ALCOHOL-FREE DRINKS
Having alcohol-free drinks on hand is a great way to support yourself or your mates.
Not everyone wants just water or a lemonade and are after more sophisticated drink options, others love a sweet soft drink. So it's best you work out what you / your alcohol-free mates like best.
Some suggestions for alcohol-free beverages to have on hand that you can grab at the supermarket or general store include: soda water (that you can mix with fresh or bottled lime juice or with a mix of lime juice and cranberry juice ... or even pineapple juice), a classic lemonade or cola, water (of course!), and, these days, you can even find cordials designed for an adult palette.
You can also buy alcohol-free drinks online. However, alcohol-free drinks (like alcohol-free beer, wine and spirits) can be linked to relapses for some people (read the “Caution” below to find out more). Others can drink these safely. But if you are at all uncertain, it's best to avoid them completely.
Some alcohol-free drink suggestions:
ETCH Sparkling
These are Shanna's favourite beverages: a range of sparkling adult drinks that don't imitate alcohol. They also have truly Aussie bush flavours like Finger Lime, Lemon Myrtle and Rosemary or Bush Apple and Kakadu Plum.
Jason and Andy at ETCH Sparkling are fully aligned with Sober in the Country's mission, and they also share our goals to maximise social inclusion and effect social change.
We love that their drinks do not replicate the taste or smell of alcohol in any way. Their drinks are simply a delicious option that is low in sugar and safe for everyone.
Bickford’s Traditional Cordials
Bickford’s offers a range of cordials designed for a grown up palette that include sophisticated flavours like Bitter Lemon, Peach Iced Tea, Lemon Barley, Lemon Lime and Bitters, and Pink Grapefruit. The range includes sugar-free options as well, and all Bickford’s cordials are 100% alcohol free.
You can mix Bickford's cordials with soda water for a sparkling beverage or with still water over ice. And while the word “cordial” sounds overly sweet, you can simply adjust how much cordial you add to your water/soda water mixer depending on whether you like your drinks sweet or not-so-sweet.
Altina Drinks
Warning: this range of non-alcoholic wines replicate the look of alcohol and you may find the taste and smell to be similar to alcohol too. These drinks are not 100% alcohol-free, but contain less than 0.02% alcohol-by-volume (around the same amount as natural fruit juice).
These non-alcoholic “wines”, are made from de-alcoholised wine mixed with botanicals to create nuanced, complex flavours.
Altina (named after the co-founders Alan and Christina) has the brand principles: nature, science and exceptional design. Alan and Christina have used their combined science smarts to blend ideas and ingredients with mastery to create unexpected, intriguing and satisfying drinking experiences in both still and sparkling forms.
Sobah Beverages
Warning: most options in this range of non-alcoholic beers replicate the look, taste and smell of alcohol and may be triggering. These drinks are not 100% alcohol-free, but contain less than 0.5% alcohol-by-volume.
Sobah's non-alcoholic craft beer range is made with the highest quality ingredients the same way that many craft beers are, only with a difference – almost zero alcohol! Being chemical free, preservative free and without additional processes to remove alcohol, Sobah retains a light, fresh and crisp taste.
Proudly Aboriginal owned and led, Sobah are the original alcohol-free pioneers: they were Australia's first non-alcoholic craft beer company. The company is run by Dr Schultz (a total legend!) and his wife Loz who are based on beautiful Kombumerri country, a part of the Yugambeh language regions, known as the Gold Coast, Queensland.
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