While I'm not an every night drinker, I do love my margaritas, and rum and cokes. My job also affords me experiences where alcohol is often at the forefront, or a significant part, and as such, it has just become part of my lifestyle without a second thought. However, my sober journey started the day after I found out I was pregnant, so it was time to find some non-alcoholic alternatives.
I'll be totally transparent, while I found sobriety really easy at first - and saw great results in my skin and weight from the reduction of alcohol - ironically, it was during ‘Dry January’ that I did start to find it a little more difficult, and had a regular hankering for a rum and coke. However, prioritising my baby’s health kept my resolve strong.
At the beginning of the pregnancy, my go-to non-alcoholic drinks were juices or fizzy drinks, but this started to get old - and super sugary - quite quickly. As such, I explored many of the non-alcoholic alternatives on the market, and rated them out of five as below:
Mocktail at Moonshine Saloon
1. Gordon's Pink Gin - 0% [5/10]
General taste
4
Replica of the real thing
1
Comments
The is a seemingly large discrepancy in my two ratings, because in my opinion, it doesn't taste like gin at all. However, it still make a lovely, fruity addition to soda water that I’d happily drink on the regular.
2. Noughtie white wine [6/10]
General taste
2
Replica of the real thing
4
Comments
In all honesty, it tastes like a cheap bottle of white wine - university days vibes. The taste does improve with a splash of lemonade though: spritzer time!
3. Clean Co Tequila [6/10]
General taste
3
Replica of the real thing
3
Comments
I found this a bit too sweet to be likened to a tequila - perhaps a smoky mezcal would be more appropriate - however it was still nice. Now, when I added to some margarita mix and squeezed in a decent amount of lime, it brought it right up to the full 5! The sharpness, which is what’s achieved with the lime in the marg, is what’s missing.
4. Non #1 [6/10]
General taste
3
Replica of the real thing
3 (though it’s worth noting that Non strives to be ‘wine adjacent’, not a replica wine)
Comments
I enjoyed this. It was tart and fruity, and felt like an elevated mocktail, with more ‘wine’ tones.
5. Non #3 [7/10]
General taste
4
Replica of the real thing
3 (though it’s worth noting that Non strives to be ‘wine adjacent’, not a replica wine)
Comments
If you're out for dinner, this is the perfect accompaniment to fish dishes. No joke, I feel it matched the fish I ate more than a real white wine would have done.
6. Savyll Mojito [8/10]
General taste
4
Replica of the real thing
4
Comments
On its own, it tasted like a mojito; however, adding real mint and sugar is what is needed to take this up to a full 5 marks.
7. Captain Morgan's Spiced 0.0% [9/10]
General taste
5
Replica of the real thing
4 (though the smell is a 5, when it comes to replicating a real spiced rum)
Comments
Almost full marks! This is a very decent replica; it's only missing the edge of flavour that alcohol brings. I would happily shot it, as it has all the spiced rum flavours without that harshness, and when mixed with coke, it genuinely tastes like I’m just drinking a weak rum and coke.
This piece will be further updated as I try more alternatives…