Flavoured sparkling water or lime & soda etc in a balloon gin glass with loads of ice & fruit.

I'm not pregnant but watching calories so I often have this as a pretend gin.

I wouldn't bother with non-alcoholic wine, Seedlip etc as they're dire.
A couple of cocktail bars I went to would ask me what cocktails I normally would drink and make me something.
If in a pub I would stick with Sanpellegrino, belvoir, bottlegreen etc

Ice
50ml cranberry juice
100ml appletizer
12.5ml elderflower syrup
12.5ml lime juice

Or

Ice
Muddle cucumber
Add 25ml elderflower cordial
Top with lemonade or tonic

I quite like the fentimal’s rose mixer shaken with a few pink peppercorns and lime.

The green seedlip is lovely.

Appletizer is really flavoursome and refreshing, any sort of juices; co op do a moijito juice (obviously non alcoholic) and it's delicious!

Thank you ladies I'll have a look at these ❤️ x

@Biancadelrioisback I'm tempted to try the cranberry juice one you've mentioned x

Much cheaper than seedlip: half/half juice and tonic water with a few drops of bitters.

Tastes grown up and not too sugary but you're not getting ripped off into the bargain.

Fentimans
Bottle Green
If you like lager the non alcoholic ones aren't bad at all
Also non alcoholic weissbiers are quite drinkable too.

If you're craving a G&T specifically this is pretty good www.masterofmalt.com/syrups-and-cordials/william-fox/william-fox-juniper-syrup/

Would also recommend trying some of the beers on drydrinker.

Agree the alcohol free wine is vile.

@Biancadelrioisback is it lime juice or lime cordial? Also could I used elderflower presse instead of syrup? X

I’m usually a beer drinker so have tried a LOT of non-alcoholic versions and the ones that come out on top are Flat Tyre by Pistonhead and Erdinger alcohol-free. Tesco’s do both! And if you like wine, their Eisberg Sauv Blanc and Chardonnay are ok. Avoid non-alc red wines though, they taste gross. As PP have said, a soft drink like tonic or soda with a couple of drops of bitters is also lovely.

If you like beer then Brewdog non alcoholic versions are lovely!

Holland and Barrett have taster bottles of seedlip for £1. Try that before you buy. I thought it tasted like salad water.

I’m sticking with bottle greencordial mixed with fizzy water at home.

The Gordon’s alcohol free g&t is quite nice as well.

Appletize or the Fever Tree elderflower / lemon flavoured tonics are so good!

If you do like beer then generally I've found the low alcohol (0.5%) ones are much better than the zero alcohol (0.0%) ones.
Thornbridge Big Easy, Brewdog Nanny State, Brewdog Punk AF are great.

Someone mentioned adding Bitters to tonic...could be an option but Angostura Bitters is nearly 45% so don't have too much!

I thought Seedlip was quite horrible when I tried it.

I found mocktails and most soft drinks far too sweet. Soda water with ice and lemon is nice.

Ginger beer (not Crannies, the non-alcoholic stuff) can be a nice change, especially if it's a spicy one.

It would be lime juice, not cordial. And you could try !

I love seedlip so it seems to be a love it or hate it thing!

my fave at the moment is 3/4 tonic water to 1/4 lychee syrup. Chuck some ice cubes & a few lychees from the tin in there too. It's nice with tinned pineapple juice, peach juice or fruit cocktail syrup too

For me it was virgin mojitos made with fresh mint and lime in the summer and fresh mint tea with honey in the winter!

Seedlip is OK but the price is outrageous considering that it doesn’t include the duty payable on a bottle of gin of the same price.

Yes to angostura bitters, but only a few drops. Enough to make it properly alcoholic would be undrinkable!

If you are comfortable with a very small amount of alcohol then a 25ml measure of Aperol with tonic and a wedge of lime is about half a unit, and feels like a proper grown-up drink. I also got very into virgin Maries.

You’d need to chug bitters to get any kind of alcoholic effect! One/two drops is quite enough.

You could try a Malawi Shandy - half ginger beer, half sprite over ice, with a dash of angostura bitters on top. Amazing for hot days!

Fevertree (I think) do a smoked ginger beer which is lush.