Here are five tasty no-alcohol choices to try this weekend
Irish soft drinks
Ireland always did itself proud with its ‘fizzy pop’ or ‘minerals’. Some homegrown brands were local favourites, like McDaid’s Football Special from Donegal. Others were nationwide affairs, like TK Red Lemonade or Cidona. Today, a new generation of Irish soft drinks is offering fresh flavours and even functional benefits, giving greater choice to anyone looking for a tasty and natural booze-free option.
Launched in 1955 by Bulmers, early ads promoted Cidona as an alcohol-free alternative to its cider (“for him”), describing it as a “non-alcoholic sparkling apple drink for all the family”. I learned that fun fact from Ann Marie Duffin of the excellent Bia Duit food history Instagram page. She was speaking with food writer Ali Dunworth at last summer’s Beyond the Pale festival, along with Liam Tutty of Athlone’s Irish Craft Soda Company.