James Vukmirovic tries a selection of non-alcoholic and low alcohol drinks to offer his own guide to drinks you can try if you are looking to do Dry January, but still want to enjoy the taste of drinks you love
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00:00So the festive season has come to an end and chances are you maybe overindulged a
00:05little bit, you might have drunk too much beer, too much cider, too much gin, too
00:09much wine, whatever sort of taste you fancy and as the new year comes you're
00:12thinking to yourself okay I'm going to cut down, I'm not going to drink as much
00:16but you still kind of fancy the taste of something that you like, so maybe you
00:20want to drink beer but not actually have the effects of beer, same thing with the
00:25wine, same thing the gin. So therefore I've decided to do a taste test of some
00:31of the leading products that you can get within lager, cider, ale slash bitter, gin,
00:39wine and sparkling wine. I'm going to try each of these, I'm going to see what they
00:44taste like. The category here because I've actually got it written down on my
00:47notepad, I'm going to work this out based on the look, so what it looks like when
00:52it's in the glass, the smell because obviously you don't want to drink
00:56something that smells terrible, taste because that's the most important aspect
01:00but also fourth category the aftertaste because you might be enjoying the drink
01:05but then you get the second wave of bad flavor and suddenly it's not as much fun
01:08to drink. So I'm going to go through each of these one by one, I'm going to try
01:12them, I'm going to open up, I'm going to try them, I'm going to drink them and I'm
01:17going to go through the four stages and score them out of ten. We'll see what the
01:20top score is at the end of this. Okay first up we've got the Lucky Saints, this
01:27is a 0.5% unfiltered lager, so just reading the can it says progressively
01:33crafted with over 400 years of proud brewing heritage. We leave our beers
01:38unfiltered for maximum flavor without the alcohol, so there's 0.5% in this
01:42which as I've read over time is about the same as a ripened
01:47banana or a piece of soda bread or something like that, so there's not
01:50really much in the way of alcohol in this, you could have a session all night
01:54with this and be absolutely fine whatever your evening is going to
01:58turn into. First of all if you look at it it's actually a very cloudy pint, it's
02:05got a lot of sort of, well it's cloudy you can't see through it to be fair, lager you
02:09can at least have sort of an idea of how it looks, there's a lot of fizz, it's not
02:12really a very fizzy drink to be fair, it's got a head and it poured as it was
02:16but it's quite flat so the look is okay, the smell, I do smell malts, I do
02:27smell barley, I don't smell the hops that it was brewed with, so
02:34right that's the next step so let's give it a try and see how the
02:38taste is first of all.
02:46I've got to say, bold, actually got quite a refreshing taste to it, a little sharp, a
02:53little bit, you can taste the hops, put it that way, it's actually got
02:56quite a nice taste and texture to it, I've got to say it's very drinkable,
03:01let's give it a second and work out what the aftertaste will be like and as I'm
03:07going with the aftertaste I can taste, well I can taste the sort of after
03:11effects of the hops and the barley but it's actually, it's very pleasant, I'm
03:14going to say this is a good start, I like a lager, I'm a sort of person who likes
03:19drinking most things so a lager is a good start and I've got to say this is
03:23actually very pleasant, so if we're scoring it for the look I'm going to
03:36give it a 7 out of 10, for the smell I'm going to give it a 7 as well,
03:42for the taste I'm going to give it an 8, for the aftertaste I'm going to give it an 8 as
03:46well, so that gives us a score of 30 out of 40, so we're off to it, we're off to a
03:54good start with that. Right, our next item is Sheppey's cider, I've never actually
04:00had Sheppey's before so this is going to be actually the first time I've ever
04:03tried it, whether it's alcoholic or non-alcoholic, in this case it says it's
04:060.5% so again it's low alcohol, as I've said a ripe banana or a piece of
04:13you know really soda bread or something like that, it says
04:16every drop of Sheppey's is expertly crafted by David Sheppey, the sixth
04:21generation master of cider from one of the oldest and most distinguished cider
04:25making families in the world, so you learn something new every day, now as I've
04:29said never tried it but I do like a good glass of cider, however with non-alcoholic
04:34cider it can be a challenge because you want to drink something that's going to
04:37be nice and refreshing but you don't want to just drink something that tastes
04:41like fizzy apple juice, so as before let's have a look at it, the look is, well
04:47it looks alright to be fair, it's got the sort of nice look and
04:51colour to it, again not a lot of fizz in there, it was fizzier when I poured it but
04:56right now there's not an awful lot of fizz to go with it but it looks okay, it
05:01looks like cider, it's always a good start, so the smell, mmm yeah that's
05:09actually very rich with the apples, there's no sort of chemically smell to it
05:13because that can always be a bit of a problem when it comes to cider, there
05:19are certain sizes of smells and you can smell the chemicals long before you
05:22smell the apples, in this case you can actually smell the apples, that is a
05:25really, really good start, okay next bit, let's try the taste,
05:36mmm that's really sharp, got a really nice sort of tang to it, taste the apples as
05:44well, it actually tastes like good cider, again it's not alcoholic, it's like
05:500.5%, there's not a lot to it but actually smells quite, tastes quite nice
05:53to be fair, one more quick more taste, mmm very pleasant, let's try the aftertaste,
06:04yeah there's no sort of starchy feeling back there, that's actually quite nice,
06:09it's pleasant, a bad aftertaste, you can sort of taste it and you think to yourself I
06:13don't really like that feeling, I want it to go away, you feel like overly, you know
06:18overly ripe apples or even sour apples, that doesn't have any of this, it's
06:22actually quite nice to be fair, so looking at the scores for that, for the
06:27look, it's the same as the look he's saying, it looks alright but it's nothing
06:30special to it, I'm going to give it a 7, the smell however I'll give it an 8
06:34because it's got a lot more going for it in terms of the aroma, it smells
06:38like a cider basically, taste I will give it an 8 there as well
06:45because very pleasant taste, the aftertaste would be an 8 as well so that
06:49is a 31 scored by the Sheppies, so that takes the lead right now but they've
06:55both been strong contenders so far, we'll move on to the next one.
06:58Okay next up for all you ale lovers we're on to the St. Peter's Without which
07:05is an alcohol free beer, this one is 0.0% so there's absolutely no alcohol in
07:10here whatsoever, it says a rich and malty taste bursting with lasting flavour
07:15expertly crafted in Suffolk, so give it a go, we're going to see what happens, if
07:22you have a look at it straight away, you can tell it's very dark, it's like
07:25it's an ale type drink, you're not going to expect many bubbles in this because for the
07:30simple fact that ale is not really as fizzy as lager and cider because there's
07:36not as much demand for it, it's also not really served cold, it's served room
07:40temperature, that's the way ale works but it has a sort of nice look to it, the
07:44smell is very, very rich in terms of the hops, it's got a very malty smell to
07:54it, it's a little overly malty if I'm honest, it's yeah, I've had a heavy cold
08:01this week but I can still smell all of the malts in that so that's not
08:06exactly a high mark in itself, let's go for the taste test and see how that goes.
08:14I can't say I'm much of a fan of that to be honest, it's quite, it's very
08:24very malty, I don't mind a malty-ish beer but that's I think overdoing it a
08:29little bit, that's a little too sharp, I mean it's not a bad aftertaste, I'm not
08:34really getting the malts from that, I think all the initial maltiness goes in the first
08:37taste of it but the actual sort of taste of it, I'm not
08:43sold to be honest, that's probably not one of the ones I would rank very highly.
08:46I mean the look, I'll give it a 7 because it does look alright to be
08:51fair, the smell is a 5 and the taste is probably a 5 as well and the
08:57aftertaste is a 7 so that's a score of 24. That's probably the one that I'm
09:05least favouring right now of the three that I've had so far but let's move on
09:09to the gin and let's see how that tastes like.
09:13Okay we've finished with things you could get out of a tap if you wanted to,
09:17we're now down to things you get out of a bottle or in this case out of a can.
09:21This is Gordon's gin and tonic with a hint of lime and it is a 0% so
09:28basically if you enjoy a nice gin and tonic this is the same thing, it says
09:32here on the can, Gordon's alcohol-free spirit made with distilled
09:36botanicals mixed with tonic and a hint of lime, so that being said it should
09:41smell, taste and be a gin and tonic just without the buzz that goes with all the
09:47juniper berries. So first taste test as always, the look, it looks exactly
09:55how you'd expect a gin and tonic to look, if maybe a little less fizzy in places,
10:00it's nice and clear, you'd almost think it was a glass of water looking at it,
10:04it's got that sort of benign quality to it, however we are clear that it's a gin and
10:09tonic, so by the smell, really I don't smell any gin to be honest, I smell the lime, I think I
10:19smell the tonic perhaps, but I don't smell much in the way of botanicals or
10:23berries or anything like that, so it's a bit of a limp nose on that point, but
10:28let's see what it tastes like. I've grown to like a gin and tonic this year, I'm not
10:42gonna lie, it's something that is a very nice thing to sit and drink, I don't think I
10:45could drink that all day to be honest, it's very, it's bland, that's probably the
10:51best way I would say, it's very bland, it's got no real taste to it apart from the
10:56lime, you can taste a bit of lemon in there as well, but that's about it, I
11:01don't taste any sort of effects of any gin or even the tonic to be honest, it's
11:06very, it's bland and a bit boring to be honest, but in terms of aftertaste, yeah
11:13there's no aftertaste either to be fair, so I think a bit of the limp
11:17method all around. So with the scoring, for the look, it gets a five because it
11:24looks like a glass of water, effectively. For the smell, it gets a five as well
11:30because it doesn't smell of anything. For the taste, it gets a five and for the
11:35aftertaste, it probably gets the same, so that is a score of 20 overall. So if
11:40you're looking to drink your gin and tonic, I'd stick to the actual stuff
11:44because this, although it's nice for, you know, if you don't want to drink, I don't
11:49think it's really worth the effort. Let's move on to the next one. Right, next up we
11:53move on to the fine vine, as it were, the vino, the wine, whichever language you
11:58prefer. Everyone, I think, who of a certain age, enjoys a glass of wine. I've
12:03grown to appreciate a glass of wine over the last year and a half. I like a good
12:06red, I like a good white, so I'm interested to know what non-alcoholic
12:10wine tastes like. This is the Not Guilty, the Zero Crew Red Blend, which has got
12:16zero alcohol in it. So it says, feeling naughty but want to be good, the Not
12:23Guilty Crew have you covered with a range of full flavoured wines that will
12:28have you pleading not guilty. Smooth and robust, our red blend will have you
12:33guessing, but it's no con, it's the real alcohol free deal. That is a very bold
12:38claim. So, let's have a look at it first of all. It's very, very, very dark. It's got
12:48that level of fizz on top, but I'll be honest, it looks like a glass of wine,
12:53which is a starting point. The next taste is the smell. That's not a very good
13:01bouquet, to be honest. That's got a very, that's very bitter, that's very, that
13:07doesn't, it doesn't taste like, smell like any sort of wine I've been drinking
13:11recently. I've been drinking some decent red and whites, so the smell's not
13:15exactly edifying to me, but needs must. Let's give it a try and see what it
13:20tastes like.
13:23Oh, no. Sorry, that's actually not very nice. It's got a very sharp, very almost
13:38sour taste to it. I think it's attempting to taste like a glass of red wine with
13:44different berries, but it just tastes like very sharp blackcurrant squash, well
13:49grape squash almost. It's not got a very nice taste to it. The aftertaste is, I've got to be
13:58honest, that lingers a little bit as well. That's not the best thing that I've
14:01drunk for a while. I'll be honest with you, it's not, it's not definitely one I'd go
14:06for, but let's have a look, let's do the listings first of all. So for look, okay,
14:12I'm gonna give it a six, because at least it looks alright. The smell, no, I'd give it
14:16a four. That's not very nice smell, so the taste is about five, because it picks
14:21up a little bit towards the end, but it's not a very nice start. The aftertaste is,
14:25but it's about five as well, so that's actually a score of 20 there as well. So
14:30the Gordons and the Not Guilty are level on scores. I'll be honest with you, I think
14:36if you want to sort of give up drinking in the new year, don't give up the wine,
14:40because this is not a good alternative, I'm being very honest with you. Let's go
14:45to the last one. Okay, we are down to the last one, and come the new year, you may
14:51want to celebrate, you may want to pop the fizz, as it were. Fear not, because you
14:55now have non-alcoholic sparkling wine, or as it actually says in the back here,
14:59de-alcoholized sparkling white wine-based drink. I didn't actually know
15:04de-alcoholized was a word, so you learn something new every day, every day is a
15:07school day. Right, it says, products of South Africa celebrate life's moments
15:12with the sophisticated sparkle of our alcohol-free sparkling. Crafted using a
15:17process that gently removes the alcohol, while preserving the natural flavors. A
15:22delightful bouquet of fresh apples, pears, and a hint of citrus zest, with a
15:27finish that is refreshing and invigorating. Enjoy this as an aperitif,
15:32best served chilled. And apparently it goes well with light appetizers and
15:37salads, so there's a lot building up here. Let's take a look at it first of all.
15:41And yes, it looks like a light glass of champagne. I've drunk champagne as well,
15:48I've grown to like the taste of that as well. And this has got a nice look, it's
15:52got the sort of nice little interior film of it. If you swirl it around the
15:56glass, the bubbles at the top look good, and it does actually fizz, which is a good
16:00start. Let's do the smell test.
16:04Mmm. Smells, actually smells apple, you can actually get the smell of apple.
16:13Can't quite get the citrus to it, but it's got something of a smell, not a lot to it,
16:17but there is something of a smell. Big test though is the taste, so...
16:22That's got a pronounced taste to it. You can really taste the fruit in it,
16:37just looking about what it says, what you can taste in it, the pears, so I can
16:41definitely taste the pear. I do like a pear, so I can definitely taste that.
16:44Can't really get the apples, but there is that zesty flavor to it. It's not
16:48unpleasant, I must admit, it's actually quite a nice drink to it, and the
16:52aftertaste is... I'm not going to lie to you, it's not unpleasant, it's actually quite
16:57refreshing. I could actually happily see in the New Year with that, so good work
17:02on that. And if you're going to get your non-alcoholic sparkling wine, let's be
17:07honest, this is a good place to go. It's Tesco's own as well, so yeah, obviously
17:11Tesco know what they're buying. So let's see how it scores. So for the look, a bit
17:16of a benign look, however, but I'll give it a 6 for that. For the smell, I'll give
17:22it a 7, because it has a bit of texture to it. The taste, I'll give it an 8,
17:24because it actually had quite a nice taste to it, and the aftertaste is an 8
17:29as well. So at the end of that, that scores a 29. So okay, well let's go and
17:41let's see how that compares to the other ones, and give you the final summary. So
17:47after all the smell tests, the taste tests, the aftertaste tests, and how it
17:50looks, we've got our six contenders here lined up, and this is deliberate. This is
17:55going to take it from the bottom to the top, because the bottom two, the ones that
17:59ranked the lowest, were the Gordon's Gin and the Not Guilty wine. These both scored
18:0520, and try them if you want, but I think that's very bland, and that's not very
18:10nice for me. I've got a sort of palace, and that doesn't work for it. The
18:14Without Some Pieces is not necessarily one that I want to drink. It's a little
18:21too malty for me. It's got too much of that sort of feeling to it. 24, I've
18:26scored for that. But then we go up a little bit in terms of, actually we go a
18:30long way up to be fair. We get up to the Sparkling White Wine Flavoured Drink,
18:38De-Alcoholised, I believe they call it, which is Tesco's own Sparkling White
18:42Wine, which scored 29. It's actually very pleasant. It's got a nice taste to it,
18:47nice texture to it, and it's actually quite refreshing, all fairness. I'm still
18:51tasting it now, and it's actually got a nice feeling to it. Next up, scoring 30, is
18:55the Lucky Saint. It's a lager, and it's a very tasty lager at that. It's got a nice
19:00flavour to it. The look is what it is. It's a very cloudy lager, but it actually
19:03advertises itself as that, so it's actually very pleasant in that respect. But the
19:07winner, with 31 out of 40, was the Sheppey's. I found it to be refreshing,
19:14it smelled nice, it had a nice aftertaste, it looked good, it tasted like I would
19:20want a cider to taste, whether that's alcoholic or non-alcoholic. But this is
19:24just a selection. In the New Year, give it a go, see what you want to try. You might
19:29find something out there you like, you might find stuff you don't like, but
19:32that's half the fun of it. Go out, Happy New Year, and if you're doing Dry January,
19:36enjoy that!