5 of our favourite non-alcoholic alternatives worth a try

If you’ve been paying attention to your local liquor store aisles, you might have noticed that in the past couple of years, the number of non-alcoholic drinks available has steadily grown.

There could be many reasons to stay away from alcohol on any particular day; maybe you’re at an important business meeting and you don’t want to get tipsy; maybe you’re the designated driver for the night, or perhaps you’ve quit alcohol completely. For a long time, options were very limited for people who don’t drink. In fact, the only options were either: a mocktail, coffee, juice or a fizzy drink.

But the times have changed, and now you can enjoy non-alcoholic beer, cider and even gin. Here are five of our favourite non-alcoholic alternatives, which we encourage you to try.

Beck’s Blue Beer            

The Beck’s Blue Beer has been a popular non-alcoholic choice for a long time because it tastes like a German pilsner. It goes through the same brewing process as traditional Beck’s and has exactly the same ingredients (barley, hops, yeast and water).

The only difference is that the Beck’s Blue goes through a de-alcoholisation process.

Castle Free Beer

Castle launched the alcohol-free version of their lager, Castle Free, in October 2017. The brand made history as the first South African brewer to launch a non-alcoholic variant.

“We believe that the non-alcoholic beer will usher South African drinkers into an era of responsible drinking,” Vaughan Croeser, Brand Director for Castle Free, said at the launch.

While non-alcoholic variants of any kind of alcohol don’t always taste exactly like the alcoholic version, Castle Free is a very close match to its alcoholic counterpart, which is quite impressive.

Little Wolf Virgin Cider

Made with Eglin apple juice and American hops, Little Wolf Virgin Cider is the perfect drink to enjoy chilled on a hot summer day. If you’re worried that it might be too sweet, it isn’t – and that is part of what makes it a great option. The American hops give it a tropical fruit note that’s balanced out nicely with a herbal finish.

The Duchess Virgin Gin & Tonic

The Duchess Virgin Gin & Tonic is actually the world’s first non-alcoholic gin and tonic and was created in South Africa. It was launched in 2016 and quickly became a favourite drink for many.

“Our vision is to supply global mindful consumers with innovative non-alcoholic beverages that will disrupt the traditional alcohol and soft drink industry, as the market becomes soberer curious,” said Johannes Le Roux, founder of the brand.

Bavaria non-alcoholic beer

The Bavaria Original Beer is easily one of the world’s most popular non-alcoholic beers. It has very distinct characteristics. Originally from the Netherlands and owned by one family, Bavaria is made with a patented technique that guarantees that no alcohol is ever formed during the brewing process.