Summer Drinks: Non-Alcoholic Options
You’re ditching layers of clothes, shedding short days, and scrapping icy fingertips. Thinking of phasing out the booze too? With our list of delicious drinks, moderation and summer fun can go hand-in-hand.
The consumption of low and no-alcohol products is set to rise by 31% by 2024—so if you’ve been thinking of ditching (or slowing down) the booze this summer, you’ll be in good company.
There are so many reasons to moderate your alcohol intake. As the CDC (in the US) warns, short-term health risks of excessive alcohol consumption range from poisoning to injuries. In the long term, alcohol can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. Plus, it can have a debilitating effect on your mental health.
So whether it’s just for this summer, or you’re looking to make a more permanent lifestyle change, cutting back on alcohol can be a real toast to your health (and your wallet).
And with these refreshing party pleasers, it means the fun doesn’t have to stop.
Which drink is best for summer?
Looking for the perfect summer sizzler to enjoy by the pool? Well, the good news is, you can get the hydration you need as well as the taste you love. And you can leave the booze behind while doing it.
Here are our top picks.
What are some good non-alcoholic drinks?
Looking for something creamy, spicy, or fruity to share with your friends on a hot summer day? We’ve got you covered.
Non-alcoholic beer
If the very thought of going dry leaves you pining for your favourite pint, you’ll be pleased to know that it doesn’t have to be that way. You may not be missing out at all. As this 2018 study explores, it may in fact be the beer taste you’re after rather than the alcohol content. Yep, it’s more about the effect of the brew on your buds than the brew on your buzz.
Switching to non-alcoholic beer comes with all sorts of health benefits. (This study, for example, shows that making the change could help prevent blood clots developing in your arteries.)
With non-alcoholic options that do not sacrifice on complexity or taste, you may find yourself wondering if you even miss that alcohol. And from the big guns to the boutiques to the new kids on the beer block, breweries across the world have met the challenge.
Some of the more popular types on the market are:
Lagers
Ambers
IPAs (also of the hazy variety)
Wheat beers
Stouts
Pop these into a flight or double down on your old favourites.
Non-alcoholic cider
And now it’s time for the cider lovers to step up. The refreshing taste of apples makes this summer favourite one that’s hard to beat.
And if you were thinking that the idea of a non-alcoholic cider is revolutionary, we’re here to blow your mind. Particularly in the North American sense of the term, apple cider is by its nature non-alcoholic.
So what’s the difference then between it and simple apple juice? Cider is in the raw. (Apple juice is filtered and sealed to ensure a longer shelf life.) So, if you were looking for a non-alcoholic cider, well, you may have been closer to it than you knew.
And then there’s the wonderful world of Kombucha. It’s not surprising that many craft breweries and cideries have turned some of their attention to the refreshing taste of tea. And while it’s not brewed from apples—and so not technically a cider—that fermented complexity makes the experience tick the boxes a cider drinker may be after.
Non-alcoholic bubbles
If the thought of surviving the summer months without a Prosecco puts you into a spin, don’t worry. There will be fizz in your fun.
Non-alcoholic bubbly has come a long way since the days of simply quenching your thirst on sparkly grapes. Wine producers from all over the world are rising to the occasion to make booze-free bubbles that are rich in taste, and finish.
But what exactly is non-alcoholic wine? You’d be forgiven for thinking it is simply grape juice in a fancy bottle. But there's more to this beverage than that. The reality is, it’s wine that has had the alcohol taken out of it—a process called dealcoholisation. (To be classified as alcohol-free, wine has to be under the 0.05% alcohol by volume (ABV) mark.) That means that you can still keep complex structures without having to imbibe.
And the market is responding favourably, with 40% of global consumers claiming to have tried non-alcoholic wines.
Any wine can undergo this process—but it appears that bubbly has proven to be a hot candidate in this regard, with its popularity expected to grow significantly between 2021 and 2031.
It would appear that all the cool kids (and adults) are really doing it. Now, having a wine-free summer doesn’t have to mean you’re having a wine-free summer. (Otherwise what on earth would you do with those fresh strawberries?)
Non-alcoholic cocktails
Get that punch bowl out and blender in hand. It’s time to make your drink look good.
Known as a mocktail or virgin cocktail, a non-alcoholic cocktail is the perfect summer drink to order at a bar or make as a treat to impress your guests.
Ready to get those creative juices flowing? Here are our top summer drink recipes:
Watermelon lemonade. For the ultimate chill, this refreshing drink brings together two of the most popular summer ingredients—watermelon and homemade lemonade. Blend about four cups of diced watermelon, half a cup of lemon juice, about three cups of water, and a few ice cubes. And garnish with slices from leftover lemons. A bit of mint can also go a long way. Voila.
Shirley Temple. This is perhaps the most classic of all non-alcoholic summer cocktails—and with good reason. It’s so easy to make and decidedly refreshing. It’s soda water, grenadine, maraschino cherries, and ice. Is that it? Yep, that’s it—healthy drinks that are fun for the whole family.
Lemon basil spritzer. This cocktail really ups the citrus cooler game. The ingredients? Simple syrup, basil, lemon juice and soda water. Garnish the glass with a basil leaf and lemon wedge.
Virgin margarita. If you want the salt and lemon without the tequila, this is the way to go. Lime juice and lemon juice, sugar, club soda, salt and crushed ice—and of course a garnish of your choice.
Summer soft drinks from all over the world
Many countries across the globe have mastered the fine art of heat beating with more than just water.
Here are our top three:
Cocio. There are few things as delicious and creamy as this chocolate milk from Denmark. It undergoes a unique heating process which gives it its signature caramel flavour.
Mango lassi. This one’s from India and combines yoghurt, cardamon and, of course, the deliciousness of mango. Served chilled, it’s hard to top this as an antidote to the summer swelter.
Tepache. In short? Fermented pineapple chunks, sugar, spice and all things nice. This refreshing summer favourite is from Mexico.
Happy summer sipping!