Whether you are looking for a no alcohol or low alcohol beer, cider or mock spirit, we have scoured the UK to find our favourites including tropical zingers, craft beers, and independent botanical spirits. So if you are looking for something healthier for 2020, then try one of our favourites.
Caleno
Fancy a tropical zinger without the headache? Well, it is about time you grabbed a bottle of Caleno. Founded by Ellie Webb, whos mother is Colombian, it tastes predominately of the tangy and sweet South American Inca Berry, balanced with Pineapple, Papaya, Lemon Peel, Coriander Seeds, Lemongrass, Juniper Berry, Green Cardamon and Peppercorn. Take yourself back to summer, you deserve it.
Caleño is sugar-free, sweetener-free, allergen-free and made with no artificial flavours.
Price: From £18
Buy: Caleno Shop or Whisky Exchange
Follow: @CalenoDrinks
Pentire Adrift
The Cornish coastline is creating something wonderful. Pentire Spirits have created a botanical non-alcoholic spirit made from unique plants native to the North Cornwall coastline.
On the palate, it is most definitely herbaceous. Full of Key Botanicals including Rock Samphire, Sage, Pentire Plant Blend, Citrus, and Cornish Sea Salt - it will take you to windswept Cornish coastline without stepping foot outdoors.
Price: From £26.80
Buy: Pentire Store or Master Of Malt
Follow: @PentireDrinks
Big Drop 'Fieldhopper' Golden Ale
Earlier this year Alcohol-free brewer, Big Drop added 'Fieldhopper’ Golden Ale to its range of award-winning 0.5% ABV craft beers:
Fieldhopper is a lightly carbonated golden ale and Vegan-friendly, so can be enjoyed by a wide audience of craft beer fans. And, at just 41 calories per bottle, will appeal to the more health-conscious drinker. As the first single-hop style from Big Drop, it uses the quintessential English hop variety - East Kent Goldings - and its earthy, honey flavours with the aroma of orange blossom and grapefruit, and is the perfect entry to alcohol-free craft ale.
Price: £22 for a case of 12 x 330ml bottles.
Buy: Big Drop Shop
Follow: @BigDropCo
Unltd Beer
Could alcohol-free lager help you have a healthier future? Well, maybe. Coming in at a staggeringly low-calorie count of 23 calories per 330ml bottle, UNLTD. is a beer you don’t have to feel guilty about drinking. This low-alcohol thirst-quencher at 0.5% ABV, is low in carbohydrates, vegan-friendly and contains added B12 vitamins that helps support red blood cell formation, a healthy nervous system, cardiovascular health and helps to maintain healthy hair, skin and nails.
UNLTD.’s Alcohol-Free Lager is filled with light citrus aromas, a hint of honey and caramel, rounded off with a subtly bitter finish. Now there’s finally a great tasting option that allows beer lovers the chance to have the familiarity of craft beer, without the associated negative side-effects.
Price: 12 x 330ml bottles at £24.99
Buy: UNLTD Store
Follow: @Unltd.Beer
New London Light
Inspired by the quality benchmark set by the historic ‘London Dry’ gin, New London Light has been developed by Master Distiller, Jason Nickels, at multi-award winning Salcombe Distilling Co. to deliver a best in class non-alcoholic spirit without compromising on flavour. The liquid has been created specifically by spirits experts for health-conscious drinkers who don’t want to miss out on the flavour of world-class spirits.
A blend of bright orange citrus, aromatic cardamom and herbaceous rosemary and sage on the nose. Followed by an aromatic and warming balance of juniper, ginger and habanero capsicum on the palate with fragrant bitterness from sage and cascarilla bark. The finish is long and smooth with sweet orange and star anise, lengthened with floral coriander and lemongrass.
Price: £27.50
Buy: Salcombe Gin
Follow: @SalcombeGin
Lucky Saint
If there is one low alcohol beer to try first - it has to be Lucky Saint. It is nothing short of perfect. Lucky Saint is the UK’s leading 0.5% Superior Unfiltered Lager. Independently and progressively brewed in Bavaria, the same way as your favourite alcoholic beer, Lucky Saint uses only the finest and best processes available to give you everything you want from a beer, without the alcohol.
The recipe combines just four natural ingredients: pilsner malt, Hallertau hops, Bavarian spring water and their own single-use yeast. Available in bottles and on draught, it can be enjoyed at home or out and about. You won't regret it.
Price: 12 x 330ml bottles for £24
Buy: Lucky Saint Store / Majestic Wine
Follow: @LuckySaintBeer
Everleaf
Everleaf, the non-alcoholic aperitif sourced sustainably from nature, was launched in January 2019. Created by bartender and conservation biologist Paul Mathew, Everleaf is made up of 18 different plants chosen to impart complex and delicate flavours as well as an unrivalled texture for the no-alcohol category. They include vanilla & saffron for richness, gentian & iris for wild bitterness and earthy warmth, as well as vetiver & orange blossom for freshness and vibrancy.
Aromatic and bittersweet, it is designed to be mixed with light tonic to create a refreshing spritz, as a base for cocktails or even sipped neat over ice.
Price: £18
Buy: Everleaf Store
Follow: @Everleafdrinks
Mockingbird
Tequila, tequila. But without the raging headache and frantically deleting photos from your phone.
Embodying the spirit of the Mockingbird, humbly mimicking the traditional taste of Tequila, allowing you to have all the margaritas with none of the migraines. 0% Alcohol with 100% Blue Agave.
Combining Earthy Blue Weber Agave, sweet vanilla & cinnamon with a healthy hint of habanero, Mockingbird Spirit also includes Ashwagandha as one of its key ingredients. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, meaning it helps your body manage stress and anxiety. so not only a fabulous drink, but migraine-free and with an extra splash of chill.
Price: £22.99
Buy: Mockingbird Store
Follow: @mockingbird_spirit
SMASHED Cider
You may have already heard of SMASHED. The Manchester-based business Drynks Unlimited secured one of Dragons’ Den’s best ever deals in March 2020 with Peter Jones amazed at how close to an alcoholic drink its SMASHED beers and cider tasted. The range now includes 5 beers and ciders. If you are not an ale fan and love an English cider then Smashed Cider is a must.
Golden, slightly opaque sparkling liquid with a fresh inviting aroma of English apples. The taste delivers pure refreshment with a perfect balance of sharpness, sweetness and bite. The initial refreshing upfront green apple taste is perfectly complimented with a great mouthfeel and a satisfying astringent mature English cider finish. If you fancy something fruitier, they have just SMASHED Berry, a purple berry coloured sparkling fruit cider with a fruity, fresh, clean nose with hints of English
cider.
Price: From £22.50 for a case of 12.
Buy: SMASHED store
Follow: @drynkssocial
Looking for a Christmas Gift?
SoberSauce Subscription Boxes
If you’re big on flavour but interested in reducing your alcohol intake, then look no further than Sobersauce! Carefully curated craft alcohol-free beers to quench your thirst, all delivered straight to your home (or the home of your Christmas buddy).
The Sobersauce Team has done most of the hard work and flavour research by carefully selecting the best tasting alcohol-free beers on the market, to bring together a collection of the best brands and styles for you to choose from.
If you’re completely new to this, then it’s best to start your journey with the Sobersauce Discovery Box, which is available from the website and as the name suggests it's all about discovering the varieties you’re going to love.
For seasoned beer lovers everywhere, then you might prefer to try the new Sobersauce Build your Own Box, with prices starting from £20, or to be ahead of the trends then subscribe to the Sobersauce Latest Beers Box from £26 a month.
Follow @Sobersauce.uk
[Items in this article may have been gifted to Chatting Food. No financial payment has been made to feature in this article, and entries to the feature are made independently by members of the Editorial Team. This page contains affiliate links and we may receive a small commission for purchases]
Chatting Food Contributor: Ellen Pope
Self-confessed potty mouth, mother of guinea pig and eater of 99.9% of food (don't bring me marzipan and tell me it is food). Ellen is the founder and Editor of Chatting Food Magazine and on a one-woman mission to talk food at everyone. Usually found tweeting, eating, sleeping, repeating.
Follow Ellen
Twitter: @ellenpope
Insta: ellenpope
Email: ellen@chattingfood.com