And for you sir - The drink of choice when sober

For a long time after becoming sober, I would not even go into a pub. When I did there would be nothing that inspired more fear in me than walking up to the bar and being asked, what will you have sir, looking at the pumps, up to the optics and seeing no options without alcohol in them, finally finding the alcohol free section and realising I had the option of lemonade, coke or if I was really lucky a J2O! However, with more people deciding to become alcohol-free there are a lot of options out there. Here are a few options that I like.

Alcohol-free beer.

Alcohol-free (AF) beer has come a long way in recent years. I can remember trying one from the very limited range about 5 years ago and thinking this is disgusting! It did not even taste anything like beer and I thought if this is the best you can do, it is no wonder that people think they are rubbish.

However recently I tried 2 brands that I think come close if not better than the taste of the real thing. The first is Heineken 0%. This is my go-to brand for regular occasions, it is available in most supermarkets and is reasonably priced. For special occasions I do love a Lucky Saint, if you have not heard of them look them up, they are slightly pricey but well worth it.

Mocktails

Apart from the name of these, which I think is time we moved away from, a lot is happening in the Mocktail world which is largely due to the introduction of some of the Alcohol-free spirits mentioned below, no longer do you have to suffer from what I would describe as a fruit juice punch – Yuck! Recently I had one of these ZP Spritz – peach syrup, lemon, London essence, grapefruit, and rosemary tonic, yum and how very adult.

Alcohol-free spirits

There is a load going on in the world of alcohol-free spirits and these are becoming more available in bars everywhere. What I would say about alcohol-free spirits is if you did not like the real thing, you probably are not going to like the alcohol-free version either. It turns out pink gin will never be for me, with or without alcohol. A personal favourite of mine is Lyres, check them out here: Non-Alcoholic Spirits | Shop Online | Lyre's (lyres.co.uk)

Coconut water

It’s good for you, it comes in a non-plastic container, and it’s included in the meal deal, what’s not to like? Yuck, that would be the taste! I can hardly describe it, nearly water, slightly salty and thoroughly disgusting, however, trying something new is always good and that is why I gave this a go, would I’ve it again? Nope!

Water!

I can hear you sigh as you read this, however, hear me out. Not only is water the healthiest on this list but if you are like me and will drink tap water, it’s free! Often when I go out for a meal, I will treat myself to a mocktail but then stick to tap water with the rest of my meal, not only can I taste the food better with water, but I can spend more on the meal with what I’m saving on drinks.

What will you try?

Both alcohol-free and soft drinks have come on a long way and in recent years, there are loads to enjoy regardless of if you want something fruity or a bit more adult. What will you try when you next go out? I’ll have a ……….

Ben – It's That Sober Guy

Disclaimer – I’m not a trained addiction or mental health professional, information is based on my own life experiences and shared in good faith to help others.