Inside tips on how to have an alcohol-free (but fun) Christmas (plus five drinks to try)

The Esky on Christmas Day will look quite different this year, as more Australians – 9 per cent at last count – opt for booze-free cocktails, wine and beer. Sobriety and non-alcoholic drinks are becoming more accepted, but on an occasion so steeped in drinking, it can be tough to explain why you're drinking a no-groni.

If anyone knows how to navigate boozy situations while abstaining, it's hospitality folk such as Jacqui Challinor, of Nomad in Sydney and Melbourne, who stopped drinking two-and-a-half years ago.

"I've realised that not drinking affects more people around you than it affects you," says Challinor. "People think there's something wrong with you."

But cutting back on alcohol can be the smartest thing to do at stressful times of year, such as Christmas.

"It's very easy to go, 'I'll have a drink and that will make me feel better'. But will it really in the end?" says publican Anthony Hammond, who has also ditched the drink.

The pubs he co-owns, The Victoria Hotel and The Builders Arms, offer up to 25 non-alcoholic options that aren't juice or soft drinks.

Australia's non-alcoholic drinks market is exploding, going from $4.5 million in value in 2020 to $141 million in 12 months. It's set to keep growing 31 per cent per year until 2024, according to market research firm IWSR.

Sophisticated drinks for adults that are just as satisfying as a crisp lager or a bitter negroni are the focus of most "no-lo" producers. These make it easier to blend in with drinkers in social situations, according to Challinor.

"If I'm with people I don't know, I will grab a non-alc something and if it's in a can that looks like a beer, you can cruise along without having to explain yourself."

She and fellow non-drinker James Cornwall, chef at Bonny in Melbourne, agree that it's often other people's expectations that put pressure on you to drink.

In Cornwall's experience, continuing to attend events and be involved helps to normalise your choice for your friends and family. His other tip is to ask a partner or a friend who knows you're not drinking to support you on the night, whether it's backing your choice or drinking some non-alcoholic drinks, too.

Moderation is also becoming more popular, with people skipping the sparkling wine for a night, a round or a week. Hammond and others say these customers make up more of their non-alcoholic sales than sober people.

"You don't have to pigeonhole yourself into are you sober or are you not. You do what you feel," he says.

Hosts also have a role to play on Christmas Day. Hammond compares the current no-low alcohol moment to when vegetarian or gluten-free diets were becoming more common.

"Be curious about your friend," he suggests. "Say to them, 'You're not drinking, what can I grab you?'"

Offering people something to drink when they arrive can kick off Christmas lunch with an unwanted conversation. It's happened to Challinor several times.

Carolyn Whiteley, founder of Seadrift non-alcoholic distillery in Sydney, gets around this at her house by offering both options: "Would you like a non-alcoholic beer or an alcoholic beer?"

She also makes her first drink of any occasion non-alcoholic, and places boozy and non-boozy drinks all in the same esky.

Everyone's number-one tip, though? Don't ask why someone's not drinking.

"I said to someone once: no one asks you why you gave up cigarettes, or gave up heroin," says Hammond.

New and recommended non-alcoholic drinks to try

Monday Distillery cocktails

Founded in 2019, this Victorian maker of 0 per cent sips has grown to offer a wide range of cocktail styles. The most summer-ready is new release Cello Bella, a refreshing sherbet and citrus-forward drop that is the brand's first foray into vodka flavours. Steam distillation of aromatic compounds will trick you into thinking you're having the real deal. The bittersweet grapefruit notes of a Paloma also sound promising for a day by the pool or on a picnic rug. $24 for 4, mondaydistillery.com or in-store at dozens of stockists (see website)

Lightning Minds pale ale

This 0.5 per cent beer offers all the tropical notes you'd expect of a pale ale, with a bitter finish and enough complexity to get sceptics over the line. A mix of three different hops and four different malts are to thank for its well-rounded character. In the glass, it's a deep amber colour, meaning you'll fit right in at the pub. $4.50 per can or $14.95 for 4, lightningminds.com.au or sansdrinks.com.au

Gruppetto Spritz cocktails

When a leading bartender wades into non-alcoholic drinks, you know you're in safe hands. Matthew Bax, creator of Bar Americano, Der Raum and other Melbourne venues, has drawn on 22 years of mixing drinks to reverse engineer a range of Italian-accented cocktails. Using ingredients like radish juice or acacia gum, they aim to mimic the flavour, texture and colour of the originals. Bax wants to show that "abstaining doesn't have to mean going without". From $7.50 each, gruppettospritz.com or drnks.com

Konpira Maru 'Class M Planet' 2021

A maker of low-intervention wines, Konpira Maru had to get a little more hands-on to make their first non-alcoholic drop, using a process called pervaporation. The tech is new to Australia and removes alcohol but not the flavours you associate with wine. Dolcetto grapes from King Valley create a dark berry flavour profile with light tannins. It's a strong chilled red candidate. But it's even better in a ruby-hued spritz, with either pomegranate or sour cherry juice. Think of it as your very own Christmas cocktail. $20 for 750ml, konpiramaruwinecompany.com or independent bottleshops

Naked Life cocktails

Those not drinking with physical health in mind will love this sugar-free pre-mixed option, with a range that caters to drinkers of all stripes. Recent additions include Cosmopolitans, a refreshing rum and dry-style drink, and espresso martinis. Scorching summer days are taken care of with the sparkling negroni, while the American malt and cola does a suave job of replacing rum. $89.95 for 24, nakedlifespirits.com.au or Woolworths stores