Sober October: The best alcohol-free wines, beer, cider and spirits

Sober October is upon us, but going alcohol-free doesn’t mean scrimping on flavour. Here’s our pick of the best alcohol-free beverages to see you through the month …

By Christian Koch

After a summer which has seen a beer-soaked World Cup, temperatures tailor-made for pub gardens and barbecues, and more than a few discarded BuzzBallz littering our streets, it might be time for a change-of-pace.

Sober October could provide the perfect excuse. With all money raised going to charity (Alcohol Change UK) and an ever-expanding range of high-quality alcohol-free wines, beers and spirits to choose from, there’s never been a better time to go booze-free – even if it’s just for 31 days.

Here’s to that!

White wine: Torres Natureo

A green glass wine bottle with white label.

This family-run Catalan winery has been producing wine since the 1870s and were early adopters of the Nolo movement, having made alcohol-free versions for nearly 20 years. Made from muscat grapes, its semi-dry Natureo is magnífic.

Order Torres Natureo

Red wine: Noughty Rouge

A bottle of red wine with red label on a plinth next to a glass of red wine.

Thomas & Scott’s Noughty range produces some of the UK’s most reliable and flavoursome Nolo wines. Check out this flamboyant, fruit-forward humdinger made from South African syrah grapes.

Order Noughty Rouge

Rosé wine: Wednesday’s Domaine Elan

A rose wine bottle with pink label.

The Nolo wines from Wednesday’s Domaine – so named for the 'Should I, Shouldn’t I?’ dilemma that often accompanies mid-week socialising – are proving a big hit at the moment. This pale-pink rosé is another zero-zero hero.

Order Wednesday’s Domaine Elan

Sparkling wine: Wild Idol

A dark sparkling wine bottle surrounded by fruit.

Wild Idol has secured a spot on the drinks list at Nobu and the Dorchester, thanks to the succulent, aromatic character of the müller-thurgau German grapes used in this Kent-made fizz. So good, you might want to order a bottle of its booze-free bubbles for Christmas (or even once Sober October’s finished).

Order Wild Idol

Beer: Lidl Perlenbacher

A case of six beers in blue, white and green packaging.

This German pils (but actually brewed in France – shhh!) recently took the top score in the 2026 Which? test, with nearly three-quarters of tasters saying they’d be happily quaff it instead of the alcoholic version. Worth venturing beyond the middle aisle for.

Order Lidl Perlenbacher

Cider: Red Zero from Sandford Orchards

A bottle of cider with red and white label.

Few drinks capture the essence of autumn quite like cider. Fortunately, there are some excellent alcohol-free options such as this multi-award-winning fermented apple juice from Sandford Orchards, a family-run Devon cider mill. For zebra-stripers, check out their Red Zebra case too.

Order Red Zero from Sandford Orchards

Gin: Cygnet Infinity

A slender pink gin bottle next to a gin glass.

The long list of botanicals in this Welsh gin such as manuka honey, Siberian ginseng, angelica root, bee pollen, lion’s mane and chrysanthemum make it sound more like an Erewhon-style health tonic. Fortunately, it tastes every bit as stunning as that ingredient list. Fun fact: Cygnet was founded by tonsil titan Katherine Jenkins.
Order Cygnet Infinity

Tequila: Almave Blanco blue agave spirit

A blue bottle of tequila next to a glass.

For some of us, eating Mexican food is now unthinkable without enjoying a margarita or two. This zero-proof tequila from F1 driver Lewis Hamilton should prove a worthy pit-stop for margarita lovers going booze-free.
Order Almave Blanco

Find out more about Sober October here.