I tried 60 low- and no-alcohol drinks: here are my favourite beers, wines and spirits

Staying sober beyond Dry January? Enjoy the buzz without the booze year–round with our pick of the best hangover-free beverages. Is there such a thing as a good alcohol-free wine?. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Dry January may be behind us, but more and more of us are choosing to ditch the hard stuff year-round. Lighter on the waistline and wallet and hangxiety-free, low ABV (alcohol by volume) drinks have surged in popularity in recent years. A 2024 YouGov survey found almost half of young people regularly choose low- or no-alcohol drinks – and 39% of 18- to 24-year-olds never drink alcohol at all.

Whether you want to cement the good habits you formed during dry January, stay dry full-time or are simply tonight’s designated driver, there are plenty of tempting low- and no-alcohol tipples to try. And zebra striping (alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks) is no chore when the 0% category is as refreshing as we have today. From beers that taste like the real deal to zero-alcohol fizz worth celebrating, there’s a low-alcohol drink to tickle everyone’s fancy. I’ve worked my way through more than 60 different booze-free beers, wines, spirits, kombuchas, premixed drinks and everything in between to find the best the category has to offer.

To qualify for inclusion in this list, drinks had to be under 2% ABV (many between 6% and 10% are also worth seeking out if you’re aiming to reduce, not replace). As well as tasting delicious, they also had to be a convincing alternative to an alcoholic counterpart. I recognise that many people searching for lo-alcohol drinks don’t want something that looks, feels or tastes like booze, but for the purposes of this test, I did. That said, many of the fabulous healthy sparkling waters and fermented drinks I tried were far preferable to some of the alcoholic-free wines out there.

Here, then, is my pick of the best low- and no-alcohol drinks to raise a glass to, safe in the knowledge there’s no hangover in the post. Moderato Merlot-Tannat Cuvée Révolutionnaire 0.5%. £13.99 at Majestic. Of all the low-alcohol alternatives, a decent red wine is probably the hardest to find. Some taste like plasticky grape juice, while others try to replicate the complexity of an alcoholic red by introducing rogue flavours such as beetroot and herbs.

No one will mistake this Moderato for a fully fledged merlot, but it does have the characteristic dark fruit notes of that grape, and its structure puts it firmly on the wine spectrum, rather than juice. Overall, it tastes extremely pleasant. Using grapes sourced from vineyards in south-west France, this wine is cold-distilled in the country’s first de-alcoholising centre, where they keep a careful eye on retaining the structure and aroma of the original wine. A decent food wine with rich casseroles and warming tagines, or enjoyed alone.

Everleaf Mountain, 0.4%. £22 at Everleaf. £22 at Majestic. Everleaf isn’t billed as a non-alcoholic gin, as some are, but more loosely as an aperitif; this particular variety is a showcase of fruity floral botanicals inspired by mountain flavours. To me, this is an enjoyable alternative to sweeter, strawberry-forward pink gins, when served with quality tonic, ice and a slice. Summer flavours abound, with a welcome bitterness from rosehip keeping it from becoming saccharine. I served this to teetotal relatives at a drinks party, who praised it highly; as a real gin fan, I’m very happy drinking it too.

LA Brewery Sparkling English Blush, 0.0%. £11.99 at Virgin Wines. £13 at LA Brewery. This was among my absolute favourites. It’s a sparkling kombucha, but feels and tastes really special – starting with the cork for popping. Crafted in a Suffolk microbrewery, this explodes with English fruit; wild strawberries and fresh rhubarb dominate, while the funk of kombucha adds a necessary tang to balance the natural sweetness. It’s actually low in sugar, and has the benefit of being packed with live cultures – but this is so lovely you don’t need to convince anyone with its health benefits. I recommend it for a celebration, even if all you’re celebrating is the fact it’s a Friday.

Bolle blanc de blancs, <0.5%. £18.99 at Drink Supermarket. £19.99 at VinoZero. Sparkling wines are probably the safest bet in the low and no category. From Nozeco to Vilarnau cava, I liked almost all of the low-alcohol fizzes I sampled and many were truly excellent. This one edged ahead because of how expensive it tastes. It’s made in Spain using chardonnay grapes and is double fermented (as with champagne and cava) before being dealcoholised, and it’s a real treat however you look at it. It had a recognisable blanc de blancs profile – crisp orchard fruit and brioche notes – along with a properly persistent champagne-like mousse and a dryish finish. I’ll be buying this again.