For example the total abstainers? Cousin Sue who is pregnant with twins? What are they supposed to drink? That dreadful sugar-free diet orange squash that always puts a film on your teeth? Maybe a tonic without the gin? Canned pre-mixed drinks that look radioactive in the glass?
Not anymore! Because now, everyone can spend an absolutely delightful Christmas and New Year enjoying cocktails and straight drinks without getting sick, hungover or risking a driving ban. How? Meet CleanCo!
CleanCo was founded in 2019 by Spencer Matthews a TV personality, entrepreneur and podcaster. Spencer decided that he didn't want to drink alcohol any more but was irritated that the alcohol free choices available to him where soft drinks, water or mocktails that really were not that enjoyable.
So like many inventive people before him, when Spencer realised that as there weren't any suitable alternatives he would set out to create them. And after much research, experimentation, blending and testing CleanCo was founded.
But CleanCo state very firmly that the company is not anti-alcohol in any way. They are just pro-choice and pro the idea of being able to enjoy several G&Ts after your evening meal or after the Christmas feasting without waking up with a hangover and a thumping headache!
So, what's available for your Christmas drinks table?
CleanG which is a very tasty dry gin which has delicious notes of juniper, citrus fruits and herbal essences. My wife described this as an exceptionally clean gin-style drink that had definite digestion calming effects. "Don't forget, gin was originally sold as a medicine for stomach ailments," she told me.
There's also CleanG Rhubarb, a rhubarb flavoured version.
CleanR is a delightful spiced rum, crafted to have a comparable mouthfeel an flavour to rum with alcohol, it's excellent for making perfect recreations of your rum cocktails but with no nasty hangovers!
CleanT is an alcohol-free Tequila, which has all of the Tequila taste with none of the after-effects when blended to make lovely acohol-free cocktails.
CleanW is an alcohol-free whiskey which has bold oakwood, orange, and vanilla notes with a smooth and spicy finish. Ideal with a splash of tonic water or in a whiskey cocktail.
CleanV is a vodka with the alcohol. Carefully blended to replicate the taste and mouthfeel of vodka, it has a crisp wheat and rye spirit with a peppery and spicy finish. Ideal for those hangover-free cocktails on Christmas morning!
She was suitable impressed when she discovered that each 75cl bottle actually retails at £16.00 a bottle, as do all the other drinks in their range. And you can save money by signing up for a subscription, too, with a 10% discount.
But you can also buy CleanCo products as part of your regular shopping runs including Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsburys, ASDA, Morrisons and Ocado, as well as a range of independent bottle shops.
Also check out bars, restaurants and experiential venues across the country too. Find the full list here https://clean.co/pages/store-locations
You'll also find a fantastic range of cocktails here https://clean.co/blogs/clean-cocktails