Alternatives to alcohol

Many people avoid alcohol for various reasons; some for religion and others for secular health or legal reasons. Drinking is prohibited in some public spaces, and there are entire dry regions where alcohol is totally banned.

This article is an overview of alternatives to various alcoholic beverages that emulate the taste of the target beverage, including both alcohol-free and low-alcohol options.

Beer with little to no alcohol is sold in many countries, especially where alcoholic drinks are prohibited or regulated. It aims to reproduce the taste of beer while reducing or eliminating the inebriating effect, and some of the calories of regular alcoholic brews. The carbohydrate and calorie content of low alcohol beer can vary widely, but in some countries the bottle may have detailed information.

Non-alcoholic spritzers are made without white wine and commonly sold in the United States as spritzers. In Germany, carbonated juice is known as Saftschorle or Fruchtschorle. In particular, Apfelschorle (apple juice spritzer) is one of the most popular soft drinks in Germany.

Low or no alcohol wine is also available which has been made by removing some or all of the alcohol from regular wine before bottling. Another alternative is sparkling or ordinary grape juice.

Kvass is a low-alcohol malt drink of cloudy appearance, with a sweet and sour taste. It is popular in the Baltic states and Eastern Europe, as well as in Finland, Poland and Central Asia.

Malta is brewed from barley, hops, and water. Corn and caramel flavouring may also be added. It is popular in Puerto Rico and South America.

Mocktails are mixed drinks, similar to cocktails, but made without alcohol.

The Arnold Palmer combines iced tea and lemonade, similar to cocktails like the John Daly or the Lee Trevino.

The Roy Rogers is made with cola and grenadine syrup, and traditionally garnished with a maraschino cherry.

The Shirley Temple is traditionally made from grenadine and ginger ale. Modern versions may use orange juice or 7-up, and can be served with lime.

The Tortuga is made with iced tea and brown sugar, garnished with Cinnabon and a lime wedge. It is similar to the popular sweet tea.

The virgin colada is the regular piña colada without the rum.

The Virgin Mary is as savory and spicy as the original Bloody Mary, but the vodka is replaced by additional tomato juice or prepared mix.

There are some no alcohol drinks which attempt to imitate spirits. These may only make a good drink when mixed with a flavoured mixer rather than water. Some are gin alternatives which contain similar botanicals to gin and may be sold in cans with tonic as an alterative to gin & tonic.

Scientific studies show that there is no safe limit for alcohol, and some alcohol alternatives might still contain a small amount of alcohol, so being completely sober is best for your health. Although most alternatives are better than their alcohol based equivalents, they may not be that healthy and you may still want to limit your consumption.

Some alcohol alternatives advertised as "non-alcoholic" or "alcohol-free" might still contain a small amount of alcohol. Different countries have different definitions for non-alcoholic drinks.

• Canada — less than 0.5% alcohol
• Denmark — less than 0.5% alcohol
• Finland — less than 1.2% alcohol
• Italy — less than 1.2% alcohol
• Norway — less than 0.7% alcohol
• Russia — less than 0.5% alcohol in general, less than 1.2% for fermented products
• Sweden — less than 0.5% alcohol
• United Kingdom — less than 0.5% alcohol
• United States — less than 0.5% alcohol

A good way to ensure that a drink really contains no alcohol is to buy only halal drinks where available.

• Soft drinks
• Tea
• Coffee