Drinking is strictly prohibited and against the law in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However in my humble opinion I think the Saudis have cornered the market on the vast variety of delicious non-alcoholic drinks. One of my favorites is Saudi Champagne. I enjoyed it so much that the last time we were out and had it at a restaurant I carefully and slowly drank my drink so I could reconstruct it later at home!
Here is my recipe which I hope you’ll enjoy:
1 part Pierre water to 2 parts Sparkling Apple Juice.
6 – 8 sprigs of fresh mint
8 – 10 apple slices sliced very thin but with the skin still on; no need to peel.
3-4 lemon slices also sliced thin
Mix it all together in a lovely crystal pitcher and serve immediately. The good news is that it will also taste delicious if there is any left over that is served the next day!
Filed under: Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Saudi customs, culture, islam, religion
I remember! Saudi Champagne… Thanks for the recipe. I’ve been repatriated for nearly ten years, so my memory of substitutes like Saudi Champagne is growing dim.
Hi Marie! I think regardless of where one is, this is such a refreshing drink and also great for those hot days when you want a nice thirst-quencher!
Thanx for the recipe. In case any of your readers didn’t know, they do sell beer here in Riyadh. Of course it’s non-alcoholic though. But to make up for it companies like Holsten (German), Mussy (Swiss) and Budweiser (American) have made flavored non-alcoholic beers. So if you’re bummed out because you can’t get buzzed on the weekends, try guzzling down a mango flavored beer. That’s right mango! It sounds weird but trust me they taste great. Beer comes in a lot of flavors: strawberry, lemon, peach (yum), green apple, raspberry, and of course my personal favorite…mango.
Wow, that sounds good. I am going to have to try it sometime =)
Thanks for the tips! And I’m happy to say I found an image of Saudi champagne so you can see what it looks like.
This looks excellent! I’m going to make it tomorrow!
Look forward to your review Aafke!
Wow! I’ve never heard of Saudi champagne but it sounds delicious. Thanks for the recipe. I’m Catholic so my religion dictates that I can drink the real stuff, but this sounds like an absolutely tasty alternative.
Best,
LK
I was once in Applebee’s here in Jeddah and they had some dish (forgot the name) that was cooked using “non-alcoholic tequila” according to the menu. Does anyone have any idea what the heck a “non-alcoholic tequila” is?
You’re welcome Laurie and welcome to the blog as well.
Saudi Jawa – I have never heard of non-alcoholic tequila and find it hard to envision as well!
However while we are on the subject of alcoholic or non-alcoholic, since beer (non-alcoholic) is available here, consider making a bbq (non-alcoholic) beer chicken! They are absolutely delicious!
Carol,
Sounds delicious on a hot summer day or any day for that matter! I think my kids would enjoy it too!
Speaking of alcohol in the Kingdom, I’m curious to know if it is allowed in any cooking,baking,or candies and what about cough syrup?
Peace & Blessings!
Hi Tina,
Anything with alcohol is prohibited to include such things aswine vinegar, baking products or candies. No nyqil will be found in a pharmacy in the Kingdom.
Please let me know what you think when you try my favorite thirst quencher!
Regards,
Carol
I’ve made it, drunk it, and it’s absolutely delicious!
It was even better two hours later, when I invited my new neighbour to sample it. She loved it too.
After a waiting a bit the tanginess of the lemons comes out better, and the just before you sip, you get a whiff of the mint.
Keep those non-alcoholic recipes coming!
Thank you so much for the feedback and I’m so happy you enjoyed it! It may be non-alcoholic but so tasty, refreshing and fun to serve in a long crystal champagne goblet!
I don’t like alcohol of any kind, and (therefore) I don’t understand why people make such a fuss about it. Like you can’t party without it. Because you can.
And this drink doesn’t contain extra sugar or anything. (I’ve used unsweetened juice) So it’s also healthy and you won’t get fat!
I’m defenitely going to serve this next time I have guests, and I’ll add ice-cubes with a little mint leaf frozen inside.
I do love the idea of the mint leaf frozen inside the ice cubes….cranberries would also be lovely frozen inside as well!
I’m delighted to see the recipe for Saudi Champagne! And I do miss the lemon “beer” we had in Riyadh — haven’t been able to find an acceptable substitute here in the US.
Yes; there are a number of original brews to choose from (non-alcoholic of course) which I’m told is quite tasty. Although I come from a culture that enjoys its drinks, I have never found the taste of beer (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) to appeal to me! Yet it is interesting to view all the different flavors that are in the shops here.
When I first read the title I was like, what they have a thing called Saudi Champagne! It makes more sense after reading the post.
After repatriating, one of my children’s favorite requests is Saudi Champagne…only we use sliced oranges instead of lemons – I’ll have to try that. We also used to love that boxed mixed fruit juice (can’t remember the brand but the juice was yellowish/orange) that we’d mix with 7up or Perrier – mmm.
The Kingdom does indeed have wonderful boxed juices and it is also fun to mix those up or doctor them up as well!
My favorite brand of juice which I purchase is the Rabeah brand.