Non alcoholic drink options that will keep you sober, without feeling like your missing out.
One of the hardest parts of stopping drinking, or reducing your alcohol consumption, is what to drink instead?
The options can seem limited and usually contain lots of sugar, i.e soft drinks or straight concentrated juice.
As Christmas time usually means we are at a house and have access to a kitchen, I thought I would give a few ideas of some fun drinks you can make easily. Plus have you feeling satisfied in your sobriety, or at least fill a few gaps in between the alcoholic drinks.
I have just given a few examples, but please feel free to experiment ! Some tips about keeping your drinks as healthy as possible, while still delicious include:
Fancy up your juice
There are so many more juice options than just apple and orange! There’s blueberry, sour cherry, pomegranate, strawberry, mango, pineapple, kiwifruit etc.. you can get them without added sugar, they are tasty, and they are full of antioxidants and some contain digestive enzymes to help you breakdown your food!
These make a great base when mixed with sparkling water, kefir or kombucha. Although a little more expensive, it’s only Christmas once a year, so treat yourself!
Mocktails For Your Gut
Kefir and kombucha make a great alternative to soft drinks when it comes to mixers for your mocktails. Now that they are also so readily available you often have a range of flavours to choose from, which you can match to your desired drink. You will be happy with yourself the next day, and your gut bugs will be thanking you too!
Experiment with Herbs
There’s just something so fancy about herbs in drinks. Whether it be an elderflower cordial, a lavender infused honey, or just a sprig of rosemary to garnish – something just makes you feel like you’re in a nice alfresco restaurant. So pick some of your favourite herbs and experiment, as these are all still conferring benefits and medicinal actions!
Think about using herbal tea as a base – cooling and even soda streaming? Infusing honey to add to drinks, a few drops of your tinctures, or just a sprig straight in the glass!
Get Juicing!
If you have a juicer, make your own juice! This will give added nutritional benefits and make everything taste that little bit fresher!
If you don’t have your own juicer, check out the Angel Juicer here
Recipes:
Elderflower kombucha spritz
Serves 2
Ingredients:
Ice to serve
60 ml Elderflower cordial
¾ cup kombucha – lemon flavour
2 sprigs of rosemary or thyme
Slices of lemon + a squeeze of lemon juice.
Method:
Divide ice between your glasses.
Pour elderflower cordial in each glass, top with kombucha, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Top with your garnishes of rosemary or thyme and sliced lemon.
Pomegranate and Ginger Spiced Mocktail
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 cups of ice, cubed or crushed
1 ½ cups pomegranate juice
½ cup orange juice (about 3 oranges
1 cup of ginger kombucha
1 knob of ginger – juiced or sliced thinly
1 lime sliced
Method:
Mix all ingredients (except ice) in a large jug.
Add Ice to each glass, before pouring over your mixture.
Top with garnishes like fresh pomegranate gems, lime wedge or mint leaves.
Watermelon and Mint Mocktail
Servings 4
Ingredients:
6-8 cups of Watermelon chunks
½ lime juice
1 tsp Maple syrup
Fresh mint leaves
900 ml sparkling water
1 cup ice
Method:
Place watermelon, ice, lime juice, about 4-5 mint leaves and maple syrup into the blender (vitamix)
Blend until smooth, then fill each glass up halfway with your watermelon mix, fill the remaining with sparkling water.
Top with mint leaves, and lime slices.
Serve immediately.
Kimchi Bloody Mary
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 80 ml Tomato juice
- 30ml Kimchi juice
- Squeeze of lime juice
- 4 dashes of worcestershire
- Couple of dashes of Tabasco chilli sauce – depending if you like it hot.
- Ice cubes
- Pepper
- Salt
- Celery and cucumber
- Pickle
Method:
Pour tomato and lime juice, kimchi juice, worcestershire sauce and Tabasco over a full glass of ice. Stir, then top with pepper, salt, celery and / or cucumber, Pickles or jalapenos.
I hope this gives you some motivation to take the step and try mixing up your alcoholic drinks for some non alcoholic, or even motivates you to go completely sober ! Who knows you may find people even want what you have because it looks so fresh and delicious!
If you would like extra support for your nervous system or in reducing addictive tendencies during this time, bring this up with your practitioner, or book in a consult – there is quite a few things we can do to support holistically in this area.
