Dry January was once coined by the British and is now a household word in many countries. In short, it involves challenging yourself not to drink alcohol for a month. But why would you do that? And more importantly; what do you drink?
Here are the benefits
If you join #DryJanuary then these are things you might notice: losing weight, lowered blood sugar and cholesterol levels, more concentration, better quality sleep, more energy and beautiful skin. And oh yeah, you almost always keep money. Pretty good reasons to join.
Alcohol-free boring? No ya!
Photo: Mylena Rietdijk
OK, you've decided not to drink alcohol for a month but what to choose? Fortunately, more and more non-alcoholic drinks are appearing on the market. A good wine is sometimes still a bit of a search, although you can find more and more alcohol-free ones. And you've probably already had the most famous non-alcoholic beer. But did you know that there are more and more varieties available? Especially because of Dry January, Bierwinkel Hop has expanded its alcohol-free assortment this month. Plenty of choice for a 0.0% beer tasting at home.
Mocktails
Photo: Bindi café
As a resident of beer city Amersfoort, I don't really dare to say it, but if you're not into beer (don't tell; but I am) then fortunately there are mocktails. Because of the lockdown it is quite a search, but I still found a place where you can order mocktails! At Bindi café you can order the following three mocktails; Lemon elderflower, Cranberry cinnamon and Virgin spicy tonic. Feel like going all out? They also have shots! In the flavors ginger, ginger-lemon turmeric, lemon-spirulina or wheatgrass. For a boost of vitamins and minerals. Pretty welcome in this day and age right?
Trendy soft drinks
Photo: Marisa Broekhuizen
But there is much more, as alcohol-free drinks are becoming increasingly popular. I collected a few that I think are delicious and special alternatives. And very handy: they are available in Amersfoort at Het LokaalDe Nieuwe Graanschuur and Nieuw Mos. But be sure to have a look for yourself, because there is much more available.
- Butcha- blood orange & bergamot and Butcha hops & grapefruit; a pungent infused drink (Het Lokaal and Nieuw Mos)
- No ghost in a bottle; an alternative to gin in several delicious flavors (Het Lokaal)
- Prisecco red; alcohol-free prosecco (The New Granary)
- The gutsy captain; a delicious fresh bubbly drink made from kombucha and available in a variety of flavors (Nieuw Mos)
- Highball; in mojito and cosmopolitan variants for the ultimate Sex and the City feeling (Het Lokaal)
- Another (locally brewed) drink with an unusual taste is Tuur. Made from tea, water, sugar and scoby (a secret ingredient), to which fruit is then added. It comes in three flavors: Tuur pure, Pear lavender, Raspberry and soon Mango pine needle (whut? I just have to taste those!). Tuur is available at these places in Amersfoort.
Mixing yourself
Photo: Bindi café
Want to make your own awesome (c)mocktail just like in the eighties movie "Cocktail"? With these drinks as a base, you will easily succeed. Supplies; nice glasses, fresh fruit, sparkling water, a masher or umbrella stand, ice cubes and one of these flavorings:
- Gimber; a concentrate of organic Peruvian ginger, lemon and other herbs and spices other ingredients. Handy to have on hand as standard, as you can use it as a base for a host of homemade mocktails. (The New Granary, Nieuw Mos and Het Lokaal)
- Soof syrup; different kinds of syrups in the special flavors; Carrot-ginger-apple, Berry-lavender-apple, Rose-cardamom-pear & apple, Lemon-mint-apple. Add sparkling water, some fruit a parasol and toast away! (Het Lokaal)
- Another fine base are pure fruit juices with a deeper flavor, such as elderberry, black currant, cherry or red currant. It tastes special and gives a nice color to your drink. Tip: use Naturfrisk's Indian tonic to dilute your drink. Available in all three health food stores.
Did you make a wickedly delicious mocktail as a result of this blog? Tag us on Facebook or @tijdvooramersfoort on Instagram in your post or Story. Because I want to see that of course!