With the festive period behind us and a new year underway, many of us will be ditching the booze for Dry January. If you’re having a month off alcohol, and plain old lemonade isn’t quite cutting it, check out our pick of the best alcohol-free spirits for Dry January, promising maximum taste with none of the usual side effects…
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December is often a time of overindulgence – many of us up our consumption of booze and sugar as we relax and enjoy the festivities. But as the new year rolls around, it’s a good idea to detox and give your liver a bit of a break – and Dry January is the perfect way to do that.
However, Dry January doesn’t have to simply mean drinking water and tea for a month. Nowadays, you’ll find a whole host of non-alcoholic spirits and beverages on offer, all designed to mimic your favourite tipples – minus the hangover.
Whether you’re a gin & tonic kinda guy or you prefer a nice martini (shaken, not stirred), here’s our pick of the best alcohol-free spirits to try this Dry January…
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Best Alcohol-Free Spirits For Dry January
MF BEST BUY:
Sea Arch Coastal Juniper
BUY IT NOW:
RRP £24.95 (70cl) / amazon.co.uk
Taste: 5/5
Mixability: 5/5
OVERALL: 5/5
Worth buying for the bottle alone, but with plenty of flavour to match, Sea Arch is the best out of the alcohol-free spirits we tested.
It’s made up of six distinct and distilled botanicals – sea kelp, juniper berries, cardamom, angelica root, cucumber, grapefruit and blood orange – to deliver a crisp, fruity taste that pairs perfectly with your favourite tonic.
Sugar- and calorie-free, Sea Arch is as good for you as it is for the planet, with each bottle designed with solvent-free paint, each box made from recycled cardboard, and not a single-use plastic in sight.
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Salcombe Distilling Co. New London Light
BUY IT NOW:
RRP £25 (70cl) / amazon.co.uk
Taste: 4.5/5
Mixability: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Sweet, sour and sophisticated, New London Light is the ideal alternative to gin when you want a night of sobriety.
Made from a base of juniper berries, ginger, and habanero capsicum, the result is a smooth, refreshing drink that mixes like a dream, making this one of the best alcohol-free spirits on the market.
Lyre’s Italian Orange
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£23.50 (70cl) / amazon.co.uk
Taste: 5/5
Mixability: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
With a dominant blood orange base and a slightly sweeter citrus follow-up, Lyre’s tells the truth when it compares its Italian Orange to ‘a bitter orange aperitif’ – made to mix with soda, tonic, or a night-out negroni.
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Warner’s 0% Botanic Garden Spirits
BUY IT NOW:
RRP £17.02 (50cl) / amazon.co.uk
Taste: 3.5/5
Mixability: 4/5
OVERALL: 3.5/5
Pairing spicy cinnamon and cardamom, with fresh lemon verbena and lemon thyme, as the name suggests this is
a bitter spirit that packs a (booze-free) punch.
Mix it with tonic or serve on the rocks with a slice of lemon.
Caleño Light & Zesty
BUY IT NOW:
£14 (50cl) / amazon.co.uk
Taste: 4/5
Mixability: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Sweet and tangy, Caleño’s tropical infusion makes a pleasant change from gin alternatives to provide a taste that’s not easily compared.
With pineapple, mango and citrus fruit flavours, it makes for a nice after-dinner palate-cleanser.
Pentire Adrift
BUY IT NOW:
£27.80 (70cl) / amazon.co.uk
Taste: 4.5/5
Mixability: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
As fresh and clean as the bottle it’s housed in, this spirit is made from plants native to the North Cornwall coastline – including rock samphire and sage – that combine to deliver a coastal crispness perfect for blustery evenings by the sea.
Martini Vibrante
BUY IT NOW:
£10.95 (70cl) / amazon.co.uk
Taste: 3.5/5
Mixability: 3/5
OVERALL: 3/5
This non-alcoholic aperitivo is made with the same wines as Martini’s classic vermouths, with that alcohol carefully removed to leave the same distinct taste.
Top with tonic water and orange, or see martini.com for more inspiration.
