After seeing that our review of Aldi’s Sainte Etienne review has been getting a lot of reviews recently – and combined with us experiencing our first heatwave of the year here in the UK – I thought it was about time I finally purchased the alcohol free ciders I see on the shelves of my local Aldi.
Although there are lots of different own-branded alcoholic drinks at Aldi, there aren’t that many alcohol-free options. But what I did find manage to purchase on this occasion was this Strawberry & Lime Cider, as well as a Zesty Lemon option, which you can read also.
It’s been in the fridge for a few hours, so let’s see whether this cider is fit for a hot summers day!
Alska Strawberry & Lime Initial Review
These bottles are relatively plain amongst those busy Aldi shelves. The only way you can tell they are non-alcoholic from first glance is the addition of blue across the labelling. The international sign of low alcohol for corporate brands.
It comes in a 500ml brown bottle, and is reasonably priced at £1.09 a bottle – of which you can only buy as single bottles.
Upon opening, it’s clear that the liquid is a shade of red, and it has a definitive strawberry aroma. Poured into a glass, it is definitely sparkling, and a light shade of red. The aroma stays the same, yet it is subtle. You need to get your nose right into the glass to really get the chemical strawberry into your nostrils.
As for the taste, it also has the strawberry flavour that you would experience with any bag of sweets. Whilst this isn’t too much of a surprise too me, it is definitely not too severe.
Again as predicted, it is sweet; slightly on the syrupy side, but has a hint of lime, followed by a slight bitterness.
Overall, this drink tastes more like a fizzy drink rather than an alcohol-free version of a cider, yet it isn’t horrendous. It is more likely a overly sweet, sparkling fruit cordial.
With this hot weather, I finished off the bottle. I was pleasantly surprised I managed to do this and didn’t result to throwing this down the sink.
If you enjoy fruity ciders, or sweet alcoholic drinks, then you might just enjoy this as an alcohol free cider. If you have a more sophisticated palate, or demand some actual traditional flavours from your drinks, then I recommend you give this a hard pass!
Where Can I Buy Alska Strawberry & Lime?
This is an Aldi own brand cider, and therefore is only available at Aldi – both in store and online.
Another thing to note, is that Aldi like to frequently change their stock, so don’t be surprised if this isn’t available sometime in the future.
Alska Strawberry & Lime: Ingredients & Nutritional Information
Based on the artificial taste of this cider, I wasn’t too surprised to see a long ingredients list – as follows:
Carbonated water, sugar, cider (contains preservative, sodium metabisulphite), flavourings, acid (citric acid), concentrate (apple and hibiscus), concentrate (carrot and blackcurrant), preservative (potassium sorbate), acidity regulator (malic acid).
This drink is vegan, and sodium metabisulphite is the only allergen to be aware of.
| Nutritional Information | Per 100mL |
|---|---|
| Energy (KJ / KCal) | 140 / 33 |
| Fat (g) | 0 |
| Of Which Saturates (g) | 0 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 8.1 |
| Of Which Sugars (g) | 7.0 |
| Protein (g) | 0 |
| Salt (g) | 0 |
Overall Verdict
This non-alcoholic cider from Aldi is more of a sparkling fruit juice than an alcohol free version of your typical cider. The aroma and flavour is dominated by strawberry and sugar, but it has a slight bitterness which differentiates it from a bottle of pop.
Whilst enjoyable – especially in the heat – due to the sweetness, one bottle was more than enough for me. At £1.09, I recommend you try it and make your own decision for relatively little cost. If you like something more refined and complex, then unsurprisingly, this isn’t going to be the drink for you!
