Author: ArtsyChowRoamer

Looking for Low or No Alcohol?

RISE OF THE SOBER CURIOUS MOVEMENT

Oh demon alcohol
Memories I can’t recall
Who thought I would fall
A slave to demon alcohol

Alcohol – Hailey Tuck

If you’re like me, January 1st meant coming off a continuous run of nonstop eating and drinking throughout the holidays.   Dry January was a desirable necessity.  But why do it?  As my good friend George Clooney would say, “…mainly to prove we still can!”

There has been a substantial shift in drinking habits and a growing number of people are looking for ways to cut back or cut out alcohol altogether; a movement called Sober Curious. In this post we we’ll take a look at a some of the products the market is offering.

IT STARTED WITH A BOOK

Named after a book written in 2018 by Ruby Warrington, it is the perfect asset for those interested in an alcohol “freeish” lifestyle.  Written in a nonjudgmental witty kinda way, Ruby begs the question of what would happen to your life if you stopped drinking on autopilot or even altogether?

I decided to research product options to see just what might be available for January dryness (or anytime you’re feeling the need to cut back).  I got out the google machine and banged away.  What I found was both surprising and interesting.  Those dang millennials were at it again!

Ever disdainful with their “OK Boomer” remarks, millennials have decided they aren’t going to drink the same way and they are driving a change.  They want to “feel” like they are drinking without the actual alcohol part messing things up.  Not a bad idea really and the markets are responding.

NONALCOHOLIC WINE

Alcohol free wine has been around for a while.  My first foray into it produced disappointment years ago and after trying again recently…it still does. I tried a white and a red from Ariel Vineyards. They both felt pretty much lackluster; missing something and it wasn’t just the buzz.

Missing more like an acidity that you aren’t getting on the back of the tongue at the finish. It was like-well-drinking fruit juice for lack of better words. I’m somewhat dismayed at the wine industries continued lack of interest in capturing this market and working to produce better flavors.

Prominent wine writer, Fiona Beckett, (How to Drink without Drinking) says she really couldn’t recommend any particular brand out there either but offered that a shot of balsamic vinegar in red and verjus (acidic juice from unripe grapes) in white went a long way towards making it taste better.  Sour cherry juice stands in for a pinot noir.  I admit I did not try this so I can’t honestly report on whether it works or not.

0.0 HEINEKEN MEANS JUST THAT-NO ALCOHOL

Heineken has had a no alcohol product but like others it did have a tiny amount.  Their new beer is called 0.0 with absolutely none! I’m not much of a beer drinker but my husband is so we grabbed a six pack to test.  My husband thought it was great and very drinkable (to the degree I never seem to have one in the fridge) and I did too.

Craft beers are getting into the game as well by making new flavors.  Surreal Brewing Company won the World’s Best Non-Alcoholic Beer in 2019 with their new craft recipe. Big guys like Bud LIght and Corona now offer hard seltzers with only 5% alcohol, little sugar and low calories. They are pretty great if you want a little fruity taste like guava, black cherry, pomegranate or lime.

A DISTILLED NONALCOHOLIC SPIRIT

Seedlip is the world’s first distilled nonalcoholic spirit. If Vodka with water or soda is your thing than this is your stuff.  Made to be used with mixers to create grown up “mocktails”, inventor Ben Branson wanted to offer unique flavor profiles using specific blends of real ingredients distilled with alcohol which burns away in the process.

Coming from a generational farming background in the UK, Branson found a copy of a very old book called The Art of Distillation by John French. 300 years ago it was common for doctor’s to distill herbal remedies for certain illnesses. The book had his recipes for just such work.

Ben set up a copper still in his kitchen and started experimenting. That might have been as far as he got except he got given one of those sickly pink Shirley Temple kinda “mocktails” at a restaurant one night and an idea was born.

THREE CHOICES FROM SEEDLIP

He began with Garden 108 utilizing peas, hay and local herbs like rosemary.  He wanted to recreate the memory of eating fresh peas in the hayfield with his grandfather (BTW, he has the letters P-E-A-S tattooed on his right hand). It is a floral blend but don’t think gin.

He has gone on to create Spice 94 based on the Jamaican allspice berry and Citrus 42 with three types of citrus.  They are not really meant to be sipped by themselves but you could if you wanted to.  They are complex and a little bitter and meant to shine through in a mix like bourbon or tequila do.  In other good news, there is no burn going down or any additives or sugar.

Is it catching on?  The products have been spotted in swanky bars such as Bacchanalia in Atlanta, the French Laundry in California and The Dead Rabbit in New York City (photos above).  Hmm…maybe it’s not just a millennial thing.  You can purchase Seedlip on their website at www.seedlipdrinks.com along with a book filled with recipes developed specifically for their spirits.

KIN EUPHORICS-CONSCIOUS CONNECTION

The next new thing in no booze is euphorics-specifically Kin Euphorics.  It is manufactured using adaptogens to help manage stress, nootropics to support good cognition and several nourishing healthy plants like hibiscus and licorice.

Kin is meant to elevate your state without making you drunk or high.  Can it really do that?  The company claims the drinks react with your own body chemistry.  While one might make you feel real laid back or Zen-another might make you feel energized and ready to party.

You could stick to water or seltzers but why not sip on something different or mix it with one of Kin’s products for a “conscious connection”?  Dream Light is a nightcap described as having a smooth smokey spiced flavor that even helps you sleep better and wake clearheaded.  It is meant to be sipped just like any other good nightcap would be. Spritz in a can is ready to drink as your sparkling go to for the next get together.  Just grab a six pack and BYOC it! 

High Rhode is promoted as a mixer; floral and tart with an herby finish.  It’s your ready to party euphoric that will energize you in the best of ways. There is a great gift package with an awesome flask along with their products at www.kineuphorics.com.  Get some fabulous recipes for some of the prettiest drinks I have ever seen as well.  Being an artsy fartsy type can I just say that the bottle designs on all of these products will make you want the stuff?

CONCLUSION

Now you know just a few reasons why Sober Curious is on the rise and the markets are listening. There are lots of other lower alcohol choices out there too like Haus. Check out their website to see the choices of lower alcohol aperitifs on offer. The taste is outstanding and your head will thank you the next day too.

If you liked what you read you might also enjoy reading other posts under Edible Fare. Hey, don’t be a stranger! Let me hear from you on any new products you’ve discovered and would like to share with the tribe ok? Until next time…

Cheers,

ArtsyChowRoamer

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TO MY READERS: This post appeared in a shortened version in my column, The Curious Corner, for Smoke Signals Newspaper