After the frivolity and fun of the festive season, the prospect of non-alcoholic drinks can seem as dreary as January skies.

But contrary to popular belief, booze-free doesn’t have to mean boring. We’ve come a long way from non-drinkers having to choose between Diet Coke or lime and soda.

This year more than 8.5 million Brits are set to go sober for January, according to charity Alcohol Change UK, with a quarter of us planning on cutting back on an ongoing basis this year. 

Accordingly, Waitrose reports a 23 per cent increase in sales of low or no-alcohol beer, wines and spirits over the past 12 months.

The newest batch of alcohol alternatives come pimped with all manner of health-boosting adaptogens (plant-based compounds that can help your body manage stress) and nootropics (substances that can improve your mood and focus).

More than 8.5 million Brits are set to go sober for January, according to charity Alcohol Change UK

These functional concoctions go beyond merely offering a grown-up tasting drink with 0% ABV, they can also give you a booze-free buzz. Don’t worry, they’re all legal, and — bonus! — won’t leave you with a hangover.

After a particular bruising schedule of festive imbibing, we happily put some to the test…

The midlifer’s midweek tipple

Trip lemon basil, 4x 250ml cans, £6.50 (equivalent to £1.63 per can), Waitrose

Whenever I peek in friends’ fridges, I often see a stash of Trip these days. I’ve lost count of the number of women who’ve told me they’ve swapped their evening glass of wine for this.

The market leader and fastest-growing soft drinks brand in the UK, a can of Trip contains 15mg of CBD — cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive, legal chemical found in cannabis which can relieve pain and aid relaxation — and L-theanine, a stress-busting amino acid.

Trip lemon basil, 4x 250ml cans, £6.50 (equivalent to £1.63 per can), Waitrose

Verdict: This is my regular midweek tipple. I particularly love the range of delicate flavours, which includes blood orange and rosemary, and elderflower and mint. I like the chic can design too. It feels as if you’re drinking something special. 

One serving relaxes me in the same way a small glass of wine does, and I tend to sleep better than usual, which could be due to the addition of magnesium citrate.

8/10

Hello mellow

Goodrays, 4x 250ml cans, £7.50 (equivalent to £1.88 per can), Tesco

Goodrays, 4x 250ml cans, £7.50 (equivalent to £1.88 per can), Tesco

London-based Goodrays launched during a 2020 lockdown and is nipping at the heels of market leader Trip. Calorie-wise, the rival brands are much of a muchness: this contains 32 calories per can, compared to Trip’s 19. 

But the key difference is a Goodrays can contains double the amount of CBD – https://www.noo-tropics.eu – — 30mg to Trip’s 15mg.

Verdict: These fruity elixirs are more boldly flavoured than Trip, which didn’t appeal, although the elderflower and yuzu one does taste sophisticated.

The effects were incredible though — within half an hour I felt the perfect combination of insouciant and sociable, like when you’re two G&Ts into the evening. My friend tried it on the same evening and got the giggles, much to her husband’s amusement.

She sent me a screenshot of her sleep tracker stats the next day, which revealed her best deep sleep rating in months. I duly checked my Oura [a health tracker] and found the same.

9/10

Beer with benefits

Impossibrew Enhanced Non-Alcoholic Lager Beer, 10 x 440ml case, £29.99 (equivalent to £2.99 per can), impossibrew.co.uk

Impossibrew Enhanced Non-Alcoholic Lager Beer, 10 x 440ml case, £29.99 (equivalent to £2.99 per can), impossibrew.co.uk

There are now loads of alcohol-free beers on supermarket shelves, both from established brands such as Heineken and specialist booze-free ones like Lucky Saint. But with Impossibrew, which launched in 2022 and was developed by a professor of bioscience, you get nootropics in place of alcohol.

It contains calming L-theanine and griffonia seed, which is rich in 5-HTP, a chemical that can be converted to mood-enhancing serotonin in the body.

Verdict: I cracked a can after a long day at work and was impressed. The taste is a close approximation of a craft beer. It was just at the end of each mouthful I noticed a slight lack of the kick you get from alcohol.

But I soon felt my shoulders drop. My husband took a pack to a party, got stuck in and said he felt exactly the same twinkly boost he’d get from drinking several pints of beer, but without the fuzzy head the next day.

8/10

Calming cocktail

Haelu Salerno Spritz, 4x 250m can starter pack £10.99 (equivalent to £2.75 per can), haeludrinks.com

Pronounced ‘hey-loo’ and another brand to emerge from pandemic lockdowns, Haelu makes ready mixed, non-alcoholic, sparkling cocktails in a can. Alongside the bittersweet Salerno Spritz, there’s Havana Heat, aimed at rum drinkers.

They contain L-theanine, 5-HTP and ashwagandha, a fashionable stress-busting medicinal herb popular with Hollywood A-listers such as Jennifer Aniston.

Verdict: If you’re an Aperol Spritz superfan like me, you’ll love this. In fact, once I’d put it in a fancy glass, added some ice and a slice of orange, I was hard-pressed to tell the difference.

Admittedly, I didn’t massively notice the effects of the adaptogens but I conked out quickly in bed. I’ll have two next time

8/10

L-R: Haelu Salerno Spritz, 4x 250m can starter pack £10.99 (equivalent to £2.75 per can), haeludrinks.com; Three Spirit Livener, 50cl bottle, £25, johnlewis.com

Let’s get the party started

Three Spirit Livener, 50cl bottle, £25, johnlewis.com

Launched in 2018, this range of alcohol-free spirits with botanicals and nootropics can be found in UK cocktail bars, John Lewis and Selfridges.

You’re encouraged to ‘choose your mood’ — so if you’re winding down, go for Nightcap, with calming lemon balm, valerian and ashwagandha. 

Livener, meanwhile, contains guayusa, a caffeine alternative from an Amazonian plant, and schisandra, a berry believed to boost physical performance and endurance — ideal when you’re putting on your dancing shoes.

Verdict: Once I mixed a 50ml measure of Livener with soda water, ice and a slice, it was impossible to tell this, with its watermelon zing and delicious bitter edge, wasn’t a booze-laden cocktail. 

After a couple I found myself dancing around the kitchen — not normal behaviour for 11am on a Tuesday. What’s more, the stylish black bottle totally holds its own in my drinks cabinet.

10/10

LondonAlcoholTescoWaitrose