CLEAN DRINKING
Clean Drinking is definitely NOT boring…!
The season of indulgence has passed and its now time to “ring in the new and ring out the old” – as Tennyson so nicely put it. We are all ready for something fresh and the best place for this to start is in the kitchen (of course!). How many of us are putting the sweets and spirits back in the cupboard and filling our tables with leafy greens and lights meats instead?
There are so many healthy drink alternatives to alcohol these days that will make you feel good, so we wanted to share the “dry” concoctions we’ve been enjoying here at Earth and Ocean and highlight some of these tasty alternatives:
Sparkling Water
Craft sparkling water is certainly a current trend. Modern packaging and wide varieties of flavours make this an easy and fun alternative to sugary or alcoholic drinks. UK companies like DA-SH water and AQUA LIBRA sparkling water are making a splash in the drinks market with flavoured water. However, we’ve been making our own with sparkling water and a spoonful or two of The Slow Vinegar Company‘s delicious Orange & Lemon or Sweet Winter Spice vinegar mixed in, it is just so refreshing! Check out the recipe here.
Water Kefir
Water kefir is a fermented, carbonated beverage that is produced using water kefir grains that look a bit like really tiny clear, colourless cauliflowers. You can easily buy these grains online from companies such Freshly Fermented to make your own. It takes a few days to make water kefir from start to finish but is hugely satisfying.
You can also buy bottles already made from companies like Nordic Wellness Drinks (which happen to be located just down the road from us!). They are a British company inspired by nature and Nordic living. Their produce water kefir in an array of flavours including Sea Buckthorn and Elderflower.
Kombucha
Kombucha is also a wild fermented drink that uses a “mother” instead of starter grains. We’ve tried making it here and although we found it a bit more complex and fiddly than water kefir, it’s definitely possible to make a perfectly tasty drink within a few days.
If you just want the drink without the faff(!), try the Sparkling English Rose Kombucha brewed in Suffolk by artisan kombucha makers, L.A. Brewery.
Non Alcoholic Spirits
Clean spirits seem to be taking the UK by storm. There are now so many British producers creating clean spirits that taste wonderful and leave you feeling bright and clear. We are particularly fond of the Rhubarb flavoured gin alternative by CLEAN CO. and the non alcoholic Juniper flavoured spirit from SEA ARCH on the Devon coast, simply divine.
You don’t have to look too far for a healthy mixer either. TWELVE BELOW in Buckinghamshire produce the UK’s first 100% all natural genuinely low sugar tonic, they have options for a classic taste or delicious options like ‘Lime & Basil’ and ‘Apple & Mint”.
So let’s celebrate both a clean, fresh start to the new year as well as all these creative & passionate producers throughout the UK dedicated to making healthy drinks…
