Article contentGen Z, in particular, seems to be leading the charge in making drinking culture less dominant, less toxic, and frankly, less necessary, says Milne.Article content There’s a shift happening in terms of alcohol, with more people moving away from drinking and opting for nonalcoholic options, says Lee-Anne Milne. UnsplashArticle contentNon-alcoholic drink suggestionsArticle contentMilne offers several suggestions on how to prepare non-alcoholic drinks, or how to turn some of the classics into virgin options.Article contentStock up on non-alcoholic drink options. Include options like a good tonic, sodas (like ginger beer or yuzu soda), citrus, bitters, herbal syrups, and a few zero-proof spirits.Garnish makes things feel more creative and fancy. Try fresh herbs, citrus twists, edible flowers, cucumber ribbons.Bitters are great. Most bitters are technically alcoholic in small doses, but there are also fully alcohol-free versions. Adding bitters to drinks adds depth and complexity to your drinks.Try making DIY syrups- just sugar, water, and flavour. Try lavender, rosemary, chili, ginger, or even earl grey. One batch makes dozens of drinks.Try a non-alcoholic drink night with friends where you all get to try fancy new drinksFollow creators and communities online for drink ideas and recipesArticle contentArticle content Making non-alcoholic drinks at home are much less expensive and more convenient than buying at a restaurant or bar. ContributedArticle contentNon-alcoholic product linesArticle contentMany alcohol producers are noticing the popularity of non-alcoholic drinks and so are now offering this version of their drinks.Article contentFor example, one of Milne’s favourites is Propeller Ginger Beer and their non-alcoholic lager, Goodmore Kombucha.Article contentShort loves that there are so many non-alcoholic options that you can now easily pick up at the grocery store — everything from non-alcoholic beer to wine and even mocktails. Her favourites are the PC mojitos.Article content“You can still get those complex notes, and bonus, no hangovers,” she says.Article contentWhether or not you serve the non-alcoholic drinks in cocktail glasses or not depends on the people. Milne says back when she first got sober, she felt like she needed to avoid anything that even resembled alcohol, but after speaking with probably thousands of people about their sobriety journey, she realized a lot of people found continuing the ritual of making nice drinks in beautiful glasses actually helped them in early recovery.Article contentArticle content“It really depends on the person,” she says.Article contentThe same goes for trying non-alcoholic versions of traditional drinks. For Milne, she says it took her eight years into sobriety to finally get the courage to try non-alcoholic beer because she was so afraid it would trigger her.Article content“And thankfully, it never did,” she says.Article contentFor a lot of people who are either in recovery from alcohol use disorder or who are just taking a break, sometimes drinking non-alcoholic drinks can help them stay on track.Article content“I’d recommend people to just listen to their gut, and if it is their goal to be alcohol-free and they feel like it’s possible they’d get triggered into drinking the real thing, then definitely avoid those kinds of drinks,” says Milne.Article contentMake it at homeArticle contentSpiced Shandy: PCArticle contentPrep Time 5 minutesArticle contentServes 6Article contentIngredients:Article content1 orange, lemon and lime, slicedArticle content1/2 bottle PC Nimbu Pani Lemonade (about 3 cups/750 ml), chilledArticle content1 can (355 ml) PC Blonde Brew Dealcoholized Lager Beer, chilledArticle contentInstructions:Article content1. Add orange lemon and lime slices to large pitcher.Article content2. Pour in lemonade and beerArticle contentMake it fancy with a toasted cumin rim. Stir together 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp ground toasted cumin seeds (toast cumin seeds in skillet over medium heat, stirring often until fragrant; grind in clean coffee grinder). Moisten rims of glasses with sliced citrus and dip in the sugar-cumin mixture.Article content
How to make tasty non-alcoholic drinks
