5 of the best ALCOHOL-FREE DRINKS
TRYING to cut back on the amount you drink? An alcohol-free option is the obvious solution, but is it as saintly as it seems? Nutritionist ANGELA DOWDEN assesses some of the options.
EISBERG SPARKLING BLANC
£3.99 for 750ml, Waitrose Drink in place of: Prosecco Per 125ml: Calories, 31; sugar, 7.3g; alcohol, less than 0.05 per cent LOW-alcohol wines tend to have more sugar than normal wine because in the more alcoholic version, much of the grape juice is fermented into alcohol, reducing the sugar. A 125ml glass of prosecco has around half a teaspoon of sugar, while this has around two teaspoons per glass. However, without the alcohol you save around 50 calories. TASTE: Has a balanced acidity and sweetness; tastes more like wine than a soft drink. 6/10
BIG DROP BREWING CO STOUT
330ml, £1.89, beerhawk.co.uk Drink in place of: Guinness Per 330ml bottle: Calories, 154; sugar, 13.2g; alcohol, less than 0.5 per cent THIS isn’t completely alcohol free but you’d need to drink at least six bottles for it to equal one unit. It’s no lower in sugar than most stouts, but does have 25 per cent fewer calories. TASTE: Rich and lovely, it loses nothing for being low alcohol. 5/10
SEED LIP SPICE 94
700ml, £26, ocado.com Drink in place of: Gin Calories, 0; sugar, 0g; alcohol, none. MADE with a variety of herbs, spices, peels and barks (allspice, cardamom, oak, lemon and grapefruit), distilled and blended to make a non-alcoholic spirit, this spicy option has zero calories — a measure of traditional gin has 61 calories. TASTE: Aromatic, with berry, cardamom and citrus notes. 9/10
ST PETER’S WITHOUT GOLD
500ml, £1.30, Morrisons Drink in place of: Craft beer Per 500ml bottle: Calories, 120; sugar, trace; alcohol, none.
BECAUSE there is no alcohol, there are 120 calories in a 500ml bottle compared with about 300 in a traditional bottle of alcoholic craft beer. A 500ml serving is also almost sugar free. TASTE: Malty, full-bodied with a deliciously citrussy tang. 9/10
KOPPARBERG ALCOHOL-FREE STRAWBERRY AND LIME PREMIUM CIDER
500ml, £1.30, Tesco Per 500ml bottle: Calories, 205; sugar, 50.5g; alcohol less than 0.05 per cent THIS is just as high-calorie as a standard alcoholic sweet cider. A 500ml bottle has twice as much sugar as an average alcoholic sweet cider with two alcohol units. TASTE: Fruity, sweet and rather fragranced. 1/10