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What to Drink Instead of Alcohol: 20 Alternatives to Try

Water is a perfectly good thing to drink instead of alcohol. But if what you miss is the ritual - something that marks the end of the day, something to sip, something that feels like a treat - it helps to have a few other options as well. Here are 20 alcohol alternatives, sorted by what you'd normally be reaching for.

Why the replacement matters

A large part of any drinking habit is ritual: the sound of a can opening, a particular glass, something cold in your hand at a particular time. Take away the drink and leave the ritual empty, and the evening feels like something is missing. Put a different drink in the same glass at the same time and the routine stays intact. That's why a good substitute is such a useful tool for dealing with alcohol cravings.

If you'd normally have a beer

  1. Alcohol-free beer. The category has improved enormously. Most major brands and many craft brewers now make a 0.0% or 0.5% version that stands up well.
  2. Hop water. Sparkling water flavoured with hops: the bitterness of a pale ale without the alcohol.
  3. Sparkling water with citrus. Cold, carbonated and sharp with a wedge of lime or grapefruit.
  4. Kombucha. Tart, fizzy and complex enough to sip slowly. (It can contain a little alcohol - see the note on labels below.)
  5. Ginger beer (the soft drink). Despite the name, ginger beer is usually a non-alcoholic fizzy drink, not a beer. Go for a fiery one, over ice. Alcoholic versions are sold too, so check the label.

If you'd normally have wine

  1. Alcohol-free wine. Sparkling and white versions tend to be the most convincing.
  2. Sparkling tea. Bottled like wine and dry enough to go with food.
  3. A shrub and soda. A splash of fruit drinking vinegar in sparkling water has the acidity and depth that wine has and juice doesn't.
  4. A tart juice spritzer. Pomegranate, cranberry or sour cherry, cut half-and-half with sparkling water and served in a wine glass.

If you'd normally have a cocktail or a spirit

  1. Alcohol-free spirits. Botanical "gins", bitter aperitifs and dark spirits made to be mixed. Treat them as ingredients, not neat pours.
  2. Tonic and lime. Looks identical to a gin and tonic, which is useful at parties.
  3. A virgin mojito. Mint, lime, a little sugar, soda and lots of ice.
  4. A virgin mary. Tomato juice, lemon, hot sauce and celery salt. Savoury drinks feel more grown-up than sweet ones.
  5. A no-vodka mule. Non-alcoholic ginger beer, fresh lime and a slice of chilli in a cold mug.

If you want to unwind in the evening

  1. Herbal tea. Chamomile, peppermint or whatever blend you like. A proper pot and a good mug make it a ritual.
  2. Tart cherry juice. A small glass: sharp, dark and not too sweet.
  3. Hot chocolate. Warm, slow and unmistakably a treat.
  4. Warm spiced apple juice. Apple juice heated with cinnamon, cloves and orange peel: everything good about mulled wine except the wine.

If you're out at a bar

  1. Soda and lime. Costs very little, and every bar has it.
  2. A mocktail from the menu. Many bars now list a few. If not, ask for a virgin version of whatever looks good.

What to look for in an alcohol alternative

  • Bitterness or acidity. Sweet drinks get boring after one. Bitter, sour and spicy flavours make you sip slowly.
  • Bubbles and cold. Carbonation and ice do a lot of the work of making a drink feel like a drink.
  • A proper glass. Pour it into the glass you'd have used. It matters more than it should.
  • Not too much sugar. Drinkaware points out that some alcohol-free drinks are high in sugar, so they aren't automatically the healthier choice.

A note on labels: "alcohol-free" isn't always zero

In the UK, Drinkaware explains, drinks sold as alcohol-free are 0.5% ABV or less, with many following government guidance in England of 0.05% or less. Kombucha can contain alcohol too: the US regulator TTB notes that fermentation can continue in the bottle and take it to 0.5% or above.

Drinkaware is clear that these drinks aren't suitable if you need or want to avoid alcohol completely, and Alcohol Change UK lists being triggered back into drinking as a risk for people in recovery. If that's you, look for 0.0% on the label and talk to your doctor or support service first.

Common questions about alcohol alternatives

What can I drink to relax instead of alcohol?

Something warm and slow: herbal tea, hot chocolate, warm spiced apple juice. Stopping, sitting down and having a drink in your hand is a ritual in its own right, and that part carries over.

Is alcohol-free beer OK when you're not drinking?

For many people taking a break such as Dry January or a 30-day no alcohol challenge, it's a helpful swap. Alcohol Change UK says these drinks are very helpful for some people in reducing their drinking, though not for the majority of people who buy them. If it makes you want the real thing, leave it out - and see the note on labels above if you need to avoid alcohol completely.

What should I order at a bar when I'm not drinking?

Soda and lime, tonic with a slice, an alcohol-free beer or a mocktail. Order first and order confidently; nobody inspects your glass. If the social side is the hard part, see how to say no to a drink.

What's the healthiest thing to drink instead of alcohol?

Water, sparkling water with citrus, and unsweetened tea have no alcohol and no added sugar. But the best substitute is the one you'll actually reach for at 6pm.

Make the swap stick with Drynosaur

A new drink covers the ritual. Drynosaur covers the rest of the habit:

  • Something to do with the craving - Basecamp has focus games, mindfulness audio and the animated Campfire to keep you busy until an urge passes.
  • A streak worth protecting - every alcohol-free check-in grows your streak and levels up your Drynosaur.
  • Money saved, counted - the drink calculator and Money Saved widget show what you're keeping by not buying alcohol.
  • Craving tracking - rate your craving level at each check-in and see how it changes as the new ritual takes hold.
  • Sobriety eras - milestones from day one to one year, each with its own health milestones.
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Safety note: Some drinks labelled alcohol-free or non-alcoholic contain small amounts of alcohol. If you're dependent on alcohol or in recovery, talk to a healthcare professional about what's right for you. This guide is informational and not medical advice.