Non-alcoholic drinks

bananapancakes

Anyone have good recommendations of alcohol free wine or spirits? 

I love having a “special” drink in the evenings and since I can’t do a craft cocktail or my favorite wine right now, I’m interested to hear if anyone has tried any of these alcohol-free products that I’m seeing advertised all over the place. I do flavored sparkling water a lot, but sometimes I just want something a little bit more fun and it usually keeps me away from snacking on sweets for the evening.  

mflowers929

I can't do it XD It's blasphemy for me lol. I do make myself a virgin strawberry daquiri though lol

PurplePumpernickel

Hmmmm that's a good question. We're seeing my ILs this weekend and my FIL makes such a great Tom Collins, I'm going to miss that. 

During peak lockdown, I'd get ruby red grapefruit juice and seltzer for a 3 PM mocktail hour, so may go back to that. I'm also just a fan of lemonade in general, so could experiment with lemonade with mint leaves or raspberries, again with a splash of seltzer.

bananapancakes

I tried to make a mocktail with a lavender simple syrup and Hella Cocktails Bitter & Soda and that was a complete fail. My go-to at home is a gin and tonic with a good flavored tonic and rosemary. We also do a really delightful bourbon tart during the summer that I’m going to miss. I might just have to play around a bit. 

sejica

I like beer, so with my first I had an o'dools, and it wasn't worth it, IMHO. I don't know about the new stuff, but I'm also okay with the occasional glass of wine or beer, even pregnant. When I'm abstaining, I prefer to get 'fancy' sodas or juices instead. I think trader Joe's had a sparkling limeade that I really really liked.

mflowers929

@bananapancakes I LOVE a radler with my BBQ, and there's a microbrewery here that does a really good one. I was just grumbling to hubby that this will be basically the 3rd summer in 4 years that I won't be able to have them XD The things I give up for my children!

dzapp

Athletic brewing co makes a bunch of non alcoholic beers and several are delicious. They aren’t totally beer but they have flavor vs some of the older NA beers. I was a cocktail bartender for a long time and a pretty tried and true way to make a non alcoholic cocktail is to use 

3/4 ounce citrus (lemon or lime)
1/4-1/2 ounce simple (based on your preference to sweet or tart)
top with soda in a Collins class

my favorite is 
-3/4 lime
-1/4 simple (which is equal parts sugar and water and lasts for days in a jar in the fridge)
-peel, seed and muddle one slice of cucumber
-gently muddle 3-4 mint leaves (don’t over muddle or they get stuck in your teeth)
-top with soda (or lavender tonic water) 
mint sprig on top.

totally refreshing but basically you can swap cucumber for any fruit like strawberry or blueberries or even jalapeño, swap the mint for any herb like basil or cilantro, and add a dash of bitters, shrub or a little lavender sprig and the mock tail is totally interchangeable🖤 

bananapancakes

@dzapp yummmm!! That sounds totally up my alley. Thank you for sharing!

mflowers929

@dzapp I'll have to remember that for this summer. That sounds delicious!

bkk2cville

I ordered some Gruvi alcohol free wines (Dry red & Sangria). I've only tried the sangria so far, but it's not bad! Obviously, the real thing is better, but even DH agreed that it's totally drinkable. 🤷🏽‍♀️

PurplePumpernickel

@dzapp you’re the best. That one with muddled mint is going to be my go-to. 

mflowers929

@PurplePumpernickel reminds me of a mojito, which is one of my favorite drinks!

socal922

I'm pretty sure it's intended to be a mixer for cocktails, but the Trader Joe's Lemon Ginger sparkling water is fantastic!

hre175

Ritual NA liquor is so good! No distillation in the process so it’s 100% alcohol free. I drink the tequila (one ounce) with an ounce of lime juice and a splash of club soda. It’s like a skinny alcohol free margarita!! So good

cobebe

@dzapp I second the Athletic Brewing Company NA beers. They are pretty similar to alcoholic craft beers, and have tons of different styles. Also, because they are NA, you can order directly from their website and ship them to your door. 

I tried one NA wine and it was disgusting!

@hredwards75 I will have to try the Ritual NA liquor…I love margaritas!