Non-Alcoholic Champagne Alternatives for New Year's Eve? Good Questions

Q: My best friend is expecting her first child (a girl!) and can't celebrate with champagne on New Year's Eve. I want to bring her something bubbly for the toast, but want it to be a little more special and exciting than simply a bottle of sparkling cider.

Do you have any suggestions for fun, bubbly virgin cocktails for the New Year?

Sent by Julie

Editor: Julie, yes! In fact, we just published several posts that dealt with this very question. The first one below is especially suited to your question; we highly recommend the sparkling tea talked about there.

• Non-Alcoholic (Yet Special!) Sips for the Holidays
• Buckler: Our Favorite Non-Alcoholic Beer (So Far)
• Straight Up: Non-Alcoholic Cocktails that Impress

Readers, do you have other good ideas for Julie and her friend?

Next question?

(Images: Golden Star Tea; Vignette Wine Country Soda)

Comments (12)

Golden Star Tea is excelent, I just went through a few bottles at various xmas gatherings this year. On the deliciousness scale it's way higher then sparkling cider.

Thank you for this post. My wife is pregnant with our first child and I was curious about the same thing. Might be a bit pricey but probably worth it for that special toast this New Year

Be careful of "non-alcoholic" wines and beers. They often have alcohol in them, just in minor qualities. As someone who has many friends in recovery from alcohol addiction, it was actually a pregnant friend who pointed this out to me.

Golden Star Tea is wonderful, as Tristan mentioned, since it's far better than that syrupy sweet sparkling apple cider.

I often do some grated ginger, lime, a dash of cranberry, and soda water, which is delicious.

There's a history of alcoholism in my family so I've chosen not to drink alcohol for that reason. There are so many delicious drinks you can whip up with fruit and soda water.

If you live in a cold climate like I do you can do one of my favorite drinks: hot mulled apple cider. Get normal apple cider and heat it on the stove with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, and lemon slices. You can also make some mulled wine as well for those who want alcohol.

Just noticed Cascal soda at Whole Foods, which looks to be another grown-up soda/alcohol alternative. It comes in these flavors: Crisp White, with notes of pear, apricot and magnolia; Light Red, with notes of blackcurrant, cherry and mirabelle; and Fine Dry, with notes of cherry, apple and anise.

Sounds interesting, but I can't find anything other than press releases on it, so I don't know if it's any good.
Has anyone tried this?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Dry Soda - the Lavender is addictive, the lemongrass and kumquat are also good. The soda is (as the name suggests) very dry and refreshing, and not cloying, syrupy, or overly sweet. I love it with tasty food.

Ikea has some nice sparkling beverages--peach, pear, apple. Also, my husband got some when I was pregnant and I think the name was "Fre." I remember it being very good. I think this is it: http://www.frewines.com/wines/brut.html

I've been mixing sparkling water with apple cider lately & love it!

If your friend is still in the queasy stomach stage, ginger is the way to go. I liked GUS Sodas, the ginger ale and the grapefruit, when I was pregnant. The fizzy sour flavor calmed my very not calm stomach.

I had my baby on New Year's Eve, and missed out on the celebration entirely! (Good trade though.)

I am pregnant and have been enjoying mixing sparkling water with fruit juice infusions like grapefruit/ginger... drop in a couple of pomegranate seeds and it looks pretty.

I came across a 0.0% non alcoholic champagne called MALLINAZERO, this drink is great for expectant mothers. Its targetted at muslims so its definately got no alcohol. I found them at www.mallinazero.com
It tastes lovely...