Review: Sobriety Alcohol-Free Drinks

Last week I was sent some sample bottles of Sobriety’s alcohol-free drinks by the Sensible Drinks co. Supposedly created for people who like the taste of alcohol but dislike the hangover, or those attempting to reduce their alcohol intake by replacing it with a placebo, the concept behind these beverages is very logical. The two original flavours are Juniper & Tonic and Rosé inspired drinks, so I’ll give a comprehensive review of these. With a few of my housemates, I tested these drinks and so this review is based on both their and my opinions.

Juniper & Tonic

Smell: I would basically advise you not to smell this drink. Bleach, cleaning fluid and chemicals were all words that flew around the room as we smelt it. Perhaps it’s the ingredients in the drink that lend to the unpleasant smell but whatever it is, it isn’t good.

Aesthetic: For this drink, the glass bottle shape is good. It’s easy to get away with believing this could potentially be an alcoholic mixer.

Taste: Unfortunately, the taste was dreadful. I felt slightly sick after trying the bizarre flavour which tasted very, very different from a gin and tonic. Some of the most descriptive comments that came out were ‘this tastes like medicine, but bad medicine’, ‘I would drink this if I were paid to’ and ‘ew’. Sadly, as much as I appreciate the idea, this drink needs tweaking.

Rosé

Smell: This smelt very sweet, almost like a strawberry sugar drink. It wasn’t as unpleasant as the Juniper & Tonic drink but it still wasn’t as appealing as I feel it could have been.

Aesthetic: In the same bottle as the Juniper & Tonic, it seemed like the wrong look for a fake wine drink. I think if I was trying to use these drinks as a means to get over alcoholism or a similar problem the look of the Rosé beverage would be severely disappointing. Part of what I would expect from the concept of these drinks is looking the part and unfortunately, this drink looked wrong.

Taste: Though better than the Juniper & Tonic drink, we still couldn’t get on board with this drink. It was too sickly, synthetic and sweet. It wasn’t drinkable, nice or realistic so overall it was severely disappointing.

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Overall, these drinks were disappointing. The concept is a good one but the taste is so far from being realistic or drinkable. The fact that none of my friends, who are all poor university students consuming cheap drinks all the time, wouldn’t drink these speaks volumes. I appreciate the idea but the product is far from being decent enough to be used as an alcohol substitute.

5 Things Freshers Need To Know

Freshers is a daunting time. What are the key things you need to know in order to make the most of it?

1. Go to as much as possible – There are so many things on that it can be hard to go to everything but really try to go to as much as you can. It’s the best way to get to know the area you’re in and meet as many people as you can.
2. Speak to as many people as you can – Most of the time you’ll be drunk, probably. It’s so much easier to talk to people when everyone is a little more confident and open so try to just say hi to people. I found myself constantly meeting girls in the bathrooms of clubs, it seems like a great please to chat!
3. Don’t skip those timetabled introduction sessions – they might actually be important!– Boring meetings or sessions that you’re told you have to go to can be easy to skip. You’re probably hungover and tired, so why bother going? The only reason I suggest going is because you might learn some valuable information about your tutor or where places are. I actually met one of my best friends at a small timetabled tutor meeting so I can never suggest skipping these.
4. Have a stash of meals which are quick and easy to make – I turned up to uni with a cupboard full of super noodles and mugshots, super ready to be hungover and roll into the kitchen to make food. These were great for those days and they last forever (I’m still eating them a year later) but be sure to get a proper meal occasionally.
5. Everyone feels the same – It’s important to remember that everyone is new. Unlike school, it’s very likely everyone is coming to uni without knowing someone else. So it’s fine to be scared and afraid, everyone feels the same. Just relax.

 

Food: The South of England Show ’16

In a previous post, I wrote a review of the South of England Show in June 2016, an agricultural fair designed to promote and celebrate rural lifestyle and produce. The show boasted an abundance of food stalls, so I took a bunch of photos and  ate some samples and have compiled them into this article.

Let’s start with the sweet food. The photo to the left highlights just how spectacular and colourful some of the stalls were, urging you to approach and purchase one of the scrumptious goodies. My love of fudge drew me to the extensive fudge displays, of which there were many, perhaps one of the most impressive displayed on the right. It’s so difficult to stop buying food at this show, there is such variety you just want to buy a nibble of everything! The frozen yoghurt van was particularly refreshing and tasty, I went for the strawberry and raspberry combination and was not disappointed with my frozen treat. The homemade pastry and bakery stalls were also incredible, with beautifully displayed crates of layers and layers of crumbly cheese straws, pastries and cupcakes. Every year, I try to seek out the mediterranean food counter where you’re hit in the face with baskets of vibrantly-coloured Turkish Delight or a delicious selection of cashews and roasted nuts. My favourite are the honey-roasted cashew nuts, a perfect blend of a sweet and savoury snack, though the customer service was inexplicably poor. 

After you’ve had your sweet fix, though if you’re like me that might take some time, you should definitely have a savoury bite for lunch. As I mentioned earlier, cheese straws were a fantastic choice, made by Truffles Bakery. There was a fantastic selection of pies and scotch eggs of various flavours too, amongst wraps and seafood selections. It’s important to go for something that looks fresh and homemade, I think: the show aims to promote local foods and it’s great to be able to enjoy what you’re eating whilst supporting British businesses. It was fun to try all the different oils and vinegars too, there were so many great sauces everywhere, particularly ‘Must Chup‘. This sauce is a mixture of mustard and chilli ketchup and is a great variation on the original.

Lastly, alcohol. My favourite display for an alcoholic drink went to Pinkster gin. It was such a brilliant stall, see the picture below, with a pink theme and minimalistic feel. I’m not a gin drinker but was assured the flavour was good too, so if you’re looking for something a little feminine but very alcoholic then grab some of this. There were plenty of local cider stands which was nice, all too often it’s easy to get hung up on the common ciders you get in supermarkets, like Bulmers, but some of these small farm-brewed ciders have a unique taste which is pleasant to experience. Perhaps try Wobblegate Cider, produced in Sussex, for a change of cider. Back to the spirits, Thunder Toffee Vodka always appears at the show. It’s very yummy, the mixture of toffee and vodka works really well especially when it’s served cold. I always enjoy the tasters they hand out. As a drink, I think it makes a novel gift for someone who likes alcohol, or vodka specifically, yet wants something different.

Overall, farm shows and fairs in general tend to produce a lot of great food, some of which you just can’t find elsewhere. Both the flavours and displays at the South of England Show were of a high standard and make a nice change from supermarket alternatives. I would definitely recommend heading along to local fairs or farm shows to scour for locally produced food, it’s often fantastic and unique.

Drinkspiration: Skittle Bomb

I’m a big fan of this drink, I much prefer the flavour to a jägerbomb. The name comes from the fact that this drink tastes almost exactly like you’re drinking skittles, it’s so sweet. I love it, but I would say it can get sickly if you have a lot in one night. These sort of drinks are supposedly said to be bad for you: alcohol lowers your heart rate whilst energy drinks speed it up, creating a conflict. Personally I’ve never suffered a problem from drinking these but be careful.

Ingredients

• 1/2 can of Red Bull
• 1 shot of Cointreau

Enjoy!

Drinkspiration: Midori Lemonade

Midori is definitely one of my current favourite liqueurs. This bright green melon-flavoured alcohol is a fun one to drink at parties and pres, it looks very vibrant. It would work particularly well for a Halloween-themed party, it’s definitely got that spooky green colour down to a T. There are various things you can mix together with Midori (champagne, for example), but my favourite is lemonade. It makes it a very drinkable and sweet drink. At 20% alcohol volume, this liqueur is at the same volume as wine and works very well as a pre drink.

Midori Lemonade

Ingredients

• Midori
• Lemonade

I would use a shot or two of Midori and then fill the rest of the glass with lemonade. I sometimes use more Midori for a stronger drink, so experiment until you get your favourite balance.

Lucy’s Five-Step Guide To Surviving A Night Out

Being a university student, of course I have learnt a couple of tips and tricks of the trade for surviving a night out. So what are my top tips to do this?

1. Pre drink hard but slow – This is so important. Of course you want to be at least slightly drunk when you head out to that club or party. Yet the worst part is not being able to make it out: trust me. Many a night I have been seen staying in my bathroom and missing the night out because I went too hard and too fast at pres. So remember this tip.
2. Don’t mix drinks – I’m a massive believer in this one. Some of my friends ignore it and seem to survive but I throw up so quickly if I mix. I tend to go by “Beer before wine, you’ll be fine, wine before beer, you’ll feel queer”. Basically don’t mix grape-based drinks with grain-based ones.
3. Be in the right mood to party – Everyone has those nights where they feel like they’ve almost been forced to go out when they’re not in the mood. Maybe your friends coerced you into going or you bought a ticket in advance and feel like you have to go. Regardless, I’ve found that those nights where I wasn’t in the right mood have gone pretty downhill fast and I’ve regretted going out.
4. Only carry as much money as you’re willing to spend – This is one of the ones I always stick to. I tend to only take about £20 on a night out because that’s the maximum amount of money I’d be ‘okay’ with spending or losing. I tend to forget to ask how much drinks cost at 1am when I’m grabbing a boost, so it’s all too easy to spend £30 or more in one night, so I only take as much as I’m willing to spend.
5. Don’t listen to Lucy – In all honesty, I have a very bad track record at making it out and not throwing up. I’m a massive lightweight who doesn’t pre slowly enough and tends to get rather messy. So perhaps it’s best to take my advice but actually follow it, or maybe just test your luck!