In his regular column Alex Greig, founder of the Fuggles Beer Café and Bottle Shop suggests some great alcohol-free tipples if you’re doing Dry January, or if you just want to cut back…
Every year the alcohol-free category gets bigger, better and stronger. Which is a great thing if you’re taking a break from the hard stuff but don’t want to compromise on flavour (or let’s face it, just want the placebo effect!)
This year we have even more options available than before. Included in our mix at Fuggles are some great-tasting alcohol-free beers, hopped sodas, kombucha and alcohol-free G&Ts.
Here are some of the highlights we’ve got for you for this January – and beyond…
The Only With Love team are a creative bunch. Alongside their traditional and craft beer offerings, they also produce some of the best alcohol-free beers going, tasty kombuchas and a new range of hopped soda.
Harmony AF is their new West Coast IPA – a beer which has taken them months of tweaking and playing around with to get right. Aside from a big amount of hops to give you all the piney, resinous notes you’d expect in a beer of this style, it’s also got a lovely undertone of orangey citrus pith too. However, if beer isn’t your thing then they’ve got you covered too.
Our pick from their great range of kombucha is their Rhubarb & Custard offering. The vanilla really balances out the tartness of the rhubarb and natural acidity of the drink itself – and it’s so summery it’ll brighten up the dullest winter’s day! Not tried ‘booch yet? Well it’s a quirky organic tea, fermented with good bacteria and yeasts – which make it great for your gut!
Finally, The Only With Love team now have a new kid on the block. Step forward LUPHO… Now this is as about as natural as it gets. With no calories or caffeine, it’s simply made for those who want an even more healthy alternative! It’s brewed with citra hops for zest, apricot for flavour and a dash of apple cider vinegar for depth and good gut health!
Another of our alcohol-free heroes is Pentire. Inspired by the coast, Pentire produce some great tasting alcohol-free spirits including Adrift and Seaward. Adrift sits on the more herbal, coastal side, while the Seaward is more citrussy, with tones of grapefruit leading. I’d say that it’s one of the best alcohol-free spirits we’ve tried. Both styles are available in pre-mixed cans with tonic.
Lowtide beers are always in our fridges and are another of our favourite alcohol-free brewers. This time around they’ve done some collaborations with some fantastic breweries including Time & Tide in Deal and Baron Brewing just south of Cambridge. Changing Tides has a cracking citrus hit on it thanks to the liberal use of Mandarina Bavaria hops and the addition of orange and grapefruit. Meanwhile Simmer Down is a hop-forward Red IPA, with loads of juicy citrus, soft red fruits and subtle piney notes.
So this month, if you’re taking a step back, on a health kick or just fancy a break, there’s still plenty of delicious, flavoursome drinks to get into and lots of great independent businesses still to support!
