Rethink your drinks! Making these low- and no-alcohol drinks shine is all about the serve

Co-op food editor Gregor McMaster shares simple garnishes that will give your mocktails and low-alcohol cocktails an upgrade in January and beyond.

If you’re thinking about reducing how much alcohol you drink this year, you’re in good company. 72% of people who previously cut alcohol in January plan to continue long-term*. But that doesn’t mean you need to miss out on taste! I’ve created a selection of no- and low-alcohol drinks for you to enjoy this month, complete with garnishes for an extra flourish.

Apple fizz mocktail

Full of fizz, with none of the alcohol. Add a splash or two of Co-op Apple Juice to a glass of Nozeco Alcohol Free Sparkling Wine. This is my pick for a celebration – cheers to that!

The garnish: Decorate with thinly sliced apple for a nod to the apple flavour. Either add directly to the flute, or spear three pieces through a cocktail stick and style like a fan. 

Rosé mulled drink

If you’ve been enjoying mulled wine during the Christmas period, you can keep those festive flavours going well into the new year. Warm through a bottle of Co-op Low Alcohol Garnacha Rosé with orange slices, cloves and cinnamon sticks. You can also add a drop of honey to sweeten, if you prefer.

The garnish: Add a splash of colour to your mulled wine with pomegranate seeds and a sprig of rosemary. For extra pizzaz, slice a thin layer of peel from an orange (leaving behind the pith) and cut slices into it to create a feather design. Hang over the side of the glass.

Simple apéritif

Pour Co-op Irresistible Non-Alcoholic Botanical Drink over ice, along with your choice of tonic, then add a dash of ginger ale for some wintry spice. Non-alcoholic spirits are becoming more popular this year, so you’ll be bang on trend with this mocktail.

The garnish: I like to add ginger to complement the botanical flavours. Peel and cut a block of fresh ginger and thread onto a cocktail stick. Cut into slices around the stick, then twist to create a fan effect.

A glass of red with a difference

A good-quality low-alcohol wine is an easy way to move into a low- or no-alcohol lifestyle, and the Co-op Low Alcohol Cabernet-Tempranillo is just that.

The garnish: This one works with most drinks and is simple but cute. Cut a grape diagonally, then put the long cut sides back together so the thin ends meet in a point at the bottom and form a heart shape. Skewer into place with a cocktail stick.

* Search for ‘drinking in January’ at drinkaware.co.uk