Ryen Belle Harran | Sep 16, 2024 | 4 min read
Originally Posted on drmichaelcaldwellmd.com
If I were to choose an alcoholic drink, I would choose beer. I particularly love the fuzzy layer after it is poured out of the tap and the tasty bubbles gliding down my throat when I sip on it. I’m not surprised because my favorite beverage is sparkling water. But the major reason why I don’t drink it much is because of the alcohol. I don’t enjoy feeling tipsy or wobbly, and this reduces how much I end up enjoying it.
I know there are a few of you out there who feel the same way I do about alcohol, or are simply working on cutting it down. You might even have tried a few non-alcoholic (NA) beverages here and there. I’d bet at least one of those drinks was met with limited success in taste. I am not old enough to have tried some of the early NA options out there, but I have heard that they tasted pretty bad.
Last year, after I had just started working with Dry January® USA, I had tried some of the drinks from Mocktails.com and was very surprised at how much I enjoyed those flavors. Trying out new mocktail recipes for content with friends topped these flavors even more so. For an end-of-the-year gathering, I was at a social gathering and wasn’t interested in drinking any alcoholic beverages when I saw a NA option – a beer, so I decided to try it.
When the drink finally arrived, I was so excited to try it and took a few large gulps.
Now, I had not tried the Tide Pod challenge, but as a kid, I had tasted some crazy things, so I knew what detergent tasted like, and trust me, that beer took me down detergent memory lane.
To summarize — I hope no one saw my grimace after I tried it.
Later, someone explained that it took them time to get used to NA beer, just as it takes time to get used to the flavor of alcohol. I only tried NA beer one more time, just to find out I didn’t enjoy it again. I cannot recall which beer brands I tried, and everyone’s experience with NA drinks is going to be different, but I will say, that I have always found mocktails pretty tasty. While I’m not a mocktail expert, I have realized that the only way to figure out how to explore my NA likes and dislikes is to try them out.
I have compiled a few ways through which I have discovered some of my favorite NA drinks:
1. Explore Local Cafés and Specialty Shops: Cafés and tea houses often have unique non-alcoholic options, from artisanal teas to creative mocktails. I usually like to ask the barista for their personal recommendations because they can help you find something new or a mixture you may not find elsewhere.
2. Experiment with DIY Mocktails: Get creative in your kitchen by experimenting with flavors. Start with fresh juices, flavored syrups, herbs, and sparkling water to craft your own refreshing mocktail. The NA beverage world is your oyster. Play with ingredients like ginger, mint, and citrus to create your perfect drink. One personal recommendation of mine is to garnish my NA drink and serve it in a nice glass, because – why not?
3. Attend Non-Alcoholic Tasting Events: Many restaurants and bars now host alcohol-free cocktail nights or offer tasting menus that focus on inventive non-alcoholic beverages. Attending one can expose you to a range of expertly crafted drinks. (Note, this one is on my bucket list!)
4. Try Global Drinks: Every culture has its own take on non-alcoholic beverages. Expand your palate by exploring drinks from around the world, like Turkish ayran, Indian lassi, or Japanese matcha tea. You might discover an unexpected favorite. Although I love lassi and teas are my go-to, I am still trying to find a store that sells NA Grapefruit beer. I love the German Schöfferhofer Grapefruit-flavored beer, and have heard that a German beer has brought a similar NA option to the US, but I have yet to try it.
5. Look for Pre-Made Craft Sodas and Teas: Specialty grocery stores often carry artisan sodas and teas with interesting flavor combinations. These bottled beverages are perfect for finding a new go-to drink without the need to mix your own. My go-to is Kombucha – which is fermented tea. Not surprising, because I love bubbly drinks! (Note, I have tried some Kombuchas that did not hit the mark for me, but GTS and some of Brew Dr.’s kombuchas are great!)
If you’re a seasoned drink-taster, I hope I have encouraged you to add more NA options to your bucket list. Whatever your NA goals are, I hope these suggestions have showed you that it’s okay to try out new NA drinks, because more often than not you will find something you’ll make your go-to drink.
Note: The product recommendations in this blog article are not sponsored and solely reflect the author’s views.
