The best low- and no-alcohol drinks to serve with dinner this Christmas

Jukes Cordialities

Daily Mail wine columnist Matthew Jukes might be an unusual source of inspiration for an article like this, but trust us when we say he’s got all occasions covered with the non-alcoholic cordial brand he launched last month; Jukes Cordialities.

During a recent tasting at 67 Pall Mall, Jukes walked db through a few ways to make the cordials come alive, setting out the elite wine club’s stemmed glasses and asking us to mix the white and red cordials with still and sparkling water, and tonic water. Canapés like roast beef, croquettes,  and corn fritters were also provided to give us an idea of how they could work with food.

The idea is that you can create a wine alternative for your guests that caters to their individual tastes, whether they like their wines light and fruity, or aromatic and a little bit herbaceous.

For now, the cordials are only available from Juke’s website and through select bars and restaurants, as the critic said they’re being produced in extremely small batches.

If you want to try using cordials like these at your dinner parties, or on the big day, we thought the No. 1 went best with sparkling water as an aperitif. It paired nicely with the corn fritters, and we can see it working some smoked salmon canapés.

If you are looking for something to go with roast turkey, the No. 6 has a very pleasant strawberry flavour on the palate that could work well with meat if serving cranberry sauce on the side. Sadly, as these are cordials, there isn’t all that much tannin to work with, but this is still a fine choice for those who prefer much lighter reds.

(FYI, you could also add a splash of No 6 to Champagne if you’re looking for a slightly lighter Kir Royale, but you didn’t hear it from us).

Price: £35 for a box of nine 30ml bottles, which should generously make 12-18 large glasses, depending on how strong you like them

Find it here.