With around 30% of people in the UK now saying that they are teetotal, and a similar number aiming to cut down their alcohol intake, chances are you’ll have an increasingly large gang of non-drinkers at your wedding reception. You’ll want to make the day as special for them as it is for everyone else, so which wedding drinks are you preparing to serve your non-drinking friends?
If your answer is lemonade, sparkling water, sugary drinks served with a straw… well, you might as well put your guests in the corner with the kids.
When it comes to wedding welcome drinks, reception drinks, wedding toasts or any other occasions in which adult-appropriate non-alcoholic wedding drinks are required, we reckon there’s only one way to go. It has to be REAL Royal Flush Sparkling Tea.
Created by a founder who rarely drinks, this sensational non-alcoholic alternative to a sparkling wine has been celebrated for its flavour and sophistication. If you’re looking for a non-alcoholic way to toast the happy couple, this may be the drink you've been looking for.
WHAT ARE THE BEST DRINKS TO SERVE AT YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION?
Traditionally, you would want something with a bit of pizzazz – a sparkling serve with a sense of occasion, but one that contains a level of acidity that really balances out the flavour. Most people prefer something not too sweet as the drink shouldn’t overwhelm any hors d’oeuvres being served, which is why bubbly and Prosecco are common. This is often an issue for non-drinkers as sugary soft drinks have always been seen as the obvious non-alcoholic alternative.
In recent years, however, drinks such as Royal Flush have proven to be a far better option, offering a level of sophistication and subtlety of flavour that other non-alcoholic drinks have rarely achieved.
Although non-alcoholic wedding drinks options have increased in recent years, they’re not always spot on. Non-alcoholic wines, for example, can be hit and miss largely because of the amount of sugar that many of them use to try and combat the loss of body that occurs when the alcohol is removed. It’s for this reason that many sommeliers have turned to the idea of a natural, premium kombucha (as opposed to flavoured kombuchas which are often created as soft drink alternatives) as their recommended celebration serve.
A quality kombucha, although fermented from tea rather than grapes, can replicate the balanced flavours, mouthfeel and desired levels of acidity that the more traditional wedding drinks would offer. And as far as premium kombuchas go, Royal Flush is as desirable as it gets. Served in over 50 Michelin-starred restaurants and favoured by many top sommeliers, it has won awards for being the perfect non-alcoholic alternative to a Sparkling Wine. With delicate
of rhubarb, blackcurrant and white peach that are entirely natural to the ingredients and fermentation process (no added flavours, so no unneccesary sugars or sweeteners), they pour beautifully into elegant flutes and are entirely appropriate as a toasting drink as the speeches come to a close.
WHAT IS BEST NON-ALCOHOLIC ALTERNATIVE TO PROSECCO?
REAL Royal Flush has been celebrated by a number of people in the drinks world, not least Sophia Longhi, the drinks writer behind SkinandPulp Sophia wrote, “Popping Royal Flush open, I still got the giddy excitement I always get when opening a bottle of bubbly. With aromas of white flowers, peaches and rhubarb, it had a fabulous zippy acidity on the palate and was pleasantly fruity, with a dry, savoury edge and a lasting length that felt refreshing, rather than synthetic and sugary.”
Elsewhere, Selfridges have compared the drink to a Prosecco, saying that, “This non-alcoholic drink… will render Prosecco a distant memory.” We couldn’t agree more!
DO ANY NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS PAIR WELL WITH FOOD?
As we’ve seen already, soft drinks have never paired well with food because of their sugar content. The same can be said for many non-alcoholic wines. For a wedding dinner, or any other formal dining occasion, a natural, premium kombucha works really well. It’s all about the mouthfeel and the balance of acidity and delicate flavours, meaning that the complexities of the meal itself are only complimented, never overwhelmed.
Roal Flush kombucha pairs well with white meats, white fish and umami-rich cream sauces. It also works well as an aperitif, with charcuterie, in place of sauterne with foie gras or dessert wines with pudding. Meanwhile, Dry Dragon kombucha is a wonderful all-day drink, great with fresh summer salads, green vegetables, shellfish or fruit. It sits naturally alongside light, fresh Asian dishes.
Serve these drinks ice-cold to allow the fresh aromas to circulate before the first taste, and you’ll have a pair of wedding drinks that will delight your non-drinking guests, making your wedding an occasion they’ll genuinely remember.