Not everyone’s idea of Christmas cheer includes alcohol, and the range of alcohol-free alternatives available is far from boring. If you’re throwing a party and want something interesting for the non-drinkers or the designated drivers, we have a few ideas to help the festive feeling flourish.

Betty Buzz
From £24 for 12

Betty Buzz is a range of alcohol-free premium soft drinks and mixers created by Hollywood actress Blake Lively. The range, which has recently become available in the UK, is free from artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colours, and flavourings and is made using fresh ingredients. The range is not only suitable for vegans but is also certified kosher.

Alcohol-free alternatives - Betty Buzz

The range might be quite small, consisting of just five flavours — ginger beer, sparkling grapefruit, sparkling lemon and lime, Meyer lemon club soda, and tonic water — the retro-style bottles look fabulous, making a great addition to your festive drinks lineup.

Not only does the Betty Buzz range make great alcohol-free alternatives, but add a splash of something for the non-drivers, and it’ll be a hit all around.

Pentire
From £13

Created using a process similar to that of a premium gin, Pentire is a range of non-alcoholic botanical spirit drinks inspired by the natural flavours of the Cornwall coast.

The range has three flavours: Adrift, Seaward and Coastal Spritz. Adrift incorporates rock samphire, sage and sea salt with a touch of citrus to give the palate a fresh, saline hit. Seaward brings in a more zesty flavour, with pink grapefruit mingling with seaweed and rosemary to keep the taste buds on edge.

Alcohol-free alternatives - Pentire

For a more bitter yet flavourful glassful, blend Coastal Spritz with tonic and ice. The flavours of bitter blood orange and rosemary meld perfectly with the salinity of the coastal botanicals, creating an excellent alcohol-free alternative to an Aperol spritz.

The ingredients used to create Pentire spirits are sustainably sourced, and the results are vegan-friendly, contain no added sugar and are free from allergens, making them a great choice for mixing a mocktail or as a flavoursome addition to soda or tonic for a refreshing drink this festive season.

Punchy Drinks
£19 for 12

Punchy’s premium, adult-centric natural fruit soft drinks tap into the demand for healthier, sustainable drink options.

Packed with bold flavours, Punchy is vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and low in sugar and calories without any preservatives or artificial sweeteners.

Alcohol-free alternatives - Punchy

There are currently three different flavours available from Punchy; Blood Orange includes a hit of bitters and cardamom, Cucumber adds yuzu and rosemary to the mix, while Peach includes the refreshing taste of ginger and chai.

Each blend has a distinct flavour, from the clean, refreshing taste of cucumber and the fragrant citrus hint of blood orange to the delightfully fiery ginger. None were overly sweet, and the subtle flavours flowed beautifully, thanks to some light carbonation.

The B-Corp company also pledges that its products are plastic-free and recyclable, while 1% of sales go to charities dedicated to protecting the environment.

Brooklyn Brewery Special Effects Alcohol-Free Lager
£4.50 for 4

For those who enjoy a beer, but not the after effects, this ‘Special Effects’ offering from Brooklyn Brewery should be on your list this Christmas.

This American amber lager has all the qualities you’d look for in a good lager but without the alcohol. It isn’t 100% alcohol-free, but at 0.4% ABV, it has less alcohol in it than most breads.

It might be low in alcohol, but it isn’t low in flavour. Brewed by dry-hopping with citrus-forward hops — a technique rarely used in non-alcoholic brewing — there is a rich, zesty fruit aroma on the nose, with a slightly tropical tang to it. The maltiness of the hops is evident in the background, but that flavour doesn’t come to the fore until it hits the palate.

Once on the palate, it is sharp and crisp, with the tangy fruits sticking around, and the malty hops hitting the right notes too. It is perhaps a little sweet, with caramel notes creeping in there too, and lacks the bitter edge you might expect to balance it, but it is still a tasty glassful. The mixture of fruits, herbs and hops works well, and the gentle bubbles make it a pleasant drink.

It’s more likely to be a hit with pale ale drinkers than lager fans, but it is a worthy addition to the Brooklyn Brewery line-up, giving all the flavour but none of the headache of a standard lager or beer.

Sam Huff
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