Having had my first dose of vaccine on Thursday (AZ – no real side effects although my arm is still a little sore) I have decided to have two to three weeks free of alcohol given that that is how long it takes the vaccine to build up some immunity and given that alcohol is known to suppress the immune system. Giving the vaccine every opportunity to be effective seems to be a bit of a no-brainer.
I’ve got a plentiful supply of flavoured teas and cordials but wondered if anyone could recommend an alcohol-free alternative, possibly an alcohol-free spirit. I’ve had Brewdog’s Nanny State and Adnam’s low alcohol Ghost Ship beers before and they’re okay, although they are both 0.5% so strictly don’t count.
Or is my planned approach not actually supported by the science, leaving me free to crack open the bottle of Sancerre I’ve got in the cupboard.
In the little leaflet you get given with the jab there’s no mention of avoiding alcohol, and no reports about it not working as people have got plastered, in all the coverage of the most reported medical intervention in history. I think it’s complete common sense not to go on a bender the same day, and to not drink for 48 hours also has been reported as helping the vaccine get to work asap.
I generally go the teas and cordials route (especially camomile tea before bed, which I find pleasantly relaxing) and avoid non-alcoholic versions of things that usually have alcohol in them, but it’s rare for me to have a booze free week. The last time I did, due to dental antibiotics, I found mimicking the ritual of drinking useful. If I put tonic water into a heavy based crystal glass with plenty of ice and citrus it still felt special. I did miss the gin, but not that much.
My local Tesco has a non-alcoholic drinks section where they sell alcohol-free beer and wines (don’t know about spirits).
Couldn’t advise you which to try as have never sampled any myself.
Have cut my boozing back substantially since I hit 60 and now only have a weekend on the grog every two or three weeks. This weekend is one of those weeks
For non-alcoholic beers, I find Cobra Zero the best of an indifferent bunch, with Beck’s Blue the worst. I’m with Gatz, a chunky tumbler with tonic, ice and lemon (possibly a couple of drops of bitters) is a great substitute of an evening.
Peroni Libera is also a good alc-free lager, which retains the pleasant dryness of standard Peroni.
Thatcher’s Zero cider is quite pleasant. I think Adnam’s Ghost Ship low/no is the best of the beers I’ve tried. The Fever Tree tonic waters are nice on their own, with ice and a slice.
Fentiman’s cloudy lemonade is great, though more than two would probably dissolve your tooth enamel.
Water.
No thanks, i’ve heard fish are prone to fucking in it.
I completely agree with everybody who says avoid the 0% or low-alcohol beers and wines, which almost invariably taste awful and are cynically over-priced for gullible consumers. I’d rather go for something like a fiery ginger ‘beer’, which will almost certainly contain more sugar than you’d like (they nearly all do), but hopefully have enough bite to slow you down a bit when drinking it. I found an extra fiery one in Aldi made by Church’s, which admittedly was a bit on the sweet side but quite palatable and contains real ginger. It is also very much cheaper than any you’ll find under a brand name you recognise. Avoid Canada Dry, because apart from being expensive, there’s hardly any ginger in it. A very bitter bitter-lemon might also have the desired effect. I suppose the best solution is to make your own. Having said all this, unless you deliberately get absolutely plastered I don’t think there’s any real need to avoid alcohol altogether.
Fentiman’s Ginger Beer is very nice.
and Fever Tree (although a bit pricey).
Supermalt is another good one – maybe not as fiery, but good taste.
Adnams Ghost Ship 0.5% is the only low-alcohol thing I drink, but not at home – I find live music sounds better with a pint of beer in my hand. I’m more or less teetotal ‘cos anything lively affects my guts.
At home, 99% of the time it’s a cuppa. Ice-cold can of fizzy pop or a choc-ice/Magnum on a summer’s day.
Bought some no alcohol gin substance a few months back. Vile. And I don’t like low alcohol beer, other than, like @fentonsteve , as a con trick to myself at gigs I have driven to. So it has to be something different: ginger beer I like and there are low sugar ones, if still sweet. I like the Italian fizzy orange, especially the blood orange, again as not too sweet. Am slowly drinking more “tea”, preferably the ones without any actual tea in them. A nice mug of Bovril also hits the spot on a cold day. I had both my jabs on Mondays, so a work night. Try not to hit the grog until Thursdays. Having said, I get bored drinking for the sake of it and can’t be arsed, which is, I guess, good, so tend to need more than it being the w/e to open up the booze cupboard.
retropath2 said, “Am slowly drinking more “tea”, preferably the ones without any actual tea in them”,
That was enough to provoke a reply. 😀 For the past few weeks I’ve hardly been able to step outside without my eyes and nose streaming to the extent I could hardly see where I was going. So somebody brought me a few nettle tea bags, assuring me that they’d cure it in no time. I can honestly say that I’d rather drink a brew made out of tramps’ socks and underpants. It didn’t cure my allergy either.
Can take or leave alcohol although am very partial to gin
I have just ordered one from the Orkneys that has raspberry and honey in it – looking forward to receiving it this week.
Gin without alcohol in it is just wrong.
Have tried a fair few non alcoholic beers and only one works for me – Brooklyn Special Effects. It’s excellent and doesn’t have that sweet finish that other low/no alcohol beers have.
For replacing gin and tonic, replace the gin with 4 or 5 splashes of Angostura bitters. It’s so much better than the non alcohol spirits I have tried.
Yup and up for that. (P.S. Angosturas Bitters are about 57% alcohol, which still makes the amount negligible in a pint of tonic, but, just saying.)
All things in moderation – including moderation.
Isn’t the purpose of drinking gin
a) to taste gin
b) to get drunk
Can imagine drinking alcohol free beers for thirst quenching effects, but “gin” without gin seems a bit pointless
You don’t find gin and tonic with loads of ice and a slice of something suitable refreshing? You just want to get dunk on it? Why not just drink gin on its own then?
Or wave a bottle of ver-mooth at it, and, as some ballast, a couple of olives. Two or three and you’ve both had a meal and avoided needing to see any telly.
I don’t drink it myself. I assumed all the additional stuff was just to make the taste of alcohol more palatable. So if it doesn’t need alcohol why bother in the first place or is the buzz you get from it the main reason to drink it or just a side affect?
To quote my dear dad, who loved a G&T, you assumed wrong didn’t you.
Gin & Tonic is probably the most varied and variable drink. Some guns are stridently juniper heavy, others citrus or floral. Mixed with a suitable tonic (and there are many) with an appropriate garnish, it’s an adventure for taste buds. Angostura bitters replaces the gin well but not perfectly. The buzz, if you one or two is minimal but pleasant.
Well you learn something every day. Thanks for the lesson
I had two tonight after four days of AFD. The nectar of the Gods.
I had a couple of Brewdog Cloudy Lemon Gin with Merchant Heart Hibiscus tonics ( lots of ice and a couple of slivers of lemon). Wonderful.
Gin? Like drinking perfume. Revolting. Give me a good single malt anytime.
Single malts are something I would love to love. The variation, the smell and the ritual. But I just find it not that tasty. Very much a traditional after shave to gins perfume.
I try to do Monday to Thursday booze free and I just have a decaf coffee mid evening. Maybe with a cheeky chocolate as I’m already being virtuous. Then the G&T which kicks off Friday night is like pure nectar.
I do Sun-Thurs nearly every week, also skipped Friday last week. Only thing I might drink in an evening apart from water or milk would be a (not as healthy as it probably should be) fruit smoothie. I have my last (proper) coffee of the day before lunch normally and maybe one cup of tea after that.
I have one after lunch but I mix a jar of a bag of medium strength and a bag of decaf, so kind of half caff so I am keeping it under control even when I’m on the coffee. I don’t like that wired feeling any more but I do like the taste.
Another vote for bitters and tonic here – the bitters give it a really nice ‘bite’ that I missed in most other non-alcoholic drinks.
Builder’s tea, coffee, water, the odd cheeky diet Irn Bru. Pretty easy to eschew bevvy and not look like Gwyneth Paltrow.
Especially since Irn Bru 1901 is back back BACK!!
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19176386.irn-bru-1901-available-shops-year-round/
Gwyneth Poltroon was in the news over t’ weekend on account of one of her fadge candles exploding.
My dad said, “I’ll have what she’s having”
Not a fan of non-alcoholic beers but Heineken 0.0 is OK. Made by a different process that preserves the taste, apparently.