Thirsty work
7:09am Saturday 28th June 2008
ALCOHOL-FREE ZONE
My friend Vanessa used to be a real bonne vivante. She always knew where to sip the best cocktails and find the best wine bargains.
Now five months pregnant, she's harder to get out of the house than rising damp - not because of her increasing girth but because she can't bear watching everyone else enjoy an ice-cold beer or sip a glass of wine.
Part of the problem, she says, is that there's nothing non-alcoholic worth drinking, especially if you're not a fan of super-sweet fizzy drinks or juices.
But at a time when we're all supposed to be watching what we drink, my investigations have proved otherwise.
There is definitely a brave new non-alcoholic world out there, thanks in part to two web-based businesses - The Lo No Company and The Alcohol Free Shop - leading the charge in the UK.
Retired soldier Dale Hemming-Tayler started The Lo No Company in 2002 after he gave up alcohol for medical reasons and became determined to discover decent booze-free drinks. The website - www.lono.co.uk - now offers more than 30 wines and nearly 20 other alcohol-free aperitifs and digestifs.
Hemming-Tayler says one of his most popular wines is the Carl Jung Brut sparkling wine (£4.99), used as the stage champagne at the Piccadilly, Shaw and Birmingham Rep theatres and drunk by the BAR Formula One racing team. You'll never mistake it for the real thing, but it is suitably festive - and far nicer than the vile sparkling grape juice usually offered to non-drinkers.
The Alcohol Free Shop, set up in 2006, has a similarly impressive range, which also includes non-alcoholic beer, cider and cocktail mixes, plus alcohol-free toiletries and chocolates. Products are available from the website (www.alcoholfree.co.uk) or from the Manchester store.
Its fizzy favourite is the organic French sparkling wine Weinkonig Pearl Rose (£5.99).
Both sites sell wines from the French Bonne Nouvelle label, which apparently go down a treat with non-drinkers. However, I was more taken with the Californian label Ariel, particularly their Cabernet Sauvignon (£6.99 from The Lo-No Company).
When it comes to beers, Alcoholfree.co.uk has an impressive range of non-alcoholic tipples - the extremely malty German Warsteiner Fresh Alcohol-Free Lager (£18.99 for 24 bottles) and the Kapuziner Alcohol-Free Wheat Beer (currently on special at £11.99 for 12 500ml bottles) prompted strong debate among my informal tasters.
While the beers may have met with mixed reactions, the Swedish Kopparberg non-alcoholic Pear Cider (Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda and Morrison's, £1.85 for 500ml) was a resounding success. Cobra's 0.0% beer, billed as containing less alcohol than a glass of juice, was another winner. Four-packs (330ml bottles) are available from Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons.
Finally, if the current Government advertising campaign isn't prompting you to think about your alcohol consumption, perhaps the frightening calculator on Alcoholfree.co.uk will. This device tots up how many 'empty' calories you consume in a week from alcohol. Drinking is an occupational hazard for a wine writer but at this rate I'm going to be twice my current size by Christmas. Maybe it's easier to join Vanessa in a glass of something soft.
DRINK THIS: It's pale pink, packed with fruity goodness - and it tastes fabulous. My new favourite non-alcoholic option is this water's pomegranates, lychees, blackcurrants and spring water drink. Turn it into something a bit more special by adding a few frozen raspberries or blueberries and a handful of ice to a big wine glassful - and you won't feel like you're missing out in the slightest by being booze-free.
The this water range is available from supermarkets and independent outlets, priced £1.30 for 420ml.
LIQUID NEWS
My constant search for less-sweet soft drinks has unearthed San Pellegrino Aranciata and Limonata, which now contain 20% less sugar than before. The Italian soft drinks have been around for 75 years but there's no way you can accuse them of being old-fashioned - the brand is also available on the virtual world of Second Life.
In the real world, Sanpellegrino Sparkling Fruit Drinks are available from Waitrose (£3.69 for a six-pack of 330ml cans) and Carluccio's restaurants (90p each).
A traditional Long Island Iced Tea - containing generous measures of gin, vodka, tequila and rum - must be one of the most lethal alcoholic drinks around. Try making this 100% alcohol-free Long Iced Tea instead.
To make one large jug you need: 6 Teadirect teabags, 8 sprigs of fresh mint, 2 level tbsp caster sugar and lots of ice cubes.
Make up the tea in a large teapot using the teabags and two pints of boiling water. Add the sugar and four sprigs of mint to the pot and let it infuse for 15-20 minutes, then remove the teabags and leave it to cool. Once the tea is cold, remove the mint. Put lots of ice into a glass jug then add the tea and four more sprigs of mint. Stir thoroughly and serve in tall glasses.
Teadirect Teabags (RRP £2.09 for 80) are available from most major supermarkets.
Marks & Spencer has a gorgeous line-up of retro summer drinks this summer - pack a couple of these into your hamper and you'll be sure to nail the post-picnic egg and spoon race.
While I'm quite taken with the 'Darling Buds Of May' aspect of the Cox Apple Presse and the Organic Strawberry with a hint of Mint Presse (both £1.99 for a 750ml bottle), my real favourite is the Fiery Ginger Beer (£1.49 for a 750ml bottle). It packs more punch than a host of Famous Five villains - and has a fabulous vintage label to boot.