The 1st of May kicks off the bank holiday season — and with it, that urge to lay a tablecloth outside, get the glasses out and raise a toast in the sunshine.
But a successful alcohol-free aperitif in 2026 is no longer a compromise: it's a palette of flavours that even drinkers of alcohol envy. At Gueule de Joie, France's first alcohol-free wine merchant, our teams have selected 5 drinks designed for every moment of your long weekend. From the first rays of sunshine to the next morning's brunch — here is your guide.
The 5 long-weekend drinks — in brief
Sparkling for the aperitif · Artisan IPA for the barbecue · Dealcoholised rosé for sunset · Ready-to-drink cocktail for the evening · Premium soft drink for the next morning's brunch. Serving temperature: 6 to 10°C depending on the drink.
Moment 1 · The aperitif
An alcohol-free sparkling drink to set the tone
The aperitif always begins with that first glass marking the transition between the working week and relaxation. A well-chilled alcohol-free sparkling drink — a dealcoholised prosecco or sparkling wine — instantly creates a festive atmosphere. The bubbles awaken the palate and signal to everyone: the long weekend has officially begun.
Serve it in a flute between 6 and 8°C, with a lemon zest or a slice of orange.
💡 The wine merchant's tip: open the bottle at the last moment — the fizz loses its bubbles quickly once opened. Another tip: put your flutes in the freezer for 5 minutes before serving. A cold glass keeps the bubbles going longer and amplifies the freshness on the first sip.
The perfect pairing: grissini, homemade hummus, marinated olives. Light canapés that open the appetite without satisfying it — the sparkling wine accompanies salty flavours with ideal vivacity.
Moment 2 · The barbecue
An alcohol-free IPA beer
When the smoke rises from the grill and the first pieces of barbecue arrive, it's time for an alcohol-free IPA. Forget the bland 0% supermarket beers: alcohol-free craft beers offer IPAs that rival their alcoholic counterparts in terms of hops and complexity.
The hoppy bitterness cleanses the palate between every bite of merguez or burger — exactly the role you expect from a barbecue beer. The Brooklyn Special Effects IPA and the Brasserie Parallèle Organic IPA (gold medal at the World Beer Awards 2024) are our recommendations, tested grill in hand.
💡 The wine merchant's tip: take the beer out of the fridge 10 minutes before serving. Too cold (4°C), it loses its aromas. Between 6 and 8°C, the floral and tropical notes of the hops come through fully.
The perfect pairing: grilled merguez, burgers, lamb chops, marinated chicken skewers. The hoppy bitterness of the IPA cuts through the fat and cleanses the palate between every bite — that's exactly its role at a barbecue.
Moment 3 · Sunset
An alcohol-free rosé
In the late afternoon, when the light turns golden and everything slows down, it's time for a alcohol-free rosé. The best dealcoholised rosés offer that mineral freshness and those red fruit notes that make a Provence rosé so charming — without the morning-after effect.
Serve it well chilled (8–10°C) in a large wine glass.
💡 The wine merchant's tip: if the day is really hot, make your ice cubes with alcohol-free rosé rather than water — you chill the glass without diluting the aromas. Take the bottles out of the fridge 2 minutes before serving: at 8–9°C, the red fruit notes open up better than at 4°C.
The perfect pairing: tomato and mozzarella salad, basil bruschetta, fresh goat's cheese. Rosé also shines with seafood and tartares.
Moment 4 · The evening
A ready-to-drink cocktail
Night falls but no one wants to go home. It's time for a ready-to-drink alcohol-free cocktail — a spritz with bitter orange notes, a ginger Moscow Mule, or a spiced London Mule. Open, pour over ice, add a fresh garnish: done.
It's also the drink for the designated driver, who deserves to drink just as well as everyone else. No "just a sparkling water" — a proper alcohol-free cocktail with complexity, bitters, and length on the palate.
💡 The wine merchant's tip: set up an ice bucket with 3 or 4 different references. Your guests choose their style — spritz, mule, bitter — just like in a real bar. It gets the conversation going and shows that alcohol-free is a genuine selection, not a default choice.
The perfect pairing: marinated olives, artisan crisps, a varied tapas platter. Salty, slightly fatty snacks naturally call for a glass with bitterness and length on the palate.
Moment 5 · The next morning
A premium soft drink for brunch
The true luxury of a long weekend: no hangover. While others are recovering, you're fresh. For brunch, an alternative soft drink is perfect: sparkling and invigorating kombucha, artisan ginger beer, or craft lemonade. These drinks bring complexity to a late breakfast, well beyond a classic orange juice.
💡 The wine merchant's tip: serve the kombucha and ginger beer very cold (4–6°C), but without ice cubes — the meltwater dilutes the delicate aromas and breaks down the natural effervescence. Put the bottles in the fridge the night before and take them out just as you're about to serve.
The perfect pairing: scrambled eggs, avocado toast, pancakes with maple syrup. Kombucha and ginger beer cut through the richness and sweetness of brunch — a far more interesting match than an industrially produced juice.
Why alcohol-free is the best companion for the May bank holidays
With 4 bank holidays in May (1st May, 8th May, Ascension, Whit Monday), that's potentially 4 outdoor aperitifs, 4 barbecues, 4 occasions to entertain. If each one involves 2–3 alcoholic drinks, you end up with an exhausting month for your body.
At Gueule de Joie, we observe the same trend every year: orders for "outdoor aperitif" packs increase by 40% between April and May. Among our 30,000 customers, the May bank holidays are the moment when alcohol-free shifts from "curiosity" to "habit" — because getting through long weekend after long weekend without exhausting yourself is an advantage that only alcohol-free can offer.
Your aperitif checklist for the May bank holidays
- Ice — Plan for double the amount you think you'll need. It's the foundation of any outdoor aperitif.
- The right glassware — Flutes for sparkling, large glasses for rosé, tumblers for cocktails.
- Fresh garnishes — Lemons, oranges, mint, cucumber, rosemary. A few garnishes visually transform any glass.
- An ice bucket — Alcohol-free drinks are best served chilled — a warm rosé is a no.
- The right selection — An alcohol-free aperitif gift box that covers all these moments, or a hand-picked selection from our Spring Aperitif collection.
See also
- 7 easy alcohol-free cocktails to make at home
- Our manifesto beer: an alcohol-free lager brewed for its 7th anniversary
- The full selection of alcohol-free craft beers
Frequently asked questions
What alcohol-free drink should you choose for an outdoor aperitif?
Start with a sparkling drink for the toast, follow with a craft beer for the barbecue, then a dealcoholised rosé for sunset. Round it off with a ready-to-drink cocktail for the evening and a premium soft drink for the next morning's brunch. All served chilled, between 6 and 10°C depending on the drink.
How many drinks should you plan for a long-weekend aperitif?
Allow 3 to 5 glasses per person over 3–4 hours. Plan for at least one sparkling drink, a few beers, one or two bottles of rosé and individual cocktails. And always more ice than you think you'll need — it's always the first thing to run out.
Should alcohol-free rosé be drunk with ice?
Yes, especially when it's hot. The best tip: freeze alcohol-free rosé in ice cube trays to avoid dilution. Ideal serving temperature: 8–10°C.
Which alcohol-free beer should you choose for a barbecue?
An alcohol-free craft IPA is ideal: its hoppy bitterness cleanses the palate between every bite of grilled meat. Serve it at 6–8°C — not too cold — so the floral and tropical hop aromas come through fully.
Is alcohol-free less flavourful than alcohol?
No — provided you choose well. This has been precisely Gueule de Joie's mission since 2019: to select only drinks that stand up to comparison on taste. Our tasting panel looks for emotion, surprise and character. The result: a selection of over 450 references available at gueuledejoie.com.
Gueule de Joie — France's first alcohol-free wine merchant since 2019. Over 450 references selected for taste, available with 72-hour delivery across France.
