Here’s what to Drink Instead of Alcohol
Why do you drink alcohol? Is it to uplift you? To escape reality for a bit? To fit in? There are countless reasons, but past the first few minutes of a buzz, we’re all left with nothing more than a body working its hardest to return to a state of equilibrium against a powerful depressant, and one that stays in your system for at least a week. Plus, most of us don’t even make it a week before we’re drinking again! Well, if you’re a little “sober curious” and eager to wake up in the morning refreshed instead of confused, here’s what to drink instead of alcohol that still makes you feel all the good stuff.
*This piece contains affiliate links, but they are all guaranteed to save you money.
Zero-Proof Non-Alcoholic Spirits
What do you think of when you think of Tequila? Is it the taste of blue agave? The burn in the back of your throat that makes its way to your stomach? Well, what if I were to tell you that you can get all that without the alcohol or the nasty hangover that comes with it? The Ritual brand makes a Rum, Gin, Whiskey, and Tequila alternative, and the ingredients are all-natural with almost no calories.
My favorite for drinking straight is the Tequila, which, when poured into a crystal glass, can feel like a night out in your living room.
Although the Whiskey supplies that same “alcohol burn” I described above, the taste is not as close as the Tequila, so I recommend using it in cocktail blends instead. That’s actually how the company intends for you to do it.
If you like Mezcal, then my favorite brand is Cut Above, whose Mezcal leaves a nice, smoldering taste long after your glass is empty. Natural flavors used to recreate this feeling include Cubeba pepper extract, Persian lime oil, and a touch of smoke.
Are you a straight-up Martini with Olives kind of person? The recipes on the Ritual website will help you become your own bartender in no time. The Ritualtini below features 3 oz. Ritual Gin Alternative, 1/2 oz. dry vermouth, olive brine, and olives. It’s technically a low-ABV cocktail due to the dry vermouth, so, you can sub-in grape juice if you’d like to stay completely zero-proof.
Where to Buy: Purchase the Ritual brand through their website and take advantage of the subscribe and save options. This offers 10% off and FREE shipping in the U.S. The average price for a bottle is $29.99. Cut Above Spirits also offer 10% off with the code WELCOME10 and include FREE shipping on their website. Their bottles sell for an average of $34.99.
Non-Alcoholic Canned Cocktails by Free AF
This popular New Zealand brand features canned non-alcoholic cocktails in flavors like Apero Spritz, Vod%a Spritz, Cuba Libre, and Paloma. What makes these cocktails special AF is that they include the natural botanical Afterglow™, which mimics the heat of an alcoholic beverage. These cocktails are also low in calories, coming in at 50 calories or less a can. As far as replication goes, the Vod%a Spritz hit the mark the most for me, and it’s only five calories a can.
Where to Buy: Order directly from the website to get 15% off your first purchase and free shipping over $60. The cost is $39 for a 12-pack. They are also sold on Amazon.
Sparkling Wine with Alcohol Removed
What’s naughty with the a taken out? A Noughty Sparkling Chardonnay without the alcohol! The Thomson and Scott brand has crafted an organic, vegan, sparkling chardonnay with less sugar and absolutely no alcohol. The taste is great, and you don’t need to feel guilty about that second (or third) glass.
If you’re a Rosé Wine lover, I recommend Surely Sparkling Rosé, which comes in both cans and large full bottles. It tastes exactly like the Rosé wines you’re used to because it comes from high-quality Sonoma winemakers; it’s just had the alcohol extracted.
Another great brand that hails from Italy is Prima Pavé. They specialize in sparkling wines that aren’t too sweet and have 0.0% alcohol. Must haves sips include the Blanc de Blancs and the Rosé Brut. These are great for events because the bottles are on the larger side.
Where to Buy: You can pick up Noughty and Surely from Total Wine. Shipping over $99 is free in the U.S. or you can pick it up for free with no minimum. The price is less than $23 a bottle. For Prima Pavé you’ll be ordering through their website, which offers Free Shipping over $75.
Wine Proxies
Jukes Cordialities was created by a critically acclaimed wine writer to mimic the complexities of wine using fresh produce and an apple cider vinegar base. Flavors include Jukes 1, “the white”; Jukes 6, “the red”; and Jukes 8, “the rosé.” While there is a premixed Sparkling collection, the real fun is finding the blend you like best when you add the concentrated bottles to still or sparkling water. They all pair well with food, and the packaging is gorgeous and sophisticated.
Where to Buy: Order directly from the Jukes Cordialities website to save 10% on first and recurring orders and FREE SHIPPING over $30. A box of 9 1-ounce pours makes 18 glasses and costs $60. I’m also a HUGE fan of the Sparkling collection, which requires no mixing at all.
Adaptogens
Since beginning my own journey into a more alcohol-lite existence, this has become my favorite category of drink. Adaptogenic beverages include a mix of plant-based, functional herbs that generally cause mood-boosting or relaxing effects. Popular ingredients include ashwagandha, cordyceps mushroom, and l-theanine. It’s similar to having a cup of tea but with a little more oomph. As with anything, please don’t overdo it. Just like you wouldn’t drink coffee all day, don’t crack more than one or two of these cans open at a time.
The Kin Euphorics brand is described as “functional, non-alcoholic adult beverages to balance body, mind, and spirit.” The brand was founded by model Bella Hadid, who is the ultimate spokesperson with over 50 million Instagram followers. The High Rhode flavor is meant to stimulate your social side with ingredients like 5-HTP and Gaba. The Dream Light flavor is all about winding down and stress relief and includes melatonin and reishi mushroom, among other ingredients. Kin Spritz and Lightwave offer the same upper and cool-down effect, but come in neat Kin cans.
Hiyo Functional Seltzer is also a great place to start if you’re just getting into Adaptogens. You will feel a definite relaxation element, but it’s also got all those extra goodies like lion’s mane mushroom extract and l-theanine to uplift you ($15). Another great brand is Curious Elixirs, which has different numbered beverages that both mimic cocktail blends and include herbs used in Ayurvedic medicine. It’s the best of both worlds ($10).
Where to Buy: Order Kin Euphorics directly from the website, where a Sample Pack of 16 will run you $69. You can also find them at Boisson in Los Angeles if you want to pick up a quick 4-pack for $20. You can find Hiyo Functional Seltzer on their website, where a 12-pack is $44.99. Curious Elixirs also does a great Monthly Variety Pack for $36.
Bloody Mary sans the Mary
Have you seen the kind of Bloody Marys restaurants are serving these days? Most come with their own sidecar of mini hamburgers and hotdogs attached. So for a completely satisfying drink without the alcohol, just go for broke with a fancy Bloody Mary at a restaurant. If you make it extra spicy, you won’t even miss the spirits.
Two of my favorite spots to get them are Connie and Ted’s and Breakfast Republic in West Hollywood.
Non-Alcoholic Beer
Mango Cart Wheat Ale has all the taste of a light wheat beer with less than 0.5 % ABV. It’s available at Golden Road Brewery locations in Los Angeles, or you can pick them up in stores like Total Wine and Spirits.
Other non-alcoholic beer brands that don’t sacrifice on taste include Athletic Brewing Company. They specialize in Craft Beer made for people who prioritize their bodies, but still want to drink a full-bodied brew. They make a wide variety of flavors, like a Dark Coffee Lodge Life and a citrusy Sunset Stoke IPA. You can purchase on their website or even at your local Trader Joe’s.
Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% has also recently landed stateside and the taste has that same grittiness that you expect from a Peroni thanks to the Nostrano dell’Isola maize, but without the alcohol.
Where to Buy: Total Wine and Spirits sells a 6-pack of Mango Cart for $9.99. You’ll find Athletic Brewing Company on their website, where a 6-pack is about $13.99, and shipping is free over $50. Lastly, Peroni Nastro Azzuro 0.0% is also at Total Wine and Spirits for $9.99 or you can use their Peroni Locator.
Cannabis-Infused and CBD Herbal Tea
Kikoko brand Cannabis tea is a female-owned company created by Amanda Jones and Jennifer Chapin following the passing of a dear friend with cancer who could never quite crack the cannabis code to get the relief she deserved. Together, they developed a brand of low-dose THC teas that use the different CBD oils necessary to tap into the parts of your brain to give you what is promised on the outside of the package. Sip a Tranquili-Tea if you want to sleep or a Positivi-Tea for improved mood and joy. You are promised a cup of hangover-free happiness.
If you’re looking for CBD without THC, then I’ve got the perfect recipe to relax you from Los Angeles-based brand Divine Farmer for their Golden Milk Illumi-Latte. The secret to making this Golden Milk Latte Illuminating is adding a supplement created by the brand’s founder, Polina Bowler, which combines Chinese herbs with CBD. It calms the mind, increases focus, and heightens deep sleep. Who could want more?
Divine Farmer’s Golden Milk Illumi-Latte Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 C. Coconut or Almond Milk (or a mix of both)
- 2 Capsules of Illuminate
- 3/4 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 Pinch Ground Black Pepper
- Sweeten to Taste (Honey, Coconut Sugar, Maple Syrup)
Directions
- In a small saucepan, add your choice of milk with coconut oil and spices.
- Mix together until the ingredients are fully combined and the mixture is heated through, but do not boil.
- Remove from heat, empty two capsules of Illuminate into your mixture, and sweeten as desired.
- Serve immediately and dust a pinch of cinnamon or a full cinnamon stick. Add Ginger for a more intense flavor.
Where to Buy: Kikoko is specific to California, and you can use this link to find a retailer near you. Purchase Illuminate supplements directly from Divine Farmer to enjoy free shipping nationwide, with pricing beginning at $20.
Fancy Herbal Tea
If Cannabis Tea feels like you’re just swapping one vice for another, consider a more traditional herbal refreshment instead. What I love about tea is that it can be as much of a ceremony as a glass of wine at the end of a long day. Use a nice cup and saucer and really take in the smells and taste of a Chamomile Tea. Better yet, invest in a luxurious tea for yourself from a company like Tea Forte that offers stunning pyramid tea infusers with flavors like Blueberry Merlot and Turmeric Tantra Chai.
Where to Buy: Anywhere, and for as little as $3 a box! Tea Forte sells a chest of 40 Teas for $66.
Zero Proof Cocktails
Zero-proof cocktails are having a moment in Los Angeles. The days of going out and settling for seltzer with lime have been replaced with crafted cocktails like Coconut Milk Punch, which uses lyre’s cane spirit, lemon, black tea, and spices (Asterid). There’s even an entire Zero Proof Bar in Chinatown called Stay which has everything you love about lounge life except alcohol.
So go out and explore! And don’t be surprised when you drinking buddies start getting jealous of what you’re drinking instead of alcohol.
So to Review:
Here’s what to drink instead of alcohol!
1. Zero-Proof Non-Alcoholic Spirits
2. Sparkling Wine with Alcohol Removed
3. Wine Proxies
4. Adaptogenic Beverages
5. Virgin Bloody Marys
6. Non-Alcoholic Beer
7. Cannabis-Infused and CBD Herbal Tea
8. Regular Herbal Tea
9. Zero Proof Cocktails
10. Non-Alcoholic Pre-canned Cocktails
Tea is the best to substitute for alcohol for me. I prefer Tetley tea especially the raspherry and pomegranate
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