The story below is from our January/February 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Delicious non-alcoholic sips to seek out at local bottle shops and bars this Dry January and beyond.
Between Sober October and Dry January, non-alcoholic beverages were already having a moment. But the trend has given way to a consistent spike in demand. More discerning drinkers are abstaining from alcohol for a variety of reasons—sobriety, pregnancy, post-pandemic consumption moderation—and they’re looking for more than watery non-alcoholic beers or ginger ale. Thankfully, a bevy of delicious options have steadily come to market. Proof of the trend’s staying power? Whereas celebrities might’ve once been more likely to launch their own gin or tequila, now they’re launching adaptogen-infused aperitifs, a la Katy Perry’s De Soi (can confirm that the Purple Lune, infused with ashwaganda and bursting with intense plum and tart cherry flavors, is especially perfect this time of year). Here are five categories of alcohol-free beverages to explore and where to find and sip them around town.
Non-Alcoholic Beers
As local bottle shop owners keep tabs on industry trends, Philip Hatter, co-owner of Gladheart Wine & Brews says, “It looks like ‘super high alcoholic’ and then ‘non-alcoholic’ are the two big players in the industry right now. We’re looking at that and thinking, ‘How can we serve folks that are looking for those kinds of things?’ So, we have actively been looking at products in the market that we’re hoping to bring in.” He’s also been spurred on by customer requests and has started expanding Gladheart’s non-alcoholic beer offering. The shop carries about six options that vary in style and taste, such as Partake Brewing Pale, Clausthaler Grapefruit, and Athletic Brewing Co. Free Wave, an IPA with a robust, juicy citrus flavor profile. Athletic Brewing is a popular, widely distributed brand that’s also stocked at Crystal Spring Grocery, Wine Gourmet, Barrel Chest, Roanoke Co+op and Kroger.
Layla Khoury-Hanold
Barrel Chest Wine & Beer has also paid close attention to product development in the non-alcoholic beer space and has expanded their non-alcoholic beer inventory as new options come to market. Besides the usual suspects, you’ll find Busty Lush’s tropical leaning She’s Passionate; Atmos Brewing Co.’s Cosmos, a peanut butter milk dark stout; Hoplark’s Really, Really Hoppy; and seasonal sippers like Partake Brewing’s peach gose and Oktoberfest. Here, you can opt to purchase cans individually, or make your own non-alcoholic beer six-pack sampler.
Ready to Drink Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Although Katy Perry’s ready to drink aperitif, De Soi, isn’t distributed locally yet, there are other canned and bottled options popping up on local store shelves. Look for Curious Elixirs, one of the O.G. booze-free drink brands whose line of bottled classics-inspired cocktails are infused with herbs and adaptogens. Linens & Ladles recently carried No. 1, a riff on the Negroni Sbagliato (long before it was trendy) made with pomegranate and infused with rhodiola “to lift you up,” and No. 4, a play on an Italian Blood Orange Spritz, mingling ginseng, tulsi and turmeric with non-alcoholic prosecco. At Barrel Chest, you’ll find Casamara Club’s amaro-inspired sodas which can be sipped solo or mixed into zero-proof cocktails. Recently, they carried Onda, an herbaceous lemon spritz, and Alta, an effervescent take on a Negroni, redolent of citrus and warming spices.
Non-Alcoholic Wines
Layla Khoury-Hanold
Non-alcoholic wines can either be formulated without alcohol or fermented into regular wine and then de-alcoholized to remove the alcohol content. Ariel is one such brand of de-alcoholized wines that you can find at Wine Gourmet, Barrel Chest and Gladheart. “We carry the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Chardonnay,” says Gladheart co-owner Jayson Anuszkiewicz. “We have customers that have them and like them; they’re very fruit-forward, very juice-like in their flavor.” While he concedes that it’s not “100% a wine experience,” he adds that customers abstaining from alcohol find that it delivers. He cited one expectant mother who wanted the ritual of a glass of red wine with her steak dinner, and one woman who wanted to pair wine with her lunch of crab bisque but didn’t want the effects of day drinking. Another brand of alcohol-removed wine is Fre, of which Barrel Chest carries several styles, including White Zinfandel and sparkling Brut. Speaking of bubbles, snag a bottle of citrusy Freixenet at Gladheart when you see it—the owners share that it’s so popular, it’s hard to keep in stock.
Non-Alcoholic Spirits
Not everyone abstaining from alcohol wants the substitute to mimic the taste of the original product. That’s why Anuszkiewicz is a fan of brands like Seedlip, whose distillations are made from botanicals and herbs.
Layla Khoury-Hanold
“It’s not like it’s a mimic of a vodka or a gin, it’s just, there’s a spice, there’s a citrus, there’s an herb. So, they’re flavor profiles you can mix into and get a whole taste experience,” he says. Seedlip, and other popular spirit-free brands such as Lyle’s, are based in the United Kingdom, so distribution for retail can be challenging. At Barrel Chest, we spied Seedlip Garden 108, a blend of peas and garden herbs including rosemary, thyme and spearmint. Try topping it with ginger beer or ale for a refreshing, herbaceous highball.
Some non-alcoholic spirits are fashioned after classic liquors. One such brand is Monday, whose bottles boast handsome labels and whose contents can be subbed into cocktails as an even swap. Barrel Chest carries Monday’s whiskey and mezcal. Pair the toasty, smooth whiskey with a cola or ginger beer or mix up a spirit-free Old-Fashioned or Manhattan.
Zero-Proof Cocktails
At Sidecar, bar manager Ashley Pannelle has observed increased demand for non-alcoholic cocktails, whether people are abstaining for cultural or religious reasons or moderating their consumption. “I think a lot of people are moving toward having a couple drinks that do [have alcohol], then don’t, to even out. Or to have a reset or be more health conscious,” she says. “I think it’s important to offer options.”
Courtesy of Lucky
Small Talk Zero-Proof Cocktail
As with its food menu, Sidecar’s zero-proof cocktails reflect a seasonal approach. “Like any cocktail, even with a mocktail, you want to approach it with the ingredients first,” says general manager Scotlan Frayne. “And we see what’s on trend, what people are leaning more towards, what the season is and go from there.” Take for instance the Mixed Berry Borough, a sweet-leaning drink that nods to a Mule and features ginger beer, lime juice and a seasonal fruit puree. Another crowd-pleaser is Salt Bae, which pairs muddled cucumbers with grapefruit soda and citrus to refreshing effect. “People are excited to have options that’s not a soda or water, that’s still delicious, fun and inclusive. All of those things are important in service,” Pannelle says.
At Lucky, bar lead Taylor Mann finds that working with these new products invites a creative challenge.
“When you have alcohol, you do have that added element of the burn. Or the mouthfeel of these spirits are different,” he says. “If you drink it side by side to a non-alcoholic spirit you can tell that the non-alcoholic one seems a bit more watery—it’s not as viscous or round on the palate. With these non-alcoholic spirits you need to use, sometimes, more delicate flavors, so you don’t mask them, but you elevate them in the drink.” For example, the light and refreshing Small Talk mingles Bare Zero Proof gin with a sweet-tart cherry pomegranate syrup, lemon juice, and an effervescent topper of Lagunitas Brewing Co’s Hoppy Refresher, a sparkling hop water.
An autumn-inspired cocktail called The Golden Room complemented citrus-forward Seedlip Grove 42 with a roasted-then-juiced whole pumpkin, offset with the warming spices of chai and coconut-almond orgeat. “We’ve seen a lot of people order a cocktail, then do a non-alcoholic offering in between to pace out the night and have a good time without overindulging,” Mann says. “It’s cool to see that people aren’t just ordering it because they don’t want to drink, but they’re ordering it to be more responsible with how they consume their alcohol.”
The story above is from our January/February 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!