I said on the Balmoral Show blog post last week that I was having a break from alcohol.
All last week I have been replacing cans of lager for pint glasses of water and pop. It's a bit boring but it's nice to have a few drinks at night watching the television and looking at blogs..
On Sunday we went in Aldi and we had a look at what non- alcoholic beers and wine were on offer:
This an Aldi own and it was drinkable. A bit like a weak pint that you would buy at a Rock concert in one of those massive arenas. But for 99 Cents. Verdict: It was fine.
Strana. Oats, hops and yeast. This cost a Euro forty nine. It reminded me of wheat like you buy in Germany 🇩🇪 or their supermarkets in Ireland and Blighty. It also reminded me of a poor Craft beer that you buy in the supermarkets. J tried this. She pulled her face. We preferred the first one: Saint Etienne. Verdict: Not the best but if you like a wheat beer kind of taste it's OK!
Then we tried the bottle of Zerozecco Rose for 3.99:
Ireland charges a whopping 23 percent on non alcoholic beers and 🍷 wines. We paid 10.06 Cents on non alcoholic beers and a bottle of wine.
I haven't been in a pub since I was in Tenerife last December.
Apparently a pint of normal lager is currently 5.70 and a pint of non-alcoholic beer is 5 Euros. It doesn't tempt to you to choose the none alcoholic beer rather than the alcoholic one does it?
Would you drink non alcoholic beer or wine? How much is it at a pub near you?
Brewers argue that it is expensive because its got to brewed just like real beer then the alcohol is extracted.
In conclusion: Well we still had a drink and it cost very little.
I'd rather drink my own urine. Not yours, though.
ReplyDeleteFine. It's supposed to be very good for your complexion. Thanks for commenting Tasker.
ReplyDeleteI have cut down my alcohol intake but still have a couple of glasses at the weekend. I have tried several non alcoholic wines but they are all too sweet for my taste. I did find a zero alcohol Italian lager that I liked but it was expensive and is no longer for sale at our supermarkets. I just stick to water now.
ReplyDeleteI can never stop at just a couple of glasses JayCee. I can't believe how much vat there is on non alcoholic and soft drinks. In Ireland there is 11 Euros tax on a bottle of whisky or even whiskey. It's 5 Euros for a pint of non alcoholic lager and 5.70 for a pint of 'real' lager. It doesn't encourage you to choose the non-alcoholic option. I have the 'munchies'and peckish now I am not getting calories from the beer. I have also been drinking glasses of iced water from our American style fridge freezer. Thanks JayCee.
ReplyDeleteQ. Would you drink non alcoholic beer or wine?
ReplyDeleteA. No way Dave! I would rather drink tap water. On the occasions when I decide not to drink beer in a pub, I always opt for a pint of orange cordial with soda water and a little ice. Sometimes they slip in a slice of orange which can be hard to retrieve from the bottom of the glass but it is always nice to munch on.
Good thinking YP. How much would they charge in a pub for a pint of orange cordial with soda water and a little ice?
ReplyDeleteIt varies between 50p and £2.00 but a lot less than buying J2O or any other branded fizzy orange drinks.
DeleteThat's very reasonable YP. I can't believe how much pubs charge for non-alcoholic beers and wines. I suppose the 23 percent government levy doesn't help?
DeleteMy take on not drinking is to do just that and drink tap water or tea in the house. I think non-alcohol wine/beer descriptions are a bit like vegan food descriptions containing the words of meat products, they are unnecessary. Either we drink alcohol or we don't. There is no need to cover it over with thin papering pretending it might almost be beer or almost be wine.
ReplyDeleteVery true Rachel. You either drink or you don't.
ReplyDeleteYears ago we used to entertain clients at lunch time in dining rooms at work (having a very accomplished chef in-house). Pre lunch drinks were served. One Dane who visited regularly was known for his preference of Bloody Mary's and in the process of mixing his, someone passed the remark that there was a non-alcohol version of a Bloody Mary - " now what is that called?" And quicker than anyone else Torben replied "bloody shame".
ReplyDeleteMy husband drinks non alcoholic beer now and again. He should drink more of it I think. His impressions of Alpha and Fix were positive. I don't know what the prices are here but they are, I think, about the same as ordinary beer. I haven't tried % wine, not sure if I've ever seen it in the supermarket here. I shall look out for it. I got given a bottle of non alcoholic gin at xmas. That was horrible but I'm trying to get through the bottle. No good in wasting it. It at least gives coke-zero a different taste
ReplyDeleteYep. I don't think he would be drinking mocktails Tigger's Mum.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda. I think now and again is the best way of drinking it. It's the Manchester FA Cup final on Saturday. So I will buy a few bottles of non-alcoholic beer for that. The Rose from Aldi for 3.99 tasted really good. It would be a great drink to give a drunk at a party who wants just one last drink and then they will be a on their way. We tried a very syrupy wine from Lidl and it was not nice. But instead of throwing it down the sink it's going in the slug pubs in the polytunnel.
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