3 drinks for a calmer Christmas

For many of us, Christmas is our favourite holiday of the year. So here are 3 zero alcohol drinks to keep the best party going when the temptation to wet our whistle with ‘just one more’ threatens to dampen the vibe.

How many times have you had that conversation with your partner about who’s driving? It’s a conversation that evolves into a discussion and then into full-blown negotiations far too quickly.

And Christmas creates such a multiplier effect on that.

What’s more, when the stresses of getting everything ready all reach that crescendo of Christmas lunch, the last thing you need is for everyone to be loaded. Emotions and opinions spill so much easier when there’s a lot of booze about.

So having a few impressively convincing non-alcoholic options like these available isn’t just smart, it’s good manners.

3 zero alcohol drinks to save Christmas

When people think of non-alcoholic drinks, they often imagine overly sweet wine or strange tasting beer that – with every sip – will remind them they’re not drinking and somehow missing out on the party.

But these zero-alcohol drinks are so realistic, when we were tasting them for this review, we had to keep reminding ourselves that we could drink the whole thing and not worry about being able to type or use the camera afterwards!

We even sipped them the same way you do the full-strength version, when in reality there’s nothing stopping you from swigging away.

Giesen Wines

Working from their knowledge of making excellent New Zealand full-strength wine and using state-of-the-art cone centrifuge technology to remove alcohol without disrupting flavour, colour, aroma or body, Giesen have a growing 0% wine portfolio.

They released a hugely popular 0% Sauvignon Blanc in 2020, and it’s a range that’s growing all the time with a Rosé, Pinot Gris and Merlot being the latest additions.

Giesen 0% Rosé

A superb summer wine, this Rosé is dry and sharp with plenty of fruit-forward flavours – especially apple and white peach – and a light, bright body.

It’s honestly hard to tell it has no alcohol.

$18.99 RRP

Giesen 0% Pinot Gris

All the flavours familiar with Pinot Gris are all here in this wine: lemon, nashi pear and light floral notes as well as a slight saline finish, though it’s a little sweeter than the way I prefer my Pinot Gris.

The colour is also bit confusing with a very light pink hue rather than a yellow or grey tone, but don’t be put off by that. This is an excellent interpretation of a very drinkable wine.

$18.99 RRP

And with 13 and 18 calories in a 100ml glass respectively (around 80% lighter than their full-strength opposite numbers) these wines are almost good for you!

Lyre’s Classico 0% Australian sparkling wine

Lyre’s are well-known for their excellent non-alcoholic spirits range, which continues to grow and offer those looking for a lighter option even more choice.

Their new 0% sparkling wine is the perfect party drink, either as a welcomer, a toaster or spritz mixer.

Slightly sweet, sherbety lime nose, but with a palate of crisp green apple and light minerality, this sparkling has a dry finish and well-balanced acidity.

Even the bubbles are realistically Champagne-like with a fine, pleasant bead.

$18.99 RRP

Naked Life Non-Alcoholic Spirits RTDs

Having Naked Life’s remarkable zero alcohol spirits in this ready-to-drink format means there’s no messing around – you can just pour out these Australian-made non-alcoholic cocktails over ice and get on with the party.

They’re sugar-free with only 5 calories per 250ml can and are made with real distilled botanicals so it really is like drinking a full-strength drink.

At the moment there are 11 different cocktails in the range:

Classic G&T, Wimbledon Spritz, Yuzu Sake, Negroni Spritz, Italian Spritz (even better when you top it up with Lyre’s Classico by the way), Scottish Sour, Margarita, Aussie Cane Spirit (similar to rum) and Cola, American Malt Spirit (for a Bourbon flavour) and cola, Canadian Rye Spirit with Dry and Lime, and Spiced Caribbean Spirit with Dry and Lime.

$15.00 RRP for a pack of four cans from Coles and Woolworths

Really, it’s about time more high-quality zero alcohol options were available. I mean, they’ve been around for a long time, but for the most part they never tasted that good. Anyone who remembers the original Kaliber 0% beer knows what I mean.

But we predicted this trend towards lower-ABV drinks at the top of the year, so it’s great to see so many options proving us right!