How to make delicious low ABV cocktails with CleanCo

There’s more reasons to drink less alcohol than just giving it up for the month of January. There’s plenty of health benefits to go along with them too, not to mention forgoing the dreaded hangover.

Thanks to excellent low ABV drinks brands, giving up alcohol is easier to do than ever. CleanCo is an innovative brand, designed to appeal to anyone curious about moderating or refraining from drinking. It’s paved the way for us to enjoy a sophisticated, grown up tipple that feels like drinking, but won’t leave you feeling worse for wear the following day. It’s also award winning too, after three of its creations won two golds and a bronze at the International Wines and Spirits Competition 2021.

Head to CleanCo where bottles are just £19

After coming to life in 2019, CleanCo was founded by Spencer Matthews, who made a name for himself in Channel 4’s Made in Chelsea as one of the original cast members. CleanCo is the result of his own moderation journey. And thanks to him, the brand lives up to its tagline “anything but dry”, as these low ABV spirits are far from boring and are all about the drink, but not getting drunk.

Notoriously, spirits are one of the hardest alcoholic beverages to replicate in the low and zero ABV world. CleanCo has created six alcohol free bottles: a London gin, Clean G (plus a rhubarb flavoured gin, Clean G Rhubarb and a pink gin, Clean G Pink), a rum, Clean R, a vodka, Clean V Spiced Apple and a tequila, Clean T. None of which will leave people feeling like they’re sipping something more akin to lemonade or that’s sickly sweet.

Instead CleanCo doesn’t make you feel like you’re giving up something, or missing out thanks to its clever blending processes, excellent flavours and well designed cocktail recipes too, it really does taste like the real thing. The non-alcoholic spirits are free from sugars and sweeteners, as well as being gluten and lactose free, plus they’re vegan. The spirits also have less than 15 calories per serve, setting them apart from other alcoholic beverages like wine or beer that are more calorific. But the best benefit is that each flavour is less than 0.5 per cent ABV, meaning you’ll be hangover free the next day, hurrah! Lastly, CleanCo spirits are also much cheaper than their high ABV counterparts too, at just £19 a bottle, compared to some gins, rums and vodkas that can cost anything of £30 upwards.

So, let us introduce you to your next favourite tipple, so you can stock up your home bar with one, or a few, of these cracking alcohol free bottles.

Head to CleanCo where bottles are just £19

Where it all started, this was the brand’s first creation that came to life in 2019, which has been designed to replicate a classic London dry gin. By using an innovative extraction method that gives a more intense signature juniper flavour, which gin is so recognisable for, and a recently updated recipe, it won Gold at the IWSC 2021. At less than 0.5 per cent ABV, it features a crisp juniper flavour that’s perfectly balanced with botanicals and the brand’s secret recipe. Serve it with lemon and fresh mint to create a delicious G&T.

Perfect pour: 50ml over ice, 150ml of a light tonic, lemon, fresh mint leaves to garnish.

Signature Clean G recipe: Clean Club

Ingredients: 50ml of Clean G, 15ml of lemon juice, 15ml of honey syrup, 2.5ml orange blossom water and four raspberries.

Method: Add all ingredients into shaker, wet shake (with ice), single strain, dry shake (without ice), and fine strain into a rocks glass over ice cubes. Garnish and serve.

Clean G (£19), Try it now

More of a rum lover? Is your go-to cocktail a dark and stormy? Then this one’s for you. Taking inspiration from a spiced Caribbean rum, it’s distilled with warming spices, a hint of cayenne pepper and has a gorgeous golden caramel colour, making it as irresistible as it sounds. If you need any more convincing, Clean R won Bronze at the IWSC 2021 too.

Perfect pour: 50ml over ice, topped with cola or ginger ale and a wedge of fresh lime.

Clean R cocktail recipe: Cubra libra

Ingredients: 50ml of Clean R, 150ml of premium cola, lime wedges.

Method: Fill a highball glass with ice, pour in 50ml of Clean R and top with cola. Squeeze the juice of one lime wedge and add a second fresh lime wedge to garnish.

Clean R (£19), Try it now

Margarita fans rejoice, as there’s a hangover free option in town for your favourite cocktail. Based on a blanco tequila, that has that classic agave flavour, Clean T is soft and fresh on the palete, with flavours including olive, sweet melon and ends with a peppery dry finish.

Perfect pour: Try the Triple T, 50ml Clean T over ice, topped with tonic and a dash of Tabasco.

Clean T cocktail recipe: Pa-low-ma

Ingredients: 50ml Clean T, 25ml pink grapefruit juice, 100ml light bitter lemon.

Method: Build serve in a spritz / large wine glass filled with ice. Garnish with a grapefruit slice and sprig of mint.

Clean T (£19), Try it now

To buy the full range of CleanCo’s alcohol free spirits, visit clean.co . CleanCo is also available at Amazon, and major supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsburys, Ocado and Morrisons