The best spirits and mocktails to drink until Dry January Wine News

Anyone doing Dry January or simply reducing their alcohol intake can be inspired by the new wave of non-alcoholic spirits now available. It has not always been so. After the huge success of Seedlip, the first revolutionary drink in this style, several others hit the market and I’m here to tell you some were absolute stinkers. But lining up the latest non-alcoholic distilled beverages to come, it’s clear that this quality has improved significantly.

I particularly like Bax Botanics non-alcoholic spirits. Made by husband and wife team Chris and Rose Bax in North Yorkshire, they sing with lively, natural flavors. The couple are longtime ‘teachers of wild foods’, with 30 years of experience cooking, teaching and advising the food industry, particularly on foraging.

Their students often asked to buy the drinks created during the lessons, so Chris and Rose started distilling with a copper pot still, using ingredients from the wild or from fair trade organic farmers, and created two new drinks.

The process is “similar to making perfume,” Rose says. They macerate the plants in the still with water instead of alcohol, heat and then recover the vapors, which contain the natural oils in the form of a distillate. I love both of their products, but the fragrant verbena version is decidedly summery, so I’m pointing to sea buckthorn below. It’s good to see a company that cares about “treading the planet lightly”, as Rose also puts it.

There’s Salcombe Gin’s latest launch, New London Light Non-Alcoholic Spirit (masterofmalt.com, £27.45 for 70cl; salcombegin.com, £27.50). I’m aware of recommending two drinks from this distillery in quick succession, but it would be entirely wrong to omit that from a roundup of brilliant new non-alcs. With layers of Seville orange, warm ginger and sage, it’s a winner with tonic or in cocktails in place of gin.

If you’re craving a seriously bold flavor, turn to Feragaia, an alcohol-free Scottish spirit made with 14 “responsibly sourced land and sea plants”. It’s a harder sip, pale amber, with a very herbal bent. It took me a few sips to understand its earthy, rooty notes (its botanicals include the jagged shrub algae kelp) but now I like it, and its strong character suits the season – try it with tonic or in rich cocktails like a faux negroni. It’s available at masterofmalt.com, £23.95, and feragaia.com, £24.95, for 50cl.

If you’re looking to take part in Dry January – read below for the benefits and pick up some tips for your new favorite drinks this month.

Benefits of dry January

If you’re considering committing to quitting alcohol to kick off 2022, you’ll be happy to know that there are definitely benefits.

Research by the Royal Free Hospital in 2018 found that even a month without alcohol improved concentration, blood sugar, blood pressure – as well as being good for the liver.

In addition to the above, those who choose to give up alcohol for January can enjoy having more energy, sleeping better, having clearer skin, and losing weight.

If the health benefits weren’t enough to convince you to give Dry January a try, take comfort in knowing how much money you’ll save – which in January is always appreciated.

Soft drinks for Dry January