No doubt you have already thought about the party menus and you are starting to think about the wines, beers and drinks that will accompany you on each of the dates. And although traditionally we could not separate festive foods and alcohol, another trend is beginning to make its way among consumers that points to drinks with lower alcohol content, and even without alcohol.
According to the study launched in the middle of this year by the consulting firm IWSR, an analysis expert for the alcoholic beverages industry, in 2023, one in two wine drinkers stated that they were actively moderating their alcohol consumption. Consumption patterns and lifestyles are changing and consumers are increasingly interested in moderation as a health and wellness lifestyle option. Additionally, there is a greater tendency to socialize without alcohol.
This rising trend is moving the market and there are more and more proposals to accompany our parties, meals and celebrations with non-alcoholic drinks. We are talking, of course, about beer, which was ahead of this market more than forty years ago and is now fully consolidated, but also about wines, vermouths and spirits such as alcohol-free gins or whiskeys.
There is even more, since following these new trends a good number of Michelin-starred restaurants propose pairing options with other types of drinks such as non-alcoholic fermented ones or those with very low alcohol content. Among them is Oba, the gastronomic of the young chefs Javier Sanz and Juan Sahuquillo in Casas Ibáñez (Albacete), which proposes a harmonization based on the fermented products that they themselves make: sweet berry vermouth, herbal mead, wild fruit soda, bitter of oxidized lemon, or Pet-Nat of flowers.
The range of these low-alcohol or alcohol-free drinks is increasingly broader and will continue to grow to adapt to new consumption patterns and take advantage of this niche. In a communication from May of this year, the European Commission pointed out that in the coming years some 42 million liters of alcohol-free drinks could be produced in Europe each year, in order to position itself in a market in which countries such as New Zealand and Australia are already investing heavily.
We discover ten proposals to accompany the celebrations:
Win Tempranillo 12 Months
Win is the brand of Bodegas Familiares Matarromera for low-calorie and low-alcohol wines.
It already has seven options on the market and among them is a Tempranillo varietal. According to the winery, it is the only non-alcoholic red wine made with Tempranillo grapes aged for 12 months in barrels.
Its file says that it has aromas of red fruits and touches of roasted and licorice and that it is balanced in the mouth.
With it you can accompany these meat dishes that are usually on the tables of celebrations.
Natureo White 2023
Also Torres Wineries has launched into dealcoholized wines. You already have four options, including this white one, made with Muscat of Alexandria, a grape variety that is attractive to those who opt for non-alcoholic drinks.
In this case, the proposal with floral and white fruit aromas appears fresh and will be ideal to accompany appetizers or fish on holidays.
Enjoy0.0 Pink
Also the family Juan Gil It has been proposed to offer an alternative to those who prefer not to drink alcohol or cannot do so for various reasons.
This is how it has launched its Enjoynd0.0 range, among which this rosé stands out, a coupage of tempranillo and syrah which the winery itself says is light, with intense aromas of currants and sour strawberries. Refreshing and elegant, it goes very well to accompany that cheese board to whet your appetite.
Le Naturel Zero Zero red
This wine without a drop of alcohol comes from the Aroa wineries located in Navarra. A light, unaged red wine made from Grenache that retains aromas of cherry and spicy touches and good structure in the mouth.
You can surprise if you offer it with any of the roast meats or even with a slightly fattier fish.
Txakoli Zero from Bodegas Basa Lore
This storeone of the oldest in the production of txakoli, makes this white with the grape par excellence for this wine, the hondarrabi zuri.
It presents the greenish yellow color of these wines, with citrus aromas. It is fresh and herbal.
Perfect to accompany that cod pil-pil that we like to cook so much when we are all together. Also for appetizers and white poultry.
Codorniu Zero
Of course we have non-alcoholic alternatives to toast with desserts or to celebrate the new year. The main brands have launched sparkling wines.
We highlight this Codorniu which is made with the Airén variety. It has a fine bubble with aromas of tropical fruits, it is also served cold like any sparkling wine and with appetizers, seafood, fish, and desserts.
Kolonne Null Cuvée Rouge No.02
This red wine, made by the Toledo winery More than wines and dealcoholized in collaboration with Kolonne Null, obtained a silver medal in the Mundus Vino competition, because also the large fairs and competitions, aware of the progress of these alcohol-free wines, are including them in their tastings and awards. It is a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha, aged in cement for six months.
The result, according to the winery, is a wine with notes of pepper and black fruits that goes very well with rice and pasta dishes such as Christmas cannelloni.
Soul K ‘Super Roots’ Bio Ginger and Turmeric
Many Estrella restaurants already pair with fermented foods and Kombucha is usually among them. On the market there is already a significant supply of these drinks made from sweetened tea fermented by the action of various microorganisms.
We bring one of the wide range offered by the brand Soul Kcompletely natural and unfiltered. This comes from the fermentation of a mixture of organic white and green tea. In the second fermentation, the freshly extracted juice, by cold pressing, from the fresh roots of organically produced ginger and turmeric is added.
In restaurants they are presenting these drinks as a pairing with different types of dishes, this one in particular goes well with seafood, white birds and fish.
Cidre Fournier pear cider
Another fermented drink that offers pairing possibilities is pear cider, a traditional French drink, low in alcohol, between two and a quarter degrees, and which is also being made in the north of Spain.
This specifically comes from Normandyuses different varieties of pear as raw material and has a very fine and very fresh bubble. It will accompany you very well for a cheese board or for desserts.
Seedlip Garden 108
This is a different gin and not only because it is alcohol-free, but because it is made with home-grown peas and hay and traditional aromatic herbs from the English countryside and allows you to make gin and tonics and other cocktails.
It has no alcohol or calories, no sugar or artificial sweeteners.
#NonAlcoholic #Toasts #Ten #Free #Graduation #Drinks #Accompany #Festive #Meals
