Since I started taking my powerlifting seriously, I’ve had to curb my drinking. Getting older, along with hormonal changes and training 4 times a week means that I’ve stopped going out so much, and my regular G&T after work has to be either plain tonic, or something no or low alcohol.
In some respects, getting older sucks (though I’m assured that things get better the other side of perimenopause. Promises promises.
Whatever your reasons for reducing your boozing, it’s great to see the market is so much better than it was. Rather than a soda and lime, or limiting yourself to a mixer, water or juice, you now have more ‘grown up’ options. No or low ‘spirits’, wines (though I’ve only found a small number that are palatable), beers and cocktails are appearing on menus more frequently. Note I don’t use the term mocktail deliberately, my preference is for a cocktail that just happens to be no or low in alcohol.
Finding a gin style option, given my penchant for it was an essential. I have already tried the spirit from Clean Co and was suitably impressed. But how do others compare? This is the first of many of my forays into no and low drinks, as I find those that I want to add to my bar shelves.
Tanqueray 0.0% is a non-alcoholic gin that was first released in 2021. It is made with the same botanicals as regular Tanqueray gin, juniper, coriander, angelica root, and liquorice, but it does not contain any alcohol. When it comes to the alcohol content in a drink there are a number of ways to remove it, or as is the case with Tanqueray 0%, just not use any at all. Instead the botanicals are added to water on an individual basis, and then distilled, before being blended to create the right flavour profile. The latter means that there can be consistency in the product, no matter what the variations may be in the botanicals.
Whilst no and low tends to be cheaper than full alcohol, it’s still higher than you might expect – a bottle of Tanqueray 0.0 is around £17, whereas a standard bottle of full strength is £22. This is on a par with other brands, though along with Clean Co, Gordons and Warner Edwards, it’s one of the easiest to obtain – available from most supermarkets (which also means it’s regularly on offer at a lower price).
I recently had the opportunity to try Tanqueray 0% and I was very impressed. The flavour is very similar to regular Tanqueray gin, with a strong juniper backbone and a hint of spice you’d expect. Despite being 0% it’s big on flavour, even if the texture is unsurprisingly much thinner and flatter.
In a G&T, you can barely taste the difference. It is a little lighter perhaps, and the palate less rich, but the crisp smell and experience is as close as you’re going to get without the booze.
I’ve yet to have a play more in cocktails, but have sampled it on a cocktail menu in a 0% negroni which was delightful. I must admit my default when it comes to Tanqueray 0.0 is a very large G&T – which is probably why I’ve run out. Again.
Overall, this is a great n/a option for anyone who wants or needs to step away from alcohol. The only issue you’ll have is how often you’ll have to stock up on tonic!