Eat Healthyish – DRY DRINKER’S GUIDE
06/ Casablanca Sharāb
It might come in a wine bottle,
but this is no plonk sub-in:
sharāb is a barrel-aged shrub,
made from grapes preserved
in sugar and vinegar, a natural
blood glucose-balancer. It’s
tangy, but with a delicate
sweetness and notes of apple,
toasted coconut and oaky
vanilla. It cuts through rich
dishes. There’s a white version,
too, but it’s not quite as good.
£11 for 750ml sharabdrinks.com05/ Ceder’s Crisp
Created with Pernod Ricard,
the most dominant flavour of
Ceder’s Crisp is cucumber, so
it’s a good swap for Hendricks.
Like gin, it’s designed to be
drunk with tonic, but you can
try grapefruit juice, too. If you
prefer something with more
juniper, go for Ceder’s Classic,
or for spice, Ceder’s Wild, all
full of antioxidant botanicals.
£19 for 500ml Ocado
ceders-alt-gin.com10/ Monte Rosso
This tangy drink, with pink
grapefruit-like zest and
bitterness, is billed as an
apéritif, but it would also work
well with salty foods such
as smoked salmon and hard
cheese. It’s fairly sweet as
a result of its mix of berry
extracts, so it’s likely not
something you’ll want to drink
all night – though at 94kcal a
bottle, you could do far worse.
£2.60 for 275ml Waitrose
monterossoaperitivo.com07/ Old Speckled Hen
Low Alcohol
A creditable version of
the alcoholic original, this
ale has gentle caramel and
toffee notes from crystal
malt and is flavoured with
Challenger, Pilgrim, First
Gold and Goldings hops –
essentially the same as
Old Speckled Hen 5%
ABV. It also has half of the
calories. Good for sipping,
sessions, or with food.
£1.40 for 500ml Sainsbury’s
greenekingshop.co.uk11/ Lucky Saint
The founder of Lucky Saint
quit his day job so he could
brew alcohol-free beer full-
time. It was worth it, as this
crisp Pilsner is a true success
story. Like many of the best
non-alcoholic lagers, the small
amount of alcohol created in
the brewhouse is removed
through vacuum distillation.
Malt is a natural mood-
enhancer, too, for a pick-me-
up with zero comedown.
£2.20 for 330ml beerhawk.co.uk
luckysaint.co08/ Adnams Ghost Ship
Alcohol Free
A “proper ale” with lots of
hoppiness. Though only 0.5%
ABV, it has a similar structure to
the punchier 4.5% original, with
balanced citrus notes – none of
the overly malty sweetness you
get from many mass-produced
low-ABV beers. BrewDog’s
Nanny State ale could be
considered a close competitor,
but this beats it. Just.
£1.30 for 500ml Waitrose
adnams.co.uk09/ Caleño
Inspired by Colombian culture,
this tropical “free spirit” (that
is, 0% alcohol) also contains
none of the added sugars and
sweeteners used by some
other brands, and derives its
flavour from a blend of juniper,
spice and Inca berries, which
lend it notes of mango. It’s
even distilled in stainless steel
drums. Add tonic, or a mix of
lime juice and pineapple.
£24 for 700ml Sainsbury’s
calenodrinks.com12/ Everleaf
Deliciously bitter, this can
be drunk neat or with tonic.
Its flavour is predominantly
herbal but has hints of
stress-relieving vanilla
and a smooth mouthfeel. It’s
not thin and watery, as many
non-alcoholic blends can be.
Everleaf is a summery drink,
but it could easily be made
more autumnal by adding
apple juice and spice.
£15 for 500ml Sainsbury’s
everleafdrinks.com0809101112330ml
The hops in one bottle
of non-alcoholic beer
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improves sleep**FOOD STYLING: GEORGIE BESTERMAN AT HERS | *ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL | **UNIVERSITY OF EXTREMADURA