The Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Whether You're Giving up or Cutting Back

Whatever your reasons for cutting the booze, the hardest bit can be finding a satisfactory substitute – many are too sugary, too fizzy, too watery, or simply lacking any flavour at all. So how to quell the craving for a crisp, cold beer? Or a bracing cocktail? Or just a glass of wine with dinner? We’ve rounded up our go-tos for when sobriety strikes.

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London Liquor's premixed batch-brewed cocktails bring the bar to you, and this collaboration with Seedlip brings a sense of occasion to an alcohol-free cocktail. Made with seedlip grove 42 citrus, lime, chilli, agave nectar, orange blossom water and coriander, it's like a spicy margarita which carries the same kick and none of the headache the morning after.

£25 / 500ml bottle; 0% ABV

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In just a few years Seedlip have revolutionised the alcohol-free drinking game with their herbaceous blends which, when paired with tonic to taste remarkably punchy. We like their Spice 94 mix which has notes of cardamom, oak, lemon and grapefruit.

£21 / 700 ml bottle; 0.0% ABV

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Created by a wine critic, these are grown-up cordials (lower on sugar, higher in vinegar) designed to mimic the savoury qualities and mouthfeel of wine whilst not attempting to replicate the stuff outright. No. 1 is made with pineapple and citrus (like a white) whilst No. 6 is full of berries (red). They come in swanky packaging and tiny bottles, to be added to still or sparkling water, or tonic. Carbonated options will give you a refreshing sort of seltzer but give the plain old still a try and, with No. 6 in particular, you’ll be surprised at how satisfying it is – sits happily alongside food.

£35 / 9 x 30ml bottles; 0.0% ABV

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Sun-steeped afternoons in rural Tuscany might be far from your mind, but you can feel a little closer to them with this non-alcoholic take on Aperol which has notes of orange peel and the same mixture of tart and sweet flavours.

£20 / 700ml bottle; 0.0% ABV

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A powerfully-flavoured lager despite the lack of alcohol, thanks to the use of a step mash technique that gives the brewers greater control over the wort. It’s full of malt, rounded off with a bit of citrus, and best served icy cold.

£25 / 12 x 330ml; 0.5% ABV

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When the luxury retailer released their sparkling tea last year, it amazed everyone how much like a delicate sparkling wine it tasted. Now, they’ve released a rosé version which is even drier. With a greater proportion of tea and the addition of hibiscus this fragrant fizz makes a refined aperitif, and easily rises to occasions.

£16.95 / 75cl; 0% ABV

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Sometimes you just need a damn cocktail – something with a kick – and no cordial or juice is going to cut it. Gin, Campari and red vermouth is a hard thing to replicate but the NOgroni, which contains the brand’s bitters and aromatics blend, has that bitter and complex flavour along with the slight oiliness in texture. Even devotees of the original will be sated.

£12 / 20cl; ABV

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The beauty of kombucha, if you’re a wine drinker, is the vinegary edge that provides the savoury kick missing from most soft drinks. Good kombuchas also manage to be delicately aromatic – they are fermented tea, after all. REAL manages this beautifully and the jewel in their crown is the Royal Flush, made from first flush Darjeeling. It now comes in wine-sized bottles so that you can treat it like a sparkling wine for an invigorating aperitif.

£48 / 6 x 75cl; 0.5% ABV

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Most wine replacements taste like questionable variants of Ribena. And, really, you could just have some Ribena if that’s your bag. This one has a decided tang – make no mistake – but a more herbaceous lilt rather than cloying or jammy. You’ll need some imagination if drinking it neat, but ease it with some soda water for a richer spritzer, or it is said to make a pretty mean sangria.

£16.95 / 75cl; 0% ABV