Alternatives to Alcoholic Beverages

Given summer is on it’s way which means we are generally more partial to a drink or two I am doing a mini series on Alcohol. The first articles covered the effects of alcohol, some common myths and a few tips for being alcohol savvy. This post is focusing on some non-alcoholic alternatives and the next post will focus on some healthier cocktail recipes so keep an eye out for this one too. 

There are so many different alternatives it is hard to know where to start. You can look for smarter alcoholic options which include lower alcohol beer and wines or stick to spirits with no mixer to keep the calories down.

There are also a tonne of non-alcoholic options around at the moment as well including;

// Soda Water 
Soda water doesn’t need to be boring, flash it up with a pretty straw and a slice of lemon. Its amazing the difference drinking out of a cool glass with a straw makes to your drink. I personally don’t like fizzy water all that much so I just put some lemon and lime juice in tap water which I really enjoy! 

// Infused Water
Infused waters are becoming more popular, whether you use something like a sodastream to make fizzy water then add items such as mint and some strawberry or if you do the same with water from the tap, either are much better options than standard fizzy drinks.

// Sodastream
I was pleasantly surprised when I attended the launch of the soda stream play that soda stream have a range of low calorie drinks which are sweetened with Stevia. The other flavours are also relatively low calorie when compared to standard fizzy drinks. Crank out that old soda stream machine and put it to use or find about more here. 

// Vitalzing
Vitalzing is a new comer to the water market with pre-packaged waters with added vitamins which are held in the cap and not released in the water until you open the drink and press down on the lid. Vitalzing also have a range of no carb, low calorie water drops which come in a handy size for your handbag, simply pour a few drops into your glass of water for a refreshing no fuss alternative to plain water. I was not a fan of the vitamin water but really enjoyed the collagen ones and the drops. You can find out more here. 

// Hopt
I have recently also tried Hopt, which is a lower calorie range of soda’s made with real hop extracts, natural colours and a lot less sugar than standard fizzy drinks. I’m not a huge fan of the salted lychee however, I quite enjoyed the watermelon and mint flavour which was nice and refreshing and would be perfect for a summers day. You can find out more here. 

// Cold Tea
Make up a batch of home made ice tea, or check out the new range of hot or cold tea’s from Red Seal. A nice fruity cold tea would be delicious in the summer months! Brew a big batch and leave in the fridge for those moments when you come in from the sun requiring a beverage! Find them in your supermarket. 

// Fizzy Drink
If you really want a standard fizzy drink then just remember that they are often laiden with sugars so try to keep your serving sizes small and enjoy them as a treat.

What is your favourite non alcoholic alternative?