Fancy a Nojito?

... or maybe a No-groni, just a few of the mocktails made with zero-alcohol spirits now taking Britain’s bars by storm

NOT long ago, being a non-drinker meant hours of sipping soda water and lime in a bar – or, at best, a glass of mixed fruit juices topped with a cocktail umbrella.

But no longer. Following the runaway success of non-alcoholic spirits firm Seedlip, the zero per cent booze market has blossomed.

These drinks, packaged in beautiful bottles, may be free of alcohol but they still taste like their alcoholic counterparts.

Some companies aim to emulate existing spirits such as gin, while others have created their own range of vibrant botanical infusions.

And they have given mixologists new materials with which to fashion a fresh wave of mocktails. Anyone for a No-jito, a non-alcoholic spin on the rum, mint and lime classic? Or how about a No-groni? Far from being a fly-by-night trend, Siobhan Payne, of DrinkUp.London – the organiser of London Cocktail Week, the country’s biggest drinks festival – says that low-alcohol and alcohol-free cocktails are here to stay.

Whether seeking to be healthier or simply wishing to avoid a hangover, more Britons than ever are shunning alcohol.

One in five adults claims not to drink at all – an increase of a third in just over a decade – and many more are trying to cut down.

Alcohol Research UK estimates that 4.5million people took part in Dry January this year.

Siobhan adds: ‘People want to be healthier and we are becoming more and more conscious of what we put in our bodies.

‘However, it’s also about a feeling of not wanting to miss out on a special moment just because you aren’t drinking. You can still have that luxury of a nice cocktail in a social setting, treat yourself after a long day at work, or sit in a bar and be served something from a bottle on the top shelf rather than having an orange juice or a Diet Coke.’

Siobhan says there is a big nondrinkers’ community on social media and it is gaining in popularity. ‘Non-alcoholic spirits are aspirational and a special treat, but one you can enjoy without putting the following day at risk.’ Having worked behind a bar myself – and mixed my fair share of cocktails – I remember all too well a time when punters asking for a mocktail would not be faced with many options. But now times are changing.

My days as a reporter often start at 6am, so I have often found myself nursing a soda and citrus or having to make my excuses before sundown to prevent feeling lousy the following day. So I wholeheartedly welcome the range of new and delectable non-alcoholic spirits that are popping up in bars and supermarkets across the country.

With this in mind, I have picked my five firm favourites, right – which have all been tried and tested.