Pimp up your alcohol free drinks for the festive season!

So you fancy giving Mindful Drinking a go but you’re not sure what to choose or how to make your drinks look as pretty as the alcoholic versions you’re used to.

The truth is, when it comes to being alcohol free for the night the key is in the planning.

If you know where you are going, look up the venue before you leave. You can check their alcohol free drinks menu and choose what you want before you arrive. It saves you wondering and getting nervous about making a choice AND it will stop you getting to the bar and reverting to your usual because you feel embarrassed.

If you’re in the mood for a cocktail, always ask the bar staff if they can make you something that is similar to your favorite cocktail but with no alcohol.  In my experience the bar staff love to show off and make something a little different to just pouring a pint or measuring out a glass of wine.

Be bold! If you’re ordering something like a lime and soda don’t be afraid to ask for some decoration or extra flavourings like a slice of lemon, lime or mint. I love it when I order a Berry Kopperburg and they fill the glass with ice and top it with raspberries and strawberries for a refreshing summer look!

There are lots of ways of making your drinks look pretty at home too.  Add flavoured balls from someone like PoppaBall, they give it a dash of colour and make it extra tasty too.  There are lots of versions of Drims on the market now too to add that extra bit of Martini style glamour. What’s a drim? It’s a fine dust that goes around the edge of your glass a bit like the sugar rim you might find on a martini glass. It looks pretty and adds flavour too!

If you’re drinking a clear or light coloured liquid you can get flavoured shimmers to sprinkle into them giving them a glamorous holographic look, you can get non flavoured ones that just change the colour of the liquid too.  They are usually all shimmery and make the drink swirling round look very hypnotic. I love using these at kids parties too. A great way to add some zing without any fuss!

Don’t forget that even if you are choosing a simple alcohol free alternative, ask for it in your favourite style glass.  If you like to drink from a glass with a stem, ask for it, if you prefer a tall tumbler for a longer style drink, ask for that or of your preference is a short tumbler with only one cube of ice ask for that.  How you drink your drink is up to you, whoever serves you will just go with the standard glass but will always be happy to oblige if you ask for a different style. It’s your drinking experience, make it your choice!

For more ideas or if you have anything you can share head over to our Facebook group The MIndful Sips Community. We share lots of hints and tips about mindful drinking as well as some other gems from our 5 pillars, Myth Busting, Momentum, Mindfulness, MIndset and the Magic that happens when you drink mindfully or take a break from the booze.

Through December we've got an Alcohol Free Advent on Instagram where we are sharing a new drink each day to inspire you to be mindful.

Feeling adventurous? Take our Mindful Drinking Festive Booze Frazzle course to see what benefits mindful drinking over the feastive season can have for you.

Thanks for being part of Mindful Sips x