Alcohol-free drinks bring proxies, shrubs and sparkling tea to menus

Restaurants and retailers are expanding the range of high-quality alcohol-free drinks — including de-alcoholised wines, proxies, shrubs and sparkling teas — designed to accompany meals and special occasions.

Menus and specialty shops are increasingly offering refined alcohol-free drinks that aim to accompany food and mark occasions in place of wine. Producers, sommeliers and chefs describe these beverages as distinct creations rather than direct imitations of alcohol. The trend reflects a cultural shift toward mindful drinking and a focus on complex flavours and high-quality ingredients. Experts and makers quoted include sommeliers and chefs who work with these alternatives. What is on the menu: - De-alcoholised wines and beers remove alcohol after production, often using vacuum distillation; producers and chefs say wine is more difficult because alcohol carries flavour and body. - Proxies are wine‑like substitutes developed in fine dining that use fermented bases, tea, herbs, roots and vinegar to provide tannin, acidity and structure without relying on sugar. - Sparkling teas are carbonated high‑quality tea infusions sometimes enhanced with herbs, flowers or fruit essences; tea tannins can give a texture similar to wine. - Fermented drinks such as kombucha use yeasts and bacteria to create tangy, effervescent and complex flavours that develop over time. - Shrubs, oxymels and verjus are vinegar‑ or unripe grape‑juice‑based components that add tang and are often mixed with soda or tonic for layered drinks. Summary: A wider variety of handcrafted, ingredient‑led alcohol-free drinks is appearing on restaurant menus and in specialist retail, and their production methods and presentation contribute to higher prices in some cases. Undetermined at this time.