This Opinion article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Whether you're sober, sober curious, looking to partake in Dry January or just looking for something new to drink, there are so many delicious non-alcoholic wines, beers and mocktails out there for folks to try.
While alcohol stores like the LCBO do sell low and non-alcohol options, if you're trying to steer clear of booze, those places might be a little triggering. Thankfully, there are many non-alcoholic beverages you can pick up right at the grocery store while doing your weekly shopping.
During my various excursions to No Frills, Metro and FreshCo, I picked up a few options I spotted and grabbed a non-alcoholic red wine, white wine, secco, beer and some cocktails.
I ended up with Grüvi Alcohol Free Wine Dry Secco, Molson Exel Lager, Vin(zero) Alcohol Free Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Regis Chardonnay and Atypique Non-Alcoholic Cocktails.
In terms of my personal preference, for alcohol, I generally like a glass of red wine, whiskey or any kind of fizzy dry white, and to my complete surprise, I found one non-alcohol drink I think I prefer as much as the alcoholic version, which I truly wasn't expecting
Here's how I got on with tasting all of these beverages.
Grüvi Alcohol Free Wine Dry Secco
As I mentioned, I love a fizzy white — champagne, sparkling, prosecco, you name it, I've probably tried it — and I didn't think it was possible to have a non-alcoholic version that even comes close to the real deal.
The Grüvi Alcohol Free Wine Dry Secco proved me totally wrong and I'm so pleased to have discovered it. It smells like wine, it has a dry, crisp taste and the bubbliness I enjoy, and it somehow has the tartness of alcohol, without actually having alcohol in it or having the overwhelming sweetness that some non-alcoholic wines have.
As I'm getting older, a night of drinking prosecco can seriously cause me some damage in the morning so I'll be sipping away at one of these the next time I'm at an outing, if I want a little treat at home along with my charcuterie board during date night or if I want a mimosa in the morning but still need to be able to drive later in the day.
I also love that it comes in small bottles since when I buy a 750 mL bottle of champagne I often feel compelled to drink the whole thing in one night so it doesn't lose its effervescence.
I will say there is a slightly acetone smell to it, but I don't personally find it offputting — just a heads up though in case you have scent sensitivity!
Price: $13.99 for four bottles at 275 mL each
Find out more about Grüvi here
Molson Exel Lager
I'm not much of a beer drinker and my partner is a beer drinker, so we were surprised to find that we both thoroughly enjoyed this beverage.
We both agree that the Molson Exel Lager tastes almost exactly like beer with alcohol in it with the exception that it lacks that hint of bitterness that I assume comes from the booze.
If it was a hot day at the cottage but I didn't want alcohol, this is absolutely what I'd want. I also think it'd be great as hangover beer — you know when you're feeling rotten after a night of drinking but still somehow craving another drink? This would fill that need without doing further damage.
Price: $10.99 for a pack of 10 cans at 355 mL each
Find out more about Molson Exel here
Vin(zero) Alcohol Free Cabernet Sauvignon
I love a glass of cab sauv (Tom Gore is my favourite) and I found Vin(zero)'s Alcohol Free Cabernet Sauvignon to be interesting.
It smells like a juicy red and starts off a bit sweet in flavour before transforming into that pleasant tannin taste one gets with the actual booze and it also has the lingering mouthfeel that wine does.
Unlike the beer and secco, I wouldn't say this is a dupe for red wine, but it does have characteristics of the alcohol that could possibly soothe a craving and I wouldn't mind sipping on a glass of this if I was feeling awkward in a social situation and wanting a glass of faux vino to keep my hands busy.
Price: $9.99
Find out more about Vin(zero) Alcohol Free Cabernet Sauvignon
St. Regis Chardonnay
White wine is my drink of preference in the summer, and while I found the St. Regis Chardonnay to be okay, it didn't really give me any wine flavours.
That's not necessarily a negative though as some people perhaps don't want to be reminded of the taste of wine to avoid alcohol triggers, but for me, this tastes a bit like watered-down, sweet grape juice and I don't think I'd drink it on its own as I don't really like sugary tastes.
I could definitely see this as an option if mixed with some soda water, so if a spritz is more your thing, that might be the one!
Price: $9.99 for 750 mL
Find out more about St. Regis Chardonnay here
Atypique Non-Alcoholic Cocktail - Gin & Tonic, Spiced Rum & Cola
Cocktails aren't generally my drink of choice but I found the Atypique Non-Alcoholic Cocktails to be interesting.
They have a variety of flavours and the two I chose to try were the Gin & Tonic and Spiced Rum & Cola.
While neither drink perfectly replicated the boozy version, I'd say the Spiced Rum & Cola gave me Captain Morgan or Kraken rum vibes. The G&T had the deliciously medicinal flavours I associate with the quinine in tonic, but I didn't find there to be much of a gin flavour.
That being said, I enjoyed both of them and would be perfectly happy to sip away at it at a party.
Price: $8.99 for a pack of four cans at 355 mL each
Find out more about Atypique here
Whatever your goals are with alcohol in 2024, I wish you the best of luck — now excuse me, I'm going to go have a Grüvi Secco!
Narcity does not condone the overconsumption of alcohol. If you're going to drink alcohol, please do so responsibly and only if you're of legal age.
I Tried Non-Alcoholic Drinks From Canadian Grocery Stores & One Was Better Than Actual Booze
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