A Few of Our Favorite Non-Alcoholic Things
These are a few of our favorite things…
No question you’ll be seeing a lot of these lists over the next few weeks; and for good reason. All of us are thirsty (get it? LOL) for good recommendations to good places, products and experiences. Very often we look to our trusted friends and family for those.
You can trust us. Just ask us.
The Sound of Music is one of my all-time favorite movies and even though it has very little to no Christmas reference in the actual movie, it’s been a staple at my house around the holidays for decades, along with White Christmas and It’s a Wonderful Life. Thanks to our mother, my siblings and I, and now my children, can recite just about every line from all of those movies. Good memories.
Let us also recognize that the holidays can be troublesome at best and downright dramatic at worst for some of us. Whether you’re just trying to lighten the load or remain totally sober for the next few weeks, Bridget and I hope the following list will help give you some options. Now, if you’re a host/ess of holiday events, please consider the following options for your guests. Why? Because WE JUST NEVER KNOW, DO WE?
Without further ado, here is a list of our current favorite non-alcoholic options:
#1
Non-Alcoholic Beer
Athletic Brewing Company
I don’t think it’s any secret we LOVE us some ABC. They have really got a handle on making NA beer taste like the real thing; sometimes even better, plus their company is one we can be proud to support. Head over to their site to check out their story. Their Two for the Trails campaign boasts “donations of over $2 million dollars to trail-based non-profits and IMPACT programs that are tirelessly working to protect outdoor spaces”. We can get behind that.
Our favorites (in no particular order):
Wit’s Peak (Wheat)
Cerveza Atletica (Light Copper Lager)
All Out (Dark)
Free Wave (Hazy IPA)
Oktoberfest
Blackberry Berliner Weiss*
Tropical Sour*
Downwinder*
*Seasonal. Limited Availability.
Sam Adams
I found this baby by accident and she’s at the top of my list of faves. While Samuel Adams only had one non-alcoholic option, they did so well there’s no need for another.
Just the Haze IPA
And I don’t even like IPAs (LOL)
Sober Carpenter, Well-Being & Atmos
All of these guys are a little different but readily available. We found Sober Carpenter at Total Wine, the Belgian White was my fave but I do like the Irish Red as well. Well-Being makes a couple of wheats but the Victory Wheat stole my heart. The Atmos Brewing Alturas NA Golden is a beautiful light, crispy beer. All of these are available at Total Wine and online.
I’ll mention the following but I would categorize them as “better than white milk or water” as far as options go:
Heineken 0.0
Busch N/A
Clausthaler
St. Pauli N/A
#2
Wine & Bubbly
Lyre’s Classico
Another no-brainer here. I’ve been singing Lyre’s Classico’s praises, loud and clear, since I first tried them back in July. It’s really everything you need in a bubbly to be included in the festivities without the bubbly hangover. It’s crisp and fresh with a little hint of green apple and grapefruit. Comes in a can perfect for mocktail mixing and a large bottle perfect for sharing. A little tricky to get to your door as they are out of the UK, however, they do ship nationwide. If you’re local to the Madison, Wisconsin area, Nineteen09 stocks it and we’d (I own it) be happy to share our wealth with you for the holidays.
JoyUs
We have had a helluva time finding a wine we’re willing to share with you. I’ve tried many…like too many…and have yet to find one, except the JoyUs Rosé, that I’m willing to put Mocks & Cocks’ name behind. I first tried the JoyUs Rosé (not sparkling) while sitting on a rooftop deck in Portland, Oregon. My friend Patty and I finished the whole bottle in one sitting which is more than I can say for any other dealcoholized or alcohol-free wine I’ve tried. The sparkling Brut and sparkling Rosé are also delicious but I feel like I’d be cheating on Classico if I didn’t put them second on my list.
Grüvi
My friend Sarah brought this to me as a lake-housewarming gift and I immediately fell in love with it. It’s a little sweeter than the above mentioned but it comes in a 4-pack of adorable little bottles and readily available at Total Wine. There are a couple of flavors of bubbly; Dry Secco and Bubbly Rosé and also a Sangria and Red Blend that I have not tried yet. Let me know if you try it!
#3
Mocktails & Free Spirits
Ritual Zero Proof
After waiting a little bit to try this, we’re just pissed we did. Ritual Zero Proof has proven themselves to be a real fave. We’ve tried all four alternatives; Gin, Rum, Tequila and Whiskey. We love all of them. So much so we begged them to give us a coupon code for you.
Again, they delivered. Use code RZPMC23 for 25% off anything at RZP.
Lyre’s
Again. They really have stolen our hearts. You’d think we work for them, but sadly, they have not reached out to sponsor us (cowards*). I have a full bar cart of just Lyre’s non-alcoholic spirits in my office. Many of our favorite mocktail recipes include Lyre’s as the main ingredient such as the Negroni Sbagliato, Mockarita, Amaretti Sour and Espresso Mocktini.
(*Just kidding Lyre’s…we would still love to work for you)
Free Spirits
Perhaps the most requested Mocks & Cocks mocktail recipe, the Fauxld Fashioned, uses Free Spirits Bourbon and tasted so much like the real thing Bridget had to taste test twice. You can try to drink this guy straight, we have, but we wouldn’t necessarily recommend if you were, or are, a bourbon snob. It won’t be the same. We promise.
Beckett’s ‘27 N/A Cinnamon Whiskey
For those of you that have traditions of shooting Fireball at Christmas (ahem), we found a non-alcoholic cinnamon whiskey that gets the job done. I was skeptical but I tried it on the golf course this summer and it was fine. Now, I’m not a shooter of whiskey now or back in my drinkin’ days but I was assured it’s as close as you’re gonna get. I’ll take Bridget’s word for it.
$4
Glassware & Garnishes
Club Soda with a Lime
So simple yet even the most popular taverns in Wisconsin cannot get this right. It’s really very simple, please do not put Club Soda with a Lime in a kids cup (aka the plastic Coke or Pepsi cups). A. It’s likely that whomever is ordering the CSL is not trying to draw attention to the fact that they are ordering a CSL and 2. It just separates the non-drinker from the party.
This sounds trivial but I can speak from experience that this is an issue. It’s an easy fix. Also, if you’re hosting, a simple sparkling water option is a great one.
Glassware
Piggybacking off of the above statement (that I clearly feel very strongly about), do your best to provide the same drinking glasses for your non-drinking company. If you pour champagne in to flutes, provide a flute for the non-drinker for either the Classico (which I know you’re going to get) or another non-alcoholic bubbly option. Or if you’re offering a CSL, offer a fancy glass.
Garnishes
A well-appointed garnish can go such a long way when it comes to including the non-drinker. Even a Diet Coke in a crystal rocks glass with a lime will make that non-drinker feel like they’re part of the group. A dehydrated orange slice on top of a N/A Negroni Sbagliato is a beautiful statement and will say as much about you as the host as it won’t say about the non-drinker.
Our Favorite Gift
Of course, if you’re looking for the perfect gift for the non-drinker in your life, the Mocks & Cocks Box is just the thing.
I hope this gives you and your guests some options when it comes to alcohol over the next few weeks. We’ll have more tips and tricks so stay tuned!
