Asian slaw
SERVES FOUR
Sunday 6 January 2019
Bavarian “noble” hops adds to its eminent drinkability. Over in Germany nonalcoholic beers are touted as excellent thirstquenchers after sport, which sounds rather a splendid idea if you’ve just joined a gym for the new year. £11.49 for six 330ml bottles, drydrinker.com
MEMENTO
The Milan-based makers of this bittersweet, herbal no-alcohol spirit that blends rosemary, lemon verbena, rose and Helichrysum italicum claim the recipe is based on botanical and distilling knowledge from the late 15th century. A good story indeed, but the flavour stands up on its own, with a bittersweet taste and spiciness suggestive of a good vermouth. Drink it neat over ice or mixed into various mocktails. £28.99 for 70cl, drydrinker.com
NIRVANA KOSMIC STOUT
This is the right time of the year for a brooding, wholesome stout and Kosmic doesn’t fail. As dark as a moonless night in the glass, it balances a gentle roastiness alongside hints of chocolate and vanilla, before finishing dry. There’s a further plus: it’s certified gluten-free, another sector in the brewing business that has definitely improved. Among its other products, the London-based brewery makes is Ananda, a blend of kombucha and its Tantra Pale Ale. Very mindful indeed. £1.99 for 330ml, lightdrinks.co.uk
REAL KOMBUCHA DRY DRAGON SEA ARCH
Those with a yen for sipping a no-groni or a mock-tini come sundown will be intrigued by this alternative for gin-lovers, which is made by a pub-owning couple in the South West. The botanicals in the mix include juniper (naturally), angelica, grapefruit, cardamom, blood orange and, in a nod to the coastal magic of the South West, sea kelp. In the company of tonic, served over ice, it is tangy and slightly bitter and definitely gin-clear, while Sea Arch’s website (notginltd.com) has a collection of more non-alcoholic gin-style cocktails into which it can be blended. £26.95 for 70cl, notginltd.com
SHEPPY’S LOW ALCOHOL CLASSIC CIDER
Sheppy’s is a family-run business located in the countryside southwest of Taunton in Somerset. Naturally, it is known for a variety of potent ciders; however, this is its first foray into the world of low/noalcohol (this is 0.5%). The rousing result is a dry, sparkling, thirst- quenching cider that pulsates with fresh apple character alongside a quenching but gentle tartness redolent of the orchards that surround the farm where it is made. £1.30 for 500ml, available from selected branches of Tesco
TORRES NATUREO 2017
Oenophiles on the January wagon might like to raise a glass of this de-alcoholised red from the Spanish winemaker Torres. Syrah is the sole grape and the wine is fermented and barrelaged before the alcohol is removed. The result has hints of blackcurrant and tobacco box on the nose, while on the palate there is more dark berry fruit, a light jammy sweetness and a delicate dryness in the finish. Drink on its own or match with a hearty stew.
THE TELEGRAPH PEOPLE’S CHOICE PUB OF THE YEAR
Tell us – in up to 100 words – why your favourite pub in England, Wales or Scotland should be The Telegraph People’s Choice Pub of the Year. Email pubs@telegraph.co.uk, with the pub and postcode in the subject line, and your name and a telephone number. All entries must be received by 11.59pm, on Feb 2. Four entrants, selected at random, will win a £250 voucher, redeemable against a stay at a Sawday’s Inn. For full terms and conditions, email