Whether you're going the whole hog and committing to Dry July, or just interested in introducing some new grown-up drinks to your liquor cabinet, here's our favourite new options for cutting back on alcohol, and not flavour. dryjuly.co.nz
Lyre's non-alcoholic spirits
Lyre's offers a wide range of copycats – 18 non-alcoholic spirits created so most of the world's cocktails can be created in low- or no-alcohol versions. The company is named for the Australian lyrebird – a very cool little Aussie copycat bird, which can mimic the birds around it, as well as other native Australian animals such as possums, koalas and dingos. The range includes all your standard spirits such as whisky, gin and rum, as well as vermouths for your martini, a sparkling wine, some pre-mixers (gin in a tin), and liquors (try the Amaretto over vanilla icecream). These drinks are designed to be mixed into your drinks to make your favourite cocktails either entire alcohol-free, or lower the strength. Lyre's is an official partner of Dry July, and throughout the month, 10 per cent of profits will be donated towards the Dry July Trust. lyres.eu
State of Play
State of Play IPA is a new zero-alcohol beer on the scene. Head brewer and owner Grant Caunter has worked in the brewing industry for 25 years (before establishing State of Play he was global director of craft beer at Heineken, based in Amsterdam), so it's safe to say he knows a thing or two about ales. He set out to create New Zealand's first zero-alcohol brewery and the IPA is the first creation. Rather than brewing a full-strength beer then extracting the alcohol (a method that can also remove flavour), State of Play ferment with yeast that produces a very small amount of alcohol (less than 0.5%). The result is one of the better zero-alcohol beers you can try, with a subtle maltiness and a good dose of New Zealand hops. stateofplaybeer.com
Finery cocktails
Finery offers both 5 per cent (made with vodka) and 0 per cent versions of its most popular cocktails – flavours include grapefruit, cucumber and mint, ginger, green tea and honey, and vanilla and elderflower, and lemon myrtle, lime and black. Whether you're after the boozy or the non-boozy, you can try the range with a mixed 4-pack that contains one of each flavour. $21.99 for the 0 per cent mixed pack, finerycocktails.co.nz
Giesen 0 per cent wines
If a glass of vino is what you crave, Giesen offers a range of rose, sauvignon blanc, riesling, pinot gris and merlot. These wines are produced and fermented in the usual way, then the alcohol content is gently spun out of the finished wine. This leaves you with all the developed flavour of the wine, with none of the booze. Although in this chilly weather, perhaps a mulled wine is what you need – warm a cup of the merlot (and perhaps a splash of port, if a low-alcohol drink will do), and muddle with a cinnamon stick, star anise, a few cloves and black peppercorns, and a teaspoon of honey. Add a little orange zest at the end, then curl up and enjoy by your nearest roaring fireside. giesen.co.nz
Pals soda
Pals will be well-known to supermarket shoppers who craved a low sugar, low calorie, fruity can of boozy soda over the summer. Following the success of their range of vodka, gin and whisky-blended with combos such as peach and passionfruit, and watermelon and mint, Pals released two 0.5 per cent options in time for last summer's heatwave – a peach and passionfruit soda, and a Hawke's Bay lemon and cucumber, which mimic the original 5 per cent Pals. $16.99 for a six-pack, drinkpals.co.nz
Booze-free cocktails around town
Don't fancy mixing it yourself? Head out to try some delicious low and no-alcohol cocktails at some of Auckland's best establishments. At Amano, order the Kawakawa (their take on a classic sour cocktail using Seedlip, kawakawa, lemon and egg white); Mr Morris has the Deception Spritz (Seedlip, hibiscus, szechuan, agave and ginger); and Ahi has a Cucumber Cooler (Seedlip, non-alcoholic gin, cucumber and lime soda). Sid Sahrawat is offering the Zucca at The French Cafe (Seedlip, butternut, coconut, ginger and lemon) and at Cassia try the low-alcohol Bitter Ananas (Seedlip, St Germain elderflower liqueur, spiced pineapple shrub, and mango foam). At Confidential on Vulcan Lane try Old Fashioneds and Negroni made with Lyle's, and Chapel Bar will be serving a pink London spritz and a Margarita.
