Low and no-alcohol spirits for dry January
If you’re cutting out or reducing your alcohol intake after festive indulgence, there are plenty of delicious alcohol-free drinks to choose from. Remember to keep your opened bottles in the fridge, as they don’t have the same shelf life as alcoholic spirits.
1 Botivo
£24.70-£26.95/50cl Amathus Drinks, Botivo Drinks, Earl of East, Reserve Wines, The Whisky Exchange, Threshers, Wise Bartender
Made from a base of British apple cider vinegar, Botivo was my favourite NoLo of 2023. Small batch, with no flavourings or preservatives, it’s infused with fresh botanicals – rosemary, thyme, gentian, wormwood and orange zest – balanced with wildflower honey, for a bittersweet drink with depth and complexity. Mix 25ml with tonic over ice. Alcohol 0.1%
2 Crossip Dandy Smoke
£22-£25/50cl Crossip, Drinks Distilled, Mothership, The Alcohol Free Co, The Scottish Gantry, Threshers
The Crossip range was created with bartenders in mind. One for fans of whisky and dark rums, Dandy Smoke is so richly textured, complex and smoky that you can simply enjoy it neat over ice. But it’s also brilliant in cocktails. Try a Dandy Sour: mix 35ml Crossip Dandy Smoke, 20ml lemon juice, 10ml apple juice, 5ml honey and 20ml aquafaba/egg white in a shaker without ice. Add ice, shake again and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. Alc 0%
3 ISH Mexican Agave Spirit
£18-£22/50cl Club Soda, Master of Malt, Non-Alcoholic Shop, Wise Bartender
ISH is a range of zero-alcohol spirits and non-alcoholic wines from Denmark. Smoky and spicy Mexican Agave Spirit is styled after a reposado tequila, made with organic agave and rested in American oak. Enjoy it in a Mindful Margarita: combine 60ml ISH Mexican Agave, 30ml lime juice, 30ml orange juice and 20ml sugar syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake until your hands are cold then serve straight up or on the rocks in a salt-rimmed glass. Alc 0%
4 Pentire Coastal Spritz
£21-£23/50cl Abel & Cole, Amathus Drinks,
Elston & Son, Master of Malt, Pentire Drinks,
The Light Drinker, The Wine Society
Cornish distiller Pentire uses local coastal botanicals such as rock samphire and sea buckthorn to produce its approachable range of non-alcoholic drinks. The latest addition is Pentire Coastal Spritz, made with blood orange, sea rosemary and oakwood. With bitter, herbal, red berry and citrus notes, it’s best paired with Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Tonic, to make a thirst-quenching dry aperitif with flavours of blood orange to the fore. Alc 0.3%
5 Sipsmith FreeGlider
£17-£22/70cl Amazon, Booths, Harvey Nichols, John Lewis, Majestic, Master of Malt, Ocado, Sipsmith, Spirits Kiosk, The Drinks Edit, The Whisky Exchange, Threshers, Waitrose
The dedicated Sipsmith team, creators of the excellent Sipsmith London Dry Gin, experimented with more than 100 ingredients and 189 prototypes to create their alcohol-free spirit – and it was worth the effort. Woody, herbal aromas with uplifting freshness lead to grapefruit citrus, juniper, dry spice and eucalypt with a lingering pine sap note. Well balanced, it makes a super No G&T garnished with a slice of grapefruit. Alc 0.5%