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11 Non-Alcoholic Spirits, Beers, Wines, and Mocktails to Make the Most of Dry January
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Whether you’re looking for a night or two off negronis, a month to flush your system after a holiday of heavy indulging, or you plan to swear off the sauce forever, it’s never been easier to give dry a try thanks to the quickly growing world of non-alcoholic spirits, beer, wine, and pre-made mocktails.
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From “Sober Curious” to “Damp Lifestyle,” plenty of buzzy phrases boil down to cutting back, whatever that may look like for you. January is the ideal time to start healthy habits, but there’s never a wrong time to try booze-free cocktails, near-beers, and nonalcoholic wines.
To help, we pored over the available non-alcoholic options on the market and are happy to report that sobriety has never tasted so good — or so much like the real thing. Our list of the best non-alcoholic beer, wines, and spirits includes options we’ve sampled, brews backed by strong reviews, and the buzziest brands you should know (that won’t get you buzzed).
Best Non-Alcoholic Beers
If suds are your swill of choice, hop to trying these copycat cold ones.
BERO
Celebrity alcohol is everywhere, but celebrity non-alcohol? It’s a comparatively small club whose newest member is Tom Holland, the founder of BERO. Holland was driven by a desire to create an NA beer during his own sobriety journey. BERO is available in three styles, including a hazy IPA, a pilsner, and a wheat beer. In the surest signal yet of the strength of the sober curious movement, BERO is now available at Target locations nationwide.
Athletic Brewing Free Wave Hazy IPA
Founded in 2017, Athletic Brewing has built a cult-like following around its non-alcoholic beer — unlike some breweries that pivot to include NA options, every product Athletic offers is non-alcoholic. The brand’s offerings have grown to include cocktail-inspired canned beverages and sparkling water.
Heineken Non-Alcoholic Beer
Because sometimes you want something familiar. When Heineken realized how quickly the mindful drinking market was growing and that they had yet to tap into it, the Dutch master brewer said, “Hold my beer.” The company emerged from R&D in 2019 with 0.0, a 69-calorie liquor-free lager made using the brand’s signature A-yeast.
Penn's Best NA
Penn’s Best, brewed by Genesee Brewing Company, comes in nondescript cans and doesn’t have a glossy website or a big marketing team. But the beer, which is well-reviewed among Total Wine shoppers and NA Beer Club reviewers, retails for a mere 4 bucks a pop for a six-pack. At a time when mocktails can go for as much as the real thing, there’s a case to be made for a no-fuss, easy-drinking lager.
The Best Non-Alcoholic Spirits and Canned Cocktails
It’s easy to go against the grain — alcohol that is — with these substitute spirits.
Seedlip
No discussion of non-alcoholic spirits can be had without mentioning Seedlip, a pioneer in the field since 2015. Seedlip’s sophisticated offerings include its core expressions: the savory Garden 108 with peas and hops, Grove 42 with its auroral blend of citrus varieties and ginger, and aromatic Spice 94, which relies on allspice berries and cardamom—none of which have calories, sugar, or sweeteners. The brand’s newest offering is Notas De Agave, a tequila-inspired non-alcoholic spirit.
Optimist Botanicals
Optimist Botanicals are liquid love letters to the varied Los Angeles landscape. “Bright” is Venice Beach in a bottle as key ingredients like fennel, lemon, and jasmine evoke a sunny day walk in the salty air past citrus trees and night-blooming flowers, while “Fresh” evokes the lush woody canyons after the elusive rain finally came to visit.
All are free of sugar, carbs, animal products, calories, additives, and alcohol. Their inclusive conscious consumption message is backed by a portion of sales being donated to provide underserved youth access to mental health services.
Curious Elixirs
Some of the hottest trends in the beverage world have been the growth of canned cocktails and the explosion of interest in non-alcoholic spirits, and Curious Elixirs combined the two trends into aptly named concoctions that are ready to enjoy right out of the bottle. Sophisticated varieties include a spicy pineapple ginger margarita, a pomegranate negroni sbagliato, and a juniper cucumber collins.
Recess Zero Proof
With its colorful branding and clever name, Recess takes a not-so-serious approach to NA cocktails. Options include familiar favorites like cosmos, spritzes, and palomas. They’re also a low-sugar option, with adaptogens and natural ingredients like guayusa for a subtle caffeine boost.
Best Non-Alcoholic Wine
Wine proxies and non-alcoholic vintages promise all the complexity and body but none of the buzz.
Non
With branding that emphasizes nonconformity, Non isn’t trying to be an imitation of wine, but rather its own, distinct flavor. Served in restaurants like n/naka and Birdsong, Non’s wines are made with food pairings in mind. Non even designed its own wine stopper to preserve carbonation. and freshness for up to 7 days.
Proxies
Proxies has collaborated with sommeliers and chefs from some of the most acclaimed fine-dining restaurants. The best way to explore the world of Proxies is through its four-bottle tasting sets. If you’re sweet on what you swig, take your relation-sip to the next level and join the club, which delivers six bottles four times a year and always includes a mix of classics, bubbles, and the newest collaborations and limited-edition flavors.
Fre Non-Alcoholic Wine
Fre’s non-alcoholic wines are made using traditional winemaking methods, and the alcohol is removed afterward using centrifugal force and nitrogen gas to separate the wine’s flavors from the alcohol, helping preserve the flavor without alcohol.
What Are the Benefits of ‘Dry January’?
Even if you enjoy the socializing that often comes with imbibing, and have your consumption under control, abstaining from alcohol can often have positive effects on your body, mind, and even your mood, experts say. Dr. Mikhail Varshavski, a New Jersey family medicine physician who is known as “Doctor Mike” by his six and a half million YouTube followers, says the degree as to whether a month of abstaining is beneficial, is generally proportionate to how much you drink. Still, Varshavski says most people would likely see some positive changes if they forego alcohol.
“Although a month is not a long period, it’s possible to see improvements in several aspects of your general health, including decreased acid reflux, lower caloric intake and weight loss, increased concentration, an immunity boost, and more restful slumber,” he says, adding that quit-quick challenges can be unsafe for heavy drinkers/alcoholics and are not substitutes for recovery programs or rehab. “The main reason it can be worth it is that it gives you the chance to learn about your actual relationship with alcohol and [can] lead you to make long-term changes after you identify problem areas in your drinking habits. It’s very easy to lose track of how often or how much you’re drinking.”
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