What do you serve guests who don't drink alcohol?

Alcohol-free beer and an alcohol-free aperitif or gin and tonic cover most of an evening of drinks.

Alcohol-free beer comes as pils, witbier, weizen, IPA, blond and dark, so that you can stay with the same style for each guest. Alcohol-free gin is served with tonic, ice and a slice of citrus, just like the alcoholic version. For those who prefer something bitter, there are alcohol-free aperitifs and bitters that you top up with sparkling water or with alcohol-free sparkling wine.

Dealcoholised wine is the closest alternative with a meal, in white, rosé, red and sparkling.

European wine rules call a wine dealcoholised at no more than 0.5 percent by volume of alcohol; on the label this designation appears next to the category name. Serve it in the same wine glass and at the same temperature as the alcoholic version. Without alcohol, part of the mouthfeel disappears: research on beer showed that ethanol contributes to fullness and to the release of aromas.

Non-alcoholic sparkling wine takes the place of the bubbly at a toast and is called dealcoholized sparkling wine on the label.

Names such as champagne, cava and prosecco are protected designations and may not appear on a fully dealcoholised bottle; wine with such a designation may only be partially dealcoholised. Pour the bottle well chilled into an ordinary wine glass or a flute. Such a bottle also carries a best-before date, because that is mandatory below 10 percent alcohol by volume.

In the Netherlands, beer may be called alcohol-free at 0.1 percent by volume at most, dealcoholised wine at 0.5 percent by volume at most.

De Alcoholwet spreekt pas van alcoholhoudende drank boven een half volumeprocent bij twintig graden Celsius. Wie helemaal niets wil, kiest een fles met 0,0 % op het etiket: dat betekent afgerond nul procent. Voor alcoholhoudende dranken geldt NIX18, dus onder de achttien jaar wordt er niet geschonken en niet verkocht.

Alcohol-free beer keeps well for about a day in the fridge after opening, and unopened bottles follow the best-before date on the packaging.

The Voedingscentrum holds that unopened beer is often still usable up to about a year after the best-before date, provided the packaging is intact and it looks fine. If it smells or tastes off, throw it away. Dealcoholised wines also carry a shelf-life date; store opened bottles sealed in the fridge.