Sun, Sea and Alcohol Free?

For most Brits, holidays are entwined with drinking. We’ve grown up watching our dads have the ceremonial airport pint at departures, and helped mum with the trolley dash in duty free on the way home. Whether it’s the first ice cold beer of the day, or trying new cocktails and local wines at dinner, drinking is part of the routine of the British holiday.

Before I had kids, drinking was the main focus of all my holidays. The destinations might have gotten more upmarket as I got older, as fish bowls on the strip gave way to cocktails on the terrace, but the general premise of going away for two weeks to drink as much as possible was the same.

The outcome was also fairly consistent. In public, I would return uttering variations of “It was great. but I think I need a holiday to get over the holiday hahaha”. In secret I would be embroiled in negotiations with my travel insurance provider about how much of the cost of my hospital visit (three times), lost phone/passport/travel documentation (ten plus) they would be willing to cover. I would be more stressed, more overweight and more tired than when I’d gone away.

Even when we went on holiday with the kids, and the focus was on things we could do with them, I was still trying to shoehorn in some drinking. Get the kids to sleep so we can have a drink on the balcony. Sneak off for a walk and get a few quick pints in – it’s my holiday too after all.

 My wife and I have been largely alcohol free for over two years now, so have been able to compare and contrast our holidays pre and post drinking. Let’s use Center Parcs as an example, I know, not guaranteed sun, or sea for that matter, but there is a lake and it was sunny for a few of the days! 

Centre Parcs is a wholesome family friendly destination, surely pretty easy to keep the drinking in check when holidaying there? You’d think, but making sure that a pint for the Dads or white wine for Mum is never far from reach is baked into the experience, and I took full advantage. Taking the kids to the arcade or visiting the soft play? Bar is just to the left. Enjoying a family swim in the subtropical splash centre? Recreate the beach vibe by having a frozen daiquiri, or pint of ice-cold beer at the pool side whilst you’re keeping an eye on the kids. 

It wasn’t acceptable to get ‘I’ve lost my passport’ style smashed, but keeping a middle class buzz throughout the holiday was encouraged. Whilst I didn’t need to claim on my travel insurance, I still came back heavier and more exhausted than before I went. The same old troupes got wheeled out when I was asked how it went “Oh it was great but it was pretty full on. It’s not really a holiday for the adults, it’s more for the kids”.

It seems obvious now, but previously I would never connect my holidays being exhausting with the daily drinking that was taking place on them. Blame the heat, blame being on your feet all day, blame the kids, but never blame the booze.

My second trip to Centre Parcs came around when I was alcohol free and this time, without the booze, I came back well-rested. And having fully taken part in loads of activities with the kids rather than sloping off to the bar whilst they were occupied, I felt fitter than before I went.

Which is all well and good you might say, but for a lot of us there are certain holiday rituals that almost demand that you have a glass in hand. What do we do in these moments? Well for me that’s where alcohol free alternatives come into their own.

The obligatory drink in departures

At one point taking a picture like this was required to be allowed through customs. You got an upgrade on your seat if you had your boarding pass and passport in the frame. Plus there is something about a drink at the airport that helps you relax and ease into the holiday. What hits the mark when you’re alcohol free?

I can’t get past the notion of a pint at the airport, so for this holiday drink, I would opt for a Guinness 0.0.  I ’ve experimented with loads of beers and lagers, but this is hands down my favourite. Thanks to a nifty little nitrogen widget, it tastes good even from the can, though just like the alcohol version you can’t really beat it as a pint from draught. Thankfully more and more places are starting to offer it in the UK, so there is a good chance of this being available in the departure lounge bar.

The beer pours with a smooth silky look before settling into the very dark, almost completely black colour, complete with the famous rich creamy topping. The taste is roasted malt with hints of chocolate and coffee. You would need to be trying pretty hard to notice much difference between this and the full alcohol verison. I can say confidently that if you like Guiness, you will like Guinness Zero. The biggest difference you will notice is the lack of a hangover!

Lunchtime Spritz

The appearance of goblets of Aperol Spritz at tables being hastily set up on pavements outside was the marker of summer for me, and I thought I would miss out when I quit the booze. Step forward Lyre’s to save the day.

Their Italian Spritz offers a non-alcoholic alternative to Aperol. It has the same bitter orange as the main flavour, but with the sharp tang of rhubarb cutting through. Pour a single measure into a large glass topped with soda or tonic water for a refreshing summer drink, or mix it with alcohol free prosecco if you want to go the whole hog.

Sundowners

When daylight edges into dusk, it’s time for a sundowner! The first sundowners were traditionally made with tonic because it contained quinine, which staved off malaria, with the gin added purely to taste. Gin and tonics were a staple of my holiday diet and having missed it when going sober, I was keen to explore the alcohol free alternatives. I experimented with a few, but Clean Co have done a great job with their version of a London Dry Gin . You can really taste the juniper and botanicals without it being too overpowering. A decent measure with tonic, in a big fish bowl glass with lots of ice and lime is easy to put together and feels like a treat. It’s a nice way to end the day, without the fear of a hangover the next morning.

Those are just my own personal favourites, but with the alcohol free market booming, there is something for almost every taste. Whether you’re cutting down, or stopping altogether, there are plenty of opportunities to include some alcohol free drinks in your new holiday routine!

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