Why teetotal shouldn’t mean flavour free

DESPITE all the headlines about a rise in drinking during lockdown, alcohol consumption in the UK has been in a decline for more than a decade. One in five adults now describe themselves as teetotal, a third of women over 50 no longer drink, and among Generation Z adults (those born after 1997) two fifths say they abstain from alcohol.Which is probably why trends like Dry January and Sober October (run by cancer charity Macmillan as a fundraiser) have become so popular.

With “well-being” culture on the rise, consumers are constantly looking for healthier options in food and drink; less fat, less sugar and drinks with little or no alcohol.

Up until fairly recently your choices of non-alcoholic drinks simply were not very exciting, particularly if your drink of choice was wine.The process of removing alcohol affects the flavour of the final product. However, improved techniques such as vacuum distillation at low temperatures mean there are now innovative non-alcoholic wines that offer the complexity of wine without the alcohol.

There are dry, off-dry, sweet, still, or sparkling whites and still reds to choose from. Quite a few are also variously organic, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.They’re also low calorie.The truth is they don’t taste quite as good as their alcoholic counterparts and they won’t give you the relaxed buzz of a traditional glass of wine.

But they are good and getting better (and don’t be put off if you find them described as a “wine-based drink”)… so why not give them a go this month?