"I give a lot of talks to bartenders and the public about Burleighs Gin (the gin I distill). These tastings can be quite alcoholic events so it can be difficult to remain, shall we say, 'capable'. I find most soft drink options far too sweet, so please don't tell anyone, but there might not always be gin in my G&T or red snapper. I also love a St Clements. Made with fresh orange juice and bitter lemon, it's lovely and refreshing and works well with or without gin!"

– Jamie Baxter, director and master distiller at 45 West Distillers, Leicestershire

"Most people who love coffee have had iced coffee, but I make a richer version with double cream and mint syrup – almost like a virgin espresso martini. It's great in the summer, and for when an espresso just won't do."

– David Smith, bar manager at The Anchor Inn at Seatown, Dorset

"A little simple syrup and soda is a more interesting alternative to a soft drink, and is carb- and wheat-free! Also, see if your local bar stocks ODK syrups – they're a great alternative to Monin."

Tamatha-Ann Brider, ex-bartender and restaurant manager, Bristol

"Use either Ting or lemonade, with a good 5-6 dashes of Angostura bitters. The bitters ARE alcoholic, but it's absolutely minuscule, I promise. With Ting, this drink tastes like those cola bottle gummies for some reason! This is also a great hangover cure."

– Gergő Muráth, bar manager at Trailer Happiness, London

"This is one of the only nonalcoholic cocktails I don't mind making. When made well it's a tasty drink and really refreshing – just go easy on the sugar. Plus it's easy to make. No-alcohol drinks have to be easy to get out quickly when you're working behind a bar."

– Kyle Wilkinson, bar manager at Blind Pig, London

"Not a big fan of sugar, I generally avoid the obvious soft drinks. Instead, I have been known to horrify bartenders and fellow drinkers by ordering nonalcoholic beer. If you're expecting beer, this drink can be ghastly, as it's more a 'near-beer' than the real thing. Malta, a Caribbean molasses 'near-beer' soft drink, is the one I drink most often.

"Last night I spotted Nanny State from Brewdog at the Shakespeare pub in Birmingham. We'd been drinking all day and it seemed worth a try. It was surprisingly passable. It will never fool anyone into thinking they're drinking proper beer, but for me at least, it fills the gap when I'm not in the mood for more alcohol or for a sparkling water with Angostura bitters."

– Jared Brown, master distiller at Sipsmith, the Cotswolds

"Tea is the answer! Nonalcoholic cocktails are almost universally crap. You get fruit juice with a load of sugary syrups added and an umbrella and an orange flag shoved in the top and are charged £5 for the pleasure. And pre-packaged soft drinks are almost always worse. At Opium we serve an awesome selection of Chinese teas. Great teas are becoming more and more common in top cocktail bars with companies like the London Tea Club and the Rare Tea Company showcasing their wares.

"Bartenders use the teas for infusions and to add tannic and herbaceous notes to their cocktails, and will usually serve you a pot of tea if you ask, although they are not often listed on menus!"

– Damien Williams, general manager at Opium Bar, London

"Fresh cranberry juice, some ginger beer (the nonalcoholic kind), lime, mint, sugar, and you can top it with a little soda water if you like! It's a really refreshing drink and the ginger beer gives it a fizzy kick a bit different from a normal fruit juice."

– Mudassar Dar, supervisor at Revolución de Cuba, Leeds

"This works for teetotallers or for anyone suffering from a hangover. There's an often-cited juice hangover cure consisting of apple, carrot, and ginger juice, so if you can get your hands on that, you're golden. Otherwise, juice with a little honey is a great (healthy) nonalcoholic drink."

– Daniel Kaizen, bartender at Loves Company, London

"Fruit juice topped with soda water! This one is an orange and cranberry juice mix. The Fizz can be garnished with an orange slice and maraschino cherry, or for a more tropical feel, toss in some halved strawberries, pineapple, or kiwi chunks. This will fizz on your tongue, but won't leave you with a poorly head."

– Stelios Stamatios Roump, bar manager at Encore and owner of Bar Stories, Athens

"Some believe that the original Gibson martini was created for a teetotal American diplomat, who drank chilled water garnished with a cocktail onion, as opposed to an olive or twist, to disguise it from the gin versions!

This cocktail is a tastier version made with apple juice, an extra-dry vermouth reduction, and alcohol-free botanical bitters from the Reina FBS laboratory (regular bitters will do too)."

– Michele Reina, general manager at Looking Glass Cocktail Club, London