Imagup General Magazine 2024
A fun night out is always nice to have. The hangover the next morning? That’s another story. Your stomach turns. You run to the bathroom at least a million times. Your head is throbbing. You’ll look like a zombie. You’ll feel gross and tired. If you’ve ever gone through a hangover, you get that feeling. Then you make that sworn promise never to drink alcohol again.
While many can’t keep that promise, there are still those who have stuck to it, simply because they don’t ever want to suffer through that again. If you’re like this group, then kudos to you! This doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on another fun night out. You can still go—but choose instead to go for non-alcoholic beverages.
There are so many non-alcoholic beverages these days that are just as good (sometimes perhaps even better) than alcoholic ones! To give you options, here’s a list of the best non-alcoholic beverages you can try out for 2024:
1. Non-Alcoholic Wine
Non-alcoholic wine is created just like regular wine is. The only difference lies when wineries centrifuge the wine in a machine to remove the alcohol content like you do when you’re cooking with wine. When wine is submitted to high temperatures, the flavor may run out, so fruit juice or flavor additives are put in to compensate for this loss.
First on the list is non-alcoholic wine from great online shops, one of the many options coming from usualwines.com, among other online retailers. Yes, there’s such a thing as that!
Now, what’s the point of drinking alcoholic wine? You won’t even be able to tell the difference, even without the alcohol content. Plus, it brings about a host of benefits such as the following:
- It may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease: Non-alcoholic red wine actually still has equal amounts of polyphenols as alcoholic red wine. These refer to the antioxidants that are helpful for reducing inflammation in the body and also lowering blood pressure.
- It may have fewer calories than alcoholic wine: This also makes it a perfect choice for those of you who may be on a diet.
- It still gives you a chance to unwind and relax: Without the worry of getting drunk after, of course.
2. Sparkling Water (Carbonated Water)
Sparkling water or carbonated water is another good way to make you feel that fizz—minus the calories and the caffeine. Nowadays, sparkling water doesn’t have to taste like water at all! There are so many flavors that sparkling water can come in so you don’t have to feel like you’re missing out because you’re choosing this safer option. For instance, there’s lemon, apple, raspberry, elderflower, and peach, among others.
Sparkling water is also good to have once in a while, as it may have promising benefits, including these ones:
- It’s better than soda, especially when you’re trying to be more conscious about your diet.
- It helps you lose weight, as the fizz can make you feel fuller than water usually would.
- It may help you stay hydrated, unlike alcoholic beverages, which may dehydrate you.
3. Shirley Temple
Of course, a well-loved name in the cocktail menu. Did you know that Shirley Temple can actually stand on its own without the additional booze? If you love the goodness of maraschino cherries, then this is definitely for you.
Rather than mix alcohol, you can choose to put in any clear soda instead. Then, top it off with a cherry. When you mix it, you’re good to go and enjoy. If you’re looking for something more masculine, you can switch to a darker soda instead. The result? It’ll look like rum or whiskey would so people around you won’t even know you’re skipping out on the alcohol for tonight.
4. Coconut Water
Why order just water when you can enjoy a good, thirst-quenching glass of coconut water? If you’re the type who usually says ‘Nothing, just water for me, please,’ you can switch this up a bit now and order coconut water instead. It has more flavor, plus it’s also known to have some health benefits.
You can ask the server to put in a lot of ice, and it’s that refreshing treat you’ll need after a long, sloppy week. Plus, coconut water is known to have a lot of health benefits, such as
- nutrients like protein, calcium, and vitamin C, among others;
- potentially decrease the risk of diabetes;
- support good heart health and adequate blood pressure levels; and
- it replenishes lost body fluids after exercise.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and there’s a lot to learn more about the potential health benefits of incorporating coconut water in your beverage choice.
5. Soda And Lime
If you’re tired of your usual soda when everyone else is having fun with their drink, you can kick things up a bit by adding more flavor to your soda.
Soda and a squeeze of lime are always a good idea. You can have whatever fruit is available too. For an extra flavor punch, you can also request a little drop of juice.
6. Alcohol-Free Spritz
Here’s another cocktail mix you’re going to love without tequila in it. Mix grapefruit juice (or pomegranate, cranberry, or any berry that you have) with lime juice, a pinch of cinnamon, and topped with clear soda. It’s a very refreshing drink that’s perfect for the summer. Because it doesn’t have alcohol, you can order as much as you want without worrying that you’ve had too much for the night. Else, you can also skip the night out drinking altogether and invite your friends on an educational wine tour the next day using this link.
7. No-Tequila Sunrise
If you’re a bar regular, then surely you’ve heard of a tequila sunrise. It’s great, yes. But not until the effects of tequila kick in. If you feel you’ve had enough of this cocktail, you can opt for a no-tequila sunrise instead.
The recipe is pretty much the same, sans the tequila, obviously. All you need to have is pineapple juice, grenadine or oranges, and maraschino cherries to garnish. It’ll taste just like its well-known alcoholic beverage.
Takeaway
Whether you’re pregnant, nursing, vowed to be alcohol-free, or just don’t like to suffer a hangover the next day, now you’ve got more options to enjoy a good night. Non-alcoholic beverages don’t have to be less fun and tasty. With a wide variety of options, you no longer have to miss out—or be the party pooper. So on your next trip to the bar, remember the beverages above, so you too can ask the bartender for a drink.
