Designated driver, pregnant, watching your calorie intake or fitness stole your alcohol tolerance? There’s no reason you should have to stick to cooldrinks or sparkling water to stay sober. Going booze-free is a trend! And our fave brands are jumping on the wagon by offering de-alcoholised drinks. Here’s how to go booze-free in a cool, adulting kinda way…
SoberSeptember, OcSober, DryJanuary or even going #StraightEdge (no stimulants at all!) – there’s no end to the sober bandwagons you can jump on. Whether it’s for health and fitness reasons, a way to detox and reset or manage your tolerance levels, many people are opting to ditch the booze and embrace a teetotalling lifestyle.
This Is Exactly How Drinking Alcohol Affects Your Workout
The sober trend
A few years ago, my much younger brother (), soon to be 22, told me that he has no interest in drinking alcohol. I thought he was c-r-a-z-y… (And secretly hoped he hadn’t had a very bad experience with drunk people.)
The truth is, like him, many other millennials are driving a huge trend towards cutting the booze completely – or never starting. Hashtags like #SoberSaturday and #SoberLife (over a million tags on Insta) are being seen more and more and form part of what has been dubbed the “sober curious” movement. The number of alcohol drinkers in the world has decreased by nearly five percent since 2000, according to reports by the World Health Organisation.
Young people are seeking ways to socialise that don’t involve alcohol. We’ve seen it with the success of Fit Night Out! And you’ll see it again at Ministry of Fitness…
Barely falling into the millennial classification at the age of 33, I too have noticed that friends of mine have started opting to go alcohol-free. This is a movement that seems to be here to stay.
That sober life
So began the investigation into non-alcoholic adult drinks and putting together a list of my fave alternatives. (This courtesy of hours of delicious consumption – because sparkling water gets old fast!). Thirty-four percent of readers said they buy non-alcoholic beers or cider, while 51 percent said they would choose Castle Free over Castle Lite (*via social media polls).
Seventy-two percent of readers said if they were offered non-alcoholic wines – that actually taste good – they’d try it.
Below you’ll find the best wine, gin, beer and cider 0.0 versions. With half the calories and no need for a stash of painkillers in your bedside drawer, your sober summer is sorted!
: Everything You Need To Know About Alcohol And Weight Gain
The best alcohol-free drinks for adults
- Bavaria is a non-alcoholic beer, which is truly 0.0%, unlike others which have been de-alcoholised and normally have 0.05% or less, but still a trace. Bavaria “malt beverages” are certified Halaal. If you like fruity beer, try Bavaria 0.0% Pomegranate or the Original for a light malty taste, from R14.50.
- If you like IPA, try Devil’s Peak Zero to Hero, R89.99 (six pack).
- If you like gin and tonic, try The Duchess Virgin Gin & Tonic, R88 (four pack).
- If you like Weiss beer, try Erdinger Alkoholfrei, R379 (24 pack).
- If you like a full-bodied beer, try Non-Alcoholic Super Bock 0.0%, R12.99 (available at selected Tops).
- If you’re a Heineken gal, try Heineken 0.0, R15.
- If you like cider, try Savanna Non-Alcoholic Lemon, R315 (24 pack).
- If you like light lagers or Pilsners, try Beck’s Blue, from R239 (24 pack).
- If you like Castle, or lagers in general, try Castle Free Alcohol-Free Lager, R65 (six pack).
- If you like white wine, try Natura De-Alcoholised Classic White, R65.
- If you like gin cocktails, try Seedlip Garden 108, R429.
- If you like red wine, try Van Loveren Radiant Red Almost Zero % Alcohol, R60.
- If you like bubbly, try Lautus De-Alcoholised Sparkling, R120.
