Being among a small percentage of men and women who either drink no alcohol at all, or less than one unit per week, I find it a challenging task to find somewhere to go out in the evening to have a refreshing non-alcoholic drink.
It is not always a cafe, or a restaurant, or a juice bar I am looking for. I want to enjoy the ambience of a friendly local bar or a historic pub, where I could get a great range of creative alcohol-free drinks with a wide variety of flavours.
Pubs and bars have tried lots of non-alcoholic drinks on their drinks menus, but since demand was low, there was a resistance to selling and stocking more of the same. However, the good news is that times are changing – people are opting for healthier lifestyles and wanting to try something new and fresh; there is a tremendous opportunity here to seize here.
With a considerable increase in non-alcoholic drink sales in pubs and bars, the most available option is either a good alcohol-free beer or wine. Even though there are various brands in the market, serving the same as everyone else doesn’t have much of an impact.
Lots of non-alcoholic drinks can be made with a bit of twist and exotic flavours. Creating themed drinks during festive periods and including them in the menu can also make them stand out from the crowd.
Here are a few fresh and creative ideas for non-alcoholic drinks:
Mint Soda
Soda and mint syrup, with some fresh mint leaves and a slice of lime added is a perfect refreshing drink at all times.
Cranberry Juice and Ginger Beer
Fresh cranberry juice, some ginger beer, lime, mint, sugar, and topped up with a little soda water to give it a fizzy kick.
Watermelon and Strawberry Cooler
A regular cooler, made by mixing watermelon and strawberry juice with a couple of drops of lime juice.
Another easy way to include interesting non-alcoholic drinks is by adding Mocktails to your menu:
Virgin Collins
A simple combination of fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, and soda water. Give a twist to this drink by using a flavoured cordial instead of the syrup.
Margarita Mocktail
A delicious margarita with all the flavours of lime, orange and a salted rim, maybe also with a dash of grapefruit and almond syrup. No Tequila!!
Shirley Temple
A classic made with lemon-lime soda, a splash of grenadine, and Maraschino cherry.
Virgin Apple Cider
A mixture made with apple, ginger and lime juice, is a delicious and energetic drink.
Pretty much any juice-based cocktail can be made non-alcoholic, so experiment with a few flavourful twists of your own!