Healthy drinks for Christmas: alternatives to alcohol

Give the liver a break and try one of these sophisticated fruit drinks which have depth and complexity to echo red, white or rose wine. There’s a Wild Blueberry Crush for lovers of red wine; a Raspberry Lemonade if your fancy runs to pink, or a classic Wild Elderflower Bubbly for those who like white wines and fizz. The most attractive feature of all three is that fact that they look great in the glass and taste dry enough not to compete with food. They are also made from natural fruit without any enhancers or additives to show off a full flavour. Two of these Luscombe drinks won awards at the 2009 Great Taste Awards (the Booker Prize of the food world!) and although they are not cheap, they are a great choice for anyone who has to drive, avoids alcohol or just fancies a change. With their touch of sweetness, these drinks would pair brilliantly with curry, Thai food and all kinds of Chinese cuisine, as well as salads - this softness would cut through the sharpness of lemon or vinegar in the dressing

Luscombe Drinks (£1.50-£4.00 per bottle, from Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Whole Foods and many independent retailers nationwide)

ROZ COOPER: BIOGRAPHY

Roz began her wine career in California, leading wine tours and tasting wines for a wine warehouse near San Francisco. She then ran her own California wine import business in the UK and subsequently became assistant editor of Decanter magazine, then wrote various books on wine including The Wine Almanac. Since then, she has written wine columns in many publications and edited books and magazines, including The Italian Magazine. She’s passionate about green issues including organic and biodynamic winemaking and also works on a voluntary basis with the Galapagos Conservation Trust.

Tags: Entertainment & food, Wine of the Week