What to Drink During Dry July: A Guide for Every Occasion

Thirty-one days without alcohol doesn't have to mean thirty-one days of soda water.

With so many amazing non-alcoholic drink options available, white-knuckling your way through Dry July doesn't have to happen.

Why the Occasion Matters More Than the Category

Most "what to drink" lists hand you a category; wine alternatives, beer alternatives, and leave the rest to you. That's not how drinking actually works.

Societal conditioning has positioned alcohol as the reward. After a long day, at the end of a long working week 'you deserve a drink'.

But the reward isn't the alcohol; it's the ritual. The cocktail on a Friday evening isn't really about the alcohol; it is easing from work week into weekend mode.

A well-chosen non-alc drink holds that ritual in place. Here's what to have on hand, broken down by the moment you're actually in.

After Work

The alcohol-as-reward message runs deep, and nowhere more so than the end of the workday.

The ritual is what we want to maintain; you just don't need alcohol in it.

Island Hopping Hop Water :crisp, refreshing, without the heaviness of calories. Just what you need as you begin dinner preps.

Dayse Easing: ginger with L-theanine and passionflower. Adding to unwinding you from your day.

Before Dinner: The Aperitivo Moment

The aperitif exists because the transition from afternoon to dinner deserves its own drink.

Crodino Aperitivo Biondo: it's a way to celebrate that moment when the working day comes to an end and it's time to relax, sipping something refined and delicious. Enjoy this distinctive drink that is spicy and bittersweet, in a wine goblet with ice.

Mischief Brew Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo Spritz: another drink to move from daytime into evening, or anytime. Fresh with grapefruit undertones and makes for a fancy non-alc cocktail.

Dinner: A Glass That Belongs on the Table

We believe wine paired with good company and good food brings out the best flavours.

NON 9: if you've been looking for a good red, this is it. Roasted plum, beetroot, forest-floor earthiness and firm tannins; it's complex enough to hold your attention across a whole meal, not just the first sip.

Altina Pepperberry Shiraz: built on de-alcoholised Australian Shiraz, with native Pepperberry adding a spicy edge that's distinctly local. Dark chocolate and smooth vanilla in the finish mean it drinks full and rich; really delicious next to a slow-cooked meal or a hearty pasta without asking you to compromise.

Tread Softly Pinot Grigio: light, crisp, and properly balanced. Pear, nashi, lemon peel and a dry zesty finish. It doesn't demand much of you, which is exactly the point on a warm evening with something light on the plate.

The Friday Close

Friday evening carries a different weight. The week needs a proper close.

Sierra Nevada Trail Pass IPA: brewed traditionally rather than de-alcoholised, so the flavour hasn't been stripped and reconstructed. Citrus and pine from Amarillo and CTZ hops, smooth malt body, clean finish. If you're a beer drinker, this is the one that doesn't make you feel like you've given anything up.

La Vie en Rose: a single-serve sparkling rosé built from natural ingredients and native Australian botanicals. Hibiscus, native Rosella and rose petals, with a dry finish and only 29 calories per 100ml. Complex without being precious, and it mixes well if you want to take it somewhere different.

The Weekend BBQ

Put something in the esky before you leave. Perth winters are mild enough that a July BBQ is never really off the table.

Moo Brew Notto Blotto Sparkling Hop Water: One of our favourite hop waters, citrus flavour shine here through the hops. Zero Cals, zero sugar.

Mixed Bundles: the practical solution for the BBQ because it has a variety of drinks for everyone. If you are trying this before, it gives you a taster of what you like before you commit to a full case.

The Mellows Bundle:has flavour combinations that are delicious; each can carrying 132mg of L-theanine, the ingredient that supports calm without sedation. The drink is doing more than tasting good; it's helping you actually unwind.

Beer Bundles: bring together pale ales, IPAs and hazys so you go to the weekend with a mixed esky without committing to a full case of one thing.

How We Choose What Goes On Our Shelves

Shift Lanes Drinks is Perth's dedicated non-alc bottle shop, we taste everything before it's listed. The non-alc market has a lot of drinks designed for the label rather than the glass; sweet, one-note, built on the assumption that you'll accept less if you're not drinking alcohol.

We don't stock those.

We look for drinks that have genuine depth in the form of balance; bitterness, acidity, sweetness and texture working together.

White-Knuckling Through Dry July Isn't the Best Strategy

White-knuckling through Dry July isn't the best strategy, we know, as we've done it. Have something good in the fridge or esky, and something to pour on a Friday evening.

Thirty-one days without something worth drinking is hard. Thirty-one days with the right drinks is just a month, that can turn into many more months of an amazing alcohol-free life.

Browse the full range at www.shiftlanes.com.au
We also have 5 click and collect locations around Perth metro, and do ship Australia wide.