Alcohol-free drinks to unwind on a night in
Five great alcohol-free drinks to unwind with at home, from a homemade spritz to a juicy peach mood drink, plus easy ways to make the evening ritual feel special.
It is Friday, half seven, there is a playlist on and something good in the oven. You want a drink in your hand to mark the start of the weekend, and these days it is just as likely to be one of the many great alcohol-free drinks to unwind with as a glass of wine.
The best ones taste brilliant, feel like a proper treat and suit the night you have planned. Pick something you love, pour it with a bit of ceremony, and your evening starts right there.
The quick version
- The evening drink is mostly about the moment it marks, and that moment is yours to keep.
- Great picks range from a homemade spritz and a mood drink to 0% beer and a warm mug.
- Home is where most alcohol-free drinking happens, which makes the night in the main event.
- Lots of ice and a fresh garnish turn any soft drink into an occasion.
- Peak Calm is a caffeine free, juicy peach mood drink with magnesium, made for winding down.
Why is everyone rethinking the evening drink?
A whole generation is drinking less, and the alcohol-free aisle has grown into one of the most exciting parts of the shop. What people are holding on to is the ritual, because the drink was always a signal that work is over and the evening belongs to you.
That ritual has real pull. Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that people who made a small ceremony of eating a chocolate bar, snapping it in half before unwrapping each piece, enjoyed it more than people who simply ate it. Anyone with a favourite glass will know exactly what they mean.
What are the best alcohol-free drinks to unwind with?
It depends on the night you have in mind. Here are five favourites and the moments they suit best:
- A mood drink. A mood drink is a soft drink made around how you want to feel. Choose a relaxed one for the moment you walk through the door, and it carries on nicely into dinner.
- A homemade spritz. Fill a wine glass with ice, add a splash of pink grapefruit or blood orange juice, top it up with soda and finish with lime and a sprig of rosemary. It is perfect for a warm evening or friends coming round.
- A 0% spirit and tonic. A heavy tumbler, a generous pour of tonic and a twist of citrus peel give you the full bar experience at home. This is the one for anyone who always loved the clink of the ice.
- Alcohol-free beer or wine. If you love the taste of the real thing, these slot straight in. A cold beer suits a takeaway and the football, while an alcohol-free red sits happily next to a proper dinner.
- Something warm. On dark winter evenings, warm milk with cinnamon and a little honey makes a cosy finish to the night, ideally with a blanket and a film.
How do you make a night in feel special?
Small touches do most of the work, and they cost next to nothing:
- Keep one glass just for your evening drink, so reaching for it becomes the cue.
- Add a slice of peach, a few mint leaves or a curl of orange peel.
- Put a record on, light a candle or open the window, whatever tells you the evening has started.
- Leave your phone in another room for ten minutes and really taste what you are drinking.
Most of this happens on the sofa. A 2024 study of adults in Great Britain found that people enjoy their alcohol-free and low alcohol drinks at home more often than in pubs, bars or restaurants, so the night in is where this new drinking culture is really being made.
Meet Peak Calm
Calm is our relaxed mood: relaxed, not tired. Every can is a lightly sparkling juicy peach drink with 70mg of magnesium, 50mg of L-theanine, L-tryptophan, glycine and vitamins B3, B6, B7 and B12. It is caffeine free and vegan, with 33 calories a can, and our guide to magnesium drinks explains why they are the new evening favourite.
Our founder Louie made it for the switch off part of the day, after years of using alcohol to get there. People open a can as the laptop closes, pour it over ice with a squeeze of lime for an easy peach spritz, or have it alongside dinner. We have served it in a Calm room at Ministry of Sound too, so it is as comfortable at a party as it is at home.
Try Peak Calm, the juicy peach mood drink for your evening ritual.
Common questions
What can I drink instead of wine to relax?
Alcohol-free wine is the closest match if you love the taste. If you mostly love the sense of occasion, a spritz or a mood drink poured into a wine glass gives you exactly that.
Do alcohol-free drinks contain any alcohol?
Some contain a tiny trace, and in England a drink labelled alcohol free can contain up to 0.05%. Peak Calm is a soft drink made with no alcohol at all.
How many calories are in Peak Calm?
Each 250ml can has 33 calories. The NHS puts a standard 175ml glass of 12% wine at up to 158.
When is the best time to drink Calm?
Whenever you want to slow down, whether that is straight after work, before a big presentation or on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Which alcohol-free drinks work for a night out?
Our guide to the best alcohol-free drinks for a night out covers what to order at the bar and how to pace a late one.
Pick your mood
Relaxed, not tired
Calm
Meet Calm
A caffeine-free sparkling peach drink with magnesium, L-theanine, glycine and L-tryptophan, made for unwinding.
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