While researching a piece about the drinks scene in Amsterdam for a UK magazine, I started to notice a lot of buzz (quite the paradox!) around nonalcoholic beverages. Some of the city’s best breweries and bars (cocktail and wine) are giving answer to the ever-growing demand for something other than soft drinks or sparkling water for those who don’t want to or can’t drink.
Sounds great, especially because we can no longer bury our heads in the sand: there is no such thing as a safe amount of alcohol. Research has proven this. And yet, what could possibly be more decadent than the ‘pop’ and ‘glug’ of a fine bottle of wine on the weekend to go with a beautifully cooked meal? It’s one of the things I really look forward to come Friday night. Uncorking a carefully chosen vintage to share with my husband, lighting candles and playing some tunes feels like I’m closing off the week with a little celebration. But could we raise a glass with just as much joie de vivre if it was nonalcoholic?
Intrigued as I am, I admit to a healthy dose of skepticism. The last time I tried a nonalcoholic wine, I felt sorely bamboozled. Of course, I wasn’t expecting it to taste exactly the same, but after one sip of what tasted like crappy grape juice, I chucked the bottle and swore never to touch the stuff again. Things have changed, however, I have been assured, so I felt it was time to give nonalcoholic wines (and, why not, beverages in general) another go – and to report on my findings in an upcoming column for Reader’s Digest. This time, I would do things a little differently, though. I wasn’t about to head to the wine shop and pick up a few random bottles or ask for advice. Instead, I was going into this armed with knowledge. Firstly, how exactly is the alcohol removed? And most importantly, which brands/winemakers are getting the best reviews these days? This, at least, would increase my chances of success. I needed to understand the product in order to give it a fair chance.Â
No, I am not giving up drinking, but in the run-up to Dry January, I will be tasting a selection of nonalcoholic beverages. The best ones will appear in my column (May 2024), but all of them will be introduced here in upcoming posts. Additionally, I will include how I tried the drinks. For wines, that means I will include my food pairing of choice.Â
And so the testing starts this evening with the Thomson & Scott Noughty Dealcoholized Blanc, which is happily chilling in the fridge now.Â
Stay tuned!
Latest publishings:
My December column for Reader’s Digest UK
My wine column for the winter issue of Inside Rotterdam