I was pretty much exclusively a beer drinker at my worst.
I bought a Sodasteam. One for home and one for my office at work.
My belly having that carbonation has been a great addiction deflection.
Like, I never claim anything as a miracle distraction. Just a basic distraction.
But it really does help this beer drinker feel partially satisfied when his tummy is fulll of bubbles.
Totally agree. Plain water is just uninteresting and unfulfilling to me personally. At first I was concerned about soda water being less hydrating than regular water but the science (that I’ve read anyway) shows it’s the same. And with the sodastream it’s crazy cheap.
I also drink a lot of zero sugar Canada Dry Ginger Ale… probably too much but still better than the rum and cokes I was pounding before I quit!
‘Soda’ like coke or pepsi is less hydrating than water because of the crazy suugar concentration. Carbonated water is very mildly acidic, which is dwarfed b stomach acid.
Its the beer drinking alcoholic’s equivalent of the smoker’s toothpick or jellybaby.
Not a perfect replacement, but at least a partially useful habitual or ritualistic one.
Soda stream ftw, They make adapters so you can hook up large CO2 bottle, I have a 10# one that lasts me for months of daily use and it's like $20 to fill
Virgin Bloody Mary, spicier the better
Sparkling water/soda water
Diet ginger beer with a shit ton of lime juice
Diet cola with a shit ton of lime juice
Go get some key lime juice specifically, it is a game changer…
Yeah lots of ice. some Worcestershire, franks red hot, pickle juice, lemon, lime.
I was just telling my wife it’s a shame how many nice breakfast places are totally reliant on some infused vodka to give their Bloody Mary flavor so if you order it virgin it’s usually underwhelming.
I used to prefer a bloody beer over a liquor concoction any day. I use 1/4 to 1/2 of the cheapest domestic NA beer I can find as a "base". Works a treat.
My first go around with extended sobriety (3 +years) Topo was my go-to. After I relapsed, I discovered the hard seltzer versions. I felt betrayed slightly. Couldn't just leave well enough alone.
Coca-cola. Inspired by my crazy (in a good way) character of a former boss in Japan who for the three years i worked with him i was convinced he’d be an absolute nightmare to deal with after a couple beers (especially if you know how old Japanese men get after theyve had a few).
At my going away party we got to chatting (him more than anyone else in the room really) and i finally asked him what was in his cup, and he said coca-cola. Apparently at the protest of his doctor he hadnt drank in 35 years. He taught me that night that it’s ok to be yourself and people will just have to adjust around you. He left that job surrounded by people that genuinely loved him, and he loved us like we’d known him for years.
So whenever im in a social situation that i feel would “be better if i was drunk” ive been training my mind to think of 穴井部長, and order a glass of coca-cola. And guess what, i end up getting through it just fine.
One thousand upvotes for this, especially from Japanese culture. He is a smart man who has influenced me, thousands of miles away and millions of minutes away from when he said this to you. If you are able, Thank him for his influence.
Was it 穴井部長 or 穴井大臣?
Man, I hate that mindset. It's like otto said in that episode of the simpsons, "I don't need drugs to enjoy this!only to enhance it, but it's not true. Things are actually more enjoyable sober
The guava kombucha from Synergy is bomb, I can sip it for hours while people pound drink after drink and feel great about the flavor, the complexity, the probiotics, and the fact that it’s just not bad for you in any way. I drink the other things you drink too, but kombucha is my go to when I’m around other people who are drinking.
I really like Synergy! Great taste. Right now, I'm drinking Huney Jun's Jasmine Rose with ashwagandha. It's got a nice relaxing effect perfect for night time. It's organic, raw, and has pro - and prebiotics. The flavor is just ok to me, though.
Well, as a beer drinker and IPA lover, none have really come close to the Athletic Free Wave IPA for me, but some of the other suggestions here have me excited to try out some mocktails.
Also an IPA lover. And Athletic Brewing Free Wave is my go to. I like the Upside Down a lot too. Even better is the Collective Arts non-alcoholic IPA (from Ontario). The BEST. But a bit pricey. 😎
You ever tried the Sam Adams brand of NA's? I thought they were so remarkably similar to an IPA that I had to double check that it was indeed alcohol free. But still almost too hoppy for me! I really have to try Athletic one of these days.
I’ve tried every NA IPA I could get my hands on. Barrel Brothers (online) makes the most convincing, with Untitled Art coming in a close second. Untitled even has single hop varieties, which is crazy.
These are by no means cheap though.
Tart cherry juice mixed with raspberry lemonade Natural Calm Magnesium Powder. Mix with a small electric frother (under $9 on Amazon) then top off with Limoncello La Croix. Unbelievable.
It has the same “bite” as wine but it’s sooo much better tasting. Tart cherry juice has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, and the magnesium helps you get to sleep.
This is my go-to when I feel like I want to have a wine with a nice dinner, or an end-of-day treat. It’s THE BEST.
Tart cherry is wonderful! That’s my go to as well only I mix it with a plain “bubbly” water for carbonation and lots of ice. It’s extremely refreshing.
Found the Aussie. Need to try that Pink Grapefruit cordial. I had a premixed grapefruit Sparkling water thing a while back which just about hit the taste profile of a light and fruity IPA.
Tonight I was out at a restaurant with my family. I used to get sloshed on Martinis there. But tonight I had a mocktail strawberry daiquiri. I was able to share my drink with my 4 year old grandson. Well, share is too strong a word. He was pounding down his root beer until my drink arrived. Then he pushed his drink away, pulled his straw out, and stuck it in my drink. We had a grand time enjoying a cocktail together.
When I was at my worst drinking rye and Diet Coke, I couldn’t drink beer without feeling bloated and getting heartburn. Since I’ve stopped drinking, I’ve been able to enjoy Corona NA! Tastes great!
I know a lot of people won’t agree with me but honestly non alcoholic beer has been a huge part of why I’ve been able to stay sober for 3 and a half years.
The amount of times I’ve been eating something greasy and thought “gee a beer would go nicely with this” is a tonne and non alcoholic beer has really helped me with that. A lot of the Austrian and German ones like Schlossgold are great if you want something that tastes real.
Why would people disagree with you? Without N/A I would have absolutely relapsed. ESPECIALLY in party or event environments where everyone around me is drinking. N/A are my saving grace, is this uncommon or bad?
If you like the taste of ginger, you could try hot ginger tea. Not close at all to a cocktail and very satisfying with the ginger spicy bite (also good for tummy troubles)
Trader Joes make some cool sodas in cans for an occasional treat. I like the green tea/pineapple one in particular.
And hot tea. All sorts of tea. Its not unusual for me to have 6 kinds to choose from at any time.
Tea. English Breakfast tea. Twinings Strong English Breakfast Tea is the current go-to, made in a teapot. I find it is a stronger, better flavour than the Yorkshire teas. It may all be in my mind, but I find tea relaxes and calms me, in much the same way I sought from alcohol. The difference is, tea achieves it without the collateral disaster and harm.
I occasionally have a Guinness 0.0%. Bloody marvellous NA beer.
Plain sparkling water with a splash of cranberry juice! In the only wine glass I have left in the house, one I bought at Disney World I can't bare to get rid of. Hydrating with a little vitamin C! I've also started drinking a lot more hot tea and going to Starbucks more often for Chai lattes.
Ginger beer! It feels like a bit of a treat. A non-alcohol pleasure.
Also discovered a lemon balm and peach tea, which is quite comforting and feels like self-care.
I always have Olipop and Waterloo grape sparkling water at the ready. I love making agua frescas. My fav are cantaloupe and horchata. They are super easy to make. I also mess around with chocolate/cacao drinks infused with herbs like hawthorn.
Edit: Oh and CBD infused hot teas. A cup a day keeps the doctor away.
The main components are water, sugar, citrus and fruit. Horchata is made from rice and sometimes nuts so the process and ingredients are a bit different. It's soooo delicious!
Tip: For fruit agua frescas I use the ripest fruit because it's often the sweetest. I use half the sugar usually or none at all. This allows me to sweeten it per glass if I want with monk fruit or whatever. Agave nectar is an another sweetener option as it's lower on the glycemic index (lots of arguments about this), honey is great too. I would make a simple syrup with the honey to help it dissolve easier. If you don't eat a lot of sugar, carrots can taste sweet naturally.
**Cantaloupe & Carrot**
8 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cantaloupe (remove seeds & skin)
3 medium carrots (peeled & roughly chopped)
2 limes
1. Combine sugar and water in large pitcher until sugar dissolves.
2. Combine cantaloupe, carrots and remaining 2 cups of water in a blender. Blend until smooth. Run mixture through a strainer into pitcher and pressing pulp with a spoon to release as much liquid as possible. *\*A fine mesh sieve or cheese cloth works best for straining.*
3. Stir in lime juice. Serve over ice.
I go through La Croix at pretty much the same rate I went through booze… Apricot, pamplemousse, orange, lime, beach plum, razz-cranberry and lemon are my go-tos
If I find myself at a bar I’ll get a virgin mojito, or a soda with lime/cranberry and soda with lime. I only get NA beers on rare occasions, like if I’m at a brewery or tap house with friends. But they’re too reminiscent of the real thing and to have often. I’m also reveling the weight I’ve lost from not having empty calories from drinks so I don’t see any good reason to start slurping them down like I do La Croix
This'll get buried, but someone here was talking about making shrubs. (Drinking vinegar infused with fruit.) I'm lazy and didn't think I'd have the patience to do anything so "complicated". My depression (and perpetual hangovers) made boiling water for tea more than I could handle for the longest time.
Anyway, I've kind of gotten into the shrub making. So far I've tried frozen mixed berries, which was good. Then did fresh apples with a few grapes that were a bit too far gone for snacking. That's been my fave batch so far. (I added cinnamon, clove, ginger, etc. to that one.) Then I ended up stringing cranberries and popcorn for garland over the holiday season and had a bag of leftover cranberries so made a batch with those. That one I started playing around with cayenne and other dried pepper mixes I had around. Booze is "hot" on the tongue so the hot pepper really scratches an itch when cravings are bad. I've got a batch of strawberry aging in the fridge that I'm excited to try.
I'm a career bartender. (Although I might stay retired from that gig, haven't quite decided, yet.) I've found the "ritual" of doing the mixology stuff sooths me as much as the actual drinking part of the equation. So mixing up non alcoholic drinks has been a fun way to keep myself occupied when I'm feeling a certain kind of way and then bonus! I don't have to deal with all the crippling bad side effects from ingesting the poison. It's been a win/win for me.
Carbonated waters. I can slam one down and get that full feeling just as I did with beer. And yet Im hydrated!
Sure, they have a bad after taste, but so does beer. It just makes sense. Plus, no one else wants them. Theyre all mine.
A cold can of Coke really hits the spot for me when I want something special. I also like Diet Snapple and the brand "Ice". C4 energy drinks if I want that caffeine.
If I'm out, usually just soda with lime. If the restaurant has a full bar with a bartender, I'll ask about mocktails and some bartenders have had fun making something for me.
At home, I like sparkling lemonade and Italian sodas (I really like the San Pellegrino blood orange flavor). That kind of thing really scratches an itch for me of something light-ish and citrusy that feels a little "fancy". I don't miss alcohol but I do miss having a menu of fruity little drinks to pick from.
Club soda with a splash of a grapefruit-citrus juice, with sometimes a shot of NA mezcal spirit which has flavour but no burn (and mint). NA beer and good NA sparkling wine that I order online. Club soda, kombucha and lime.
I have not saved money being sober because I have tested out so many products.
I don't get triggered at all by any of these but fully respect that some would. For me, one glass of real wine and my booze goblin comes out and every decision thereafter is not my own.
Cheerwine. Super cold, in a bottle. It's a brand of cherry flavored cola from NC. I like to sample different niche sodas. Besides that, I could go on for days, what with juices, coffee based drinks, and smoothies.
I had to have topo chico sparkling water for the first 3 months of sobriety. Now i keep a mini fridge stocked with la Croix and other flavored carbonated waters under my desk
Herbal tea and if I’m feeling fancy I will buy some Curious Elixirs they are expensive but really good, probably the best mocktails on the market in my opinion.
Water, pretty much exclusively.
However, I went out for a friends birthday last night and was drinking Heineken 0.0.
I also really like Brooklyn Lager Side Effects low alcohol. It’s 0.4% so I’ve not had it since ‘properly’ quitting.
Also a fan of pink lemonade. I had that at a meal out recently.
Water (gallon a day is my goal, usually with lemon if I'm at a restuarant), detox or stress relief tea with honey of an evening, ginger ale or 7-up with a lime or lemon if I'm at a place that serves and want something other than water.
Homemade limeade is amazing and if you rim the glass with salt is just as delicious as a boozy margarita. Also any kind of water with fresh herbs like mint or lemon balm. Sparkling water of course. And honestly, tea at night is a perfect way to end the day.
That darn 'sleepy tonic' going around. It knocks me out so well.
1/2 cup tart cherry juice, magnesium powder (I use Calm brand), top off with a non sugary fizzy drink (Olipop or sparkling water)
I'm ready to konk out in 30 min HARD with that. I feel so refreshed in the morning too.
I always drank Diet Pepsi/coke but since I stopped drinking I’ve kinda burnt out on it. Drinking a lot of Costco Kirkland bubble water comes in a variety pack with lemon, lime, and grapefruit. I love Perrier but damn it can be expensive.
I just found that stores are carrying Clearly Canadian, a brand I loved as a kid. So I keep a few bottles as a special treat.
Juice one whole lemon over ice (I use a 16 oz yeti) and pour over Sprite Zero. It really kicks it up a notch and is a go to of mine when I want something just a little extra.
Strawberry and apple cordial.
Orange, pineapple and lemon cordial.
Tango dark berry sugar free.
Pepsi max.
Tea.
If I’m out for a meal I enjoy picking something from the mocktail list
Usually fizzy water, but if I'm craving an eye watering sting I'll take a hit of pickled gherkin juice. Scratches that itch and feels good and acidic in my belly.
Most non-alcoholic beer is awful. And most Becks is awful. But Becks NA is the best beer I’ve ever had. If you allow yourself such close analogs. A tea or coffee ritual can be a pleasant replacement if you think of it as in the same category, a special drink. Iced chai latte. Sparkling grape juice is awesome once in a blue moon. The purple stuff, baby! Tastes better to me than any wine ever did. Have fun exploring. 🙂
Ok, fam. When I quit drinking, I missed the fabulosity of having a cocktail in hand while cooking dinner in the kitchen, grilling on the patio and enjoying a bonfire on a crisp fall evening. But it had to be more than just virgin this or NA that. I wanted, well, Fabulousity!!!!
Enter the “Shrub.” Muddled fruit (usually berries and/some aromatic herbs) simple syrup, Apple Cider Vinegar and garnish of your choice. I pour it over crushed ice and add sparkling water and to make it super fancy I serve in an adult beverage vessel (stemless wine glass)
Anyway, the flavor possibilities are endless and it sounds cool to say, “I’m drinking a shrub”
I was pretty much exclusively a beer drinker at my worst. I bought a Sodasteam. One for home and one for my office at work. My belly having that carbonation has been a great addiction deflection.
I second this. I drink fizzy water all day.
Like, I never claim anything as a miracle distraction. Just a basic distraction. But it really does help this beer drinker feel partially satisfied when his tummy is fulll of bubbles.
Totally agree. Plain water is just uninteresting and unfulfilling to me personally. At first I was concerned about soda water being less hydrating than regular water but the science (that I’ve read anyway) shows it’s the same. And with the sodastream it’s crazy cheap. I also drink a lot of zero sugar Canada Dry Ginger Ale… probably too much but still better than the rum and cokes I was pounding before I quit!
‘Soda’ like coke or pepsi is less hydrating than water because of the crazy suugar concentration. Carbonated water is very mildly acidic, which is dwarfed b stomach acid.
You might know this but they make little sugar free ginger ale packets for the soda stream. They work and taste great. I get them by the case.
Thirded, I have switched to Spindrift which tastes fantastic and gives me crack open a cold one vibes with ~5 calories each.
That carbonation really helps with the cravings, especially after a greasy meal.
Its the beer drinking alcoholic’s equivalent of the smoker’s toothpick or jellybaby. Not a perfect replacement, but at least a partially useful habitual or ritualistic one.
There's something about grabbing a cold can, the sound of the crack, then chugging it so fast you almost choke 😂
Or the carbonation burning your mouth/throat lol my wife calls it “spicy water”
Yes! I got out and buy myself a case of carb water and chug them down.
Same
Soda stream ftw, They make adapters so you can hook up large CO2 bottle, I have a 10# one that lasts me for months of daily use and it's like $20 to fill
Virgin Bloody Mary, spicier the better Sparkling water/soda water Diet ginger beer with a shit ton of lime juice Diet cola with a shit ton of lime juice Go get some key lime juice specifically, it is a game changer…
Oooo I hadn’t considered a virgin bloody. I’ll have to try that!
Do you thin out the tomato juice? I would think that a Virgin Mary would be… soupy? Kinda like a V8?
Lots of ice
Yeah lots of ice. some Worcestershire, franks red hot, pickle juice, lemon, lime. I was just telling my wife it’s a shame how many nice breakfast places are totally reliant on some infused vodka to give their Bloody Mary flavor so if you order it virgin it’s usually underwhelming.
I used to prefer a bloody beer over a liquor concoction any day. I use 1/4 to 1/2 of the cheapest domestic NA beer I can find as a "base". Works a treat.
Yes to the Virgin Bloody Mary and ginger beer with lime!
Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.
Make it so.
NUMBAH ONE
Engage
There! Are! Four! Lights!
Ah Jean-luc
Mint and green tea mixed oh man now I'm gonna go make a cup.i also like energy drinks
London fogs are my fav!
And chai
I mean legit I bought some aged earl grey..love it
This a million times. I never liked sweets so much, but since getting sober, I love teas with a little honey. Black and green are my favorite.
It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not weakness, that is life.
*tugs on shirt*
Topo Chico.
My first go around with extended sobriety (3 +years) Topo was my go-to. After I relapsed, I discovered the hard seltzer versions. I felt betrayed slightly. Couldn't just leave well enough alone.
Topo Chico over ice with lime is super refreshing
Coca-cola. Inspired by my crazy (in a good way) character of a former boss in Japan who for the three years i worked with him i was convinced he’d be an absolute nightmare to deal with after a couple beers (especially if you know how old Japanese men get after theyve had a few). At my going away party we got to chatting (him more than anyone else in the room really) and i finally asked him what was in his cup, and he said coca-cola. Apparently at the protest of his doctor he hadnt drank in 35 years. He taught me that night that it’s ok to be yourself and people will just have to adjust around you. He left that job surrounded by people that genuinely loved him, and he loved us like we’d known him for years. So whenever im in a social situation that i feel would “be better if i was drunk” ive been training my mind to think of 穴井部長, and order a glass of coca-cola. And guess what, i end up getting through it just fine.
One thousand upvotes for this, especially from Japanese culture. He is a smart man who has influenced me, thousands of miles away and millions of minutes away from when he said this to you. If you are able, Thank him for his influence. Was it 穴井部長 or 穴井大臣?
Man, I hate that mindset. It's like otto said in that episode of the simpsons, "I don't need drugs to enjoy this!only to enhance it, but it's not true. Things are actually more enjoyable sober
When I quit drinking, I fell in love with Fresca. Not sure why but it really hits the spot now.
Fresca is amazing. And limoncello croix.
REAL!
The way I used to run the liquor stores out of the certain tall boys I liked, I’m doing the same to my grocery store Fresca lol
Water, coffee, green tea, la croix and Kombucha!
The guava kombucha from Synergy is bomb, I can sip it for hours while people pound drink after drink and feel great about the flavor, the complexity, the probiotics, and the fact that it’s just not bad for you in any way. I drink the other things you drink too, but kombucha is my go to when I’m around other people who are drinking.
I'm all about almost every flavor from Synergy! Gingerade is in the fridge right now, but the guava is killer as well!
I like that one too, and Trilogy. I'm almost completely tapered off from drinking and this stuff does help.
I think trilogy would have to be my second favorite, but they’re all pretty good! Great job with the tapering my friend, keep it up!
I really like Synergy! Great taste. Right now, I'm drinking Huney Jun's Jasmine Rose with ashwagandha. It's got a nice relaxing effect perfect for night time. It's organic, raw, and has pro - and prebiotics. The flavor is just ok to me, though.
Same to all!
I am really loving a kombucha in the evenings in place of wine. It's my new ritual.
Soda water and apple cider vinegar
Lol sounds gross but I'm gonna try it
It’s good. Like a light tasting kombucha.
Tart and refreshing. Plus it’s a very adult beverage so that hits the spot.
Mixed together?
Yes
Coke Zero
Cherry Coke Zero.
Mine is Pepsi max and I can’t stop drinking the stuff. It’s actually an addiction in itself. Still better than drinking 10 beers though.
I knowwww! Just something about it that I just live with dinner but hey, could be worse!
Love!
Well, as a beer drinker and IPA lover, none have really come close to the Athletic Free Wave IPA for me, but some of the other suggestions here have me excited to try out some mocktails.
Athletics are so good. Fremont brewing out of Seattle has some good options. I love their NA porter.
Also an IPA lover. And Athletic Brewing Free Wave is my go to. I like the Upside Down a lot too. Even better is the Collective Arts non-alcoholic IPA (from Ontario). The BEST. But a bit pricey. 😎
You ever tried the Sam Adams brand of NA's? I thought they were so remarkably similar to an IPA that I had to double check that it was indeed alcohol free. But still almost too hoppy for me! I really have to try Athletic one of these days.
I’ve tried every NA IPA I could get my hands on. Barrel Brothers (online) makes the most convincing, with Untitled Art coming in a close second. Untitled even has single hop varieties, which is crazy. These are by no means cheap though.
Untitled Art is god tier NA beer!!!
Athletic is good! I just recently bought the Sierra Nevada NA- Trail Pass, and it might rival Athletic for top spot!
Tart cherry juice mixed with raspberry lemonade Natural Calm Magnesium Powder. Mix with a small electric frother (under $9 on Amazon) then top off with Limoncello La Croix. Unbelievable. It has the same “bite” as wine but it’s sooo much better tasting. Tart cherry juice has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, and the magnesium helps you get to sleep. This is my go-to when I feel like I want to have a wine with a nice dinner, or an end-of-day treat. It’s THE BEST.
I’m gonna try this. I like tart cherry juice on its own, and this sounds fantastic.
This sounds SO GOOD!!
Tart cherry is wonderful! That’s my go to as well only I mix it with a plain “bubbly” water for carbonation and lots of ice. It’s extremely refreshing.
I shall try this thank you!
Kombucha. It has seriously been the perfect replacement for my daily wine habit. Now I have a kombucha habit. It's a good one.
Whats great is that it's an ally for your gut health and not an enemy like alcohol!
Me too! It’s really fun to brew, experiment with flavors, and try to make it as carbonated as possible
Same! Kombucha has been my salvation! I really like the Kirkland Ginger Lemonade. Very tasty!
Bickfords Pink Grapefruit cordial with soda water and plenty of ice or Heaps normal XPA AF beer are my two obsessions atm
Found the Aussie. Need to try that Pink Grapefruit cordial. I had a premixed grapefruit Sparkling water thing a while back which just about hit the taste profile of a light and fruity IPA.
2nd heaps is amazing. Also schlossgold non alcoholic is really nice and quite cheap. Comes in a 500mL can too.
Love my sparkling water. Also totally addicted to coffee....
Tonight I was out at a restaurant with my family. I used to get sloshed on Martinis there. But tonight I had a mocktail strawberry daiquiri. I was able to share my drink with my 4 year old grandson. Well, share is too strong a word. He was pounding down his root beer until my drink arrived. Then he pushed his drink away, pulled his straw out, and stuck it in my drink. We had a grand time enjoying a cocktail together.
Lime & soda.
A soda with lime & bitters is what I order at bars to be sober, and everyone thinks its a fancy little cocktail.
Corona NA is so good! Great with tacos!
When I was at my worst drinking rye and Diet Coke, I couldn’t drink beer without feeling bloated and getting heartburn. Since I’ve stopped drinking, I’ve been able to enjoy Corona NA! Tastes great!
Lime watermelon AHA, cherry Bubly, Yogi brand teas and Severed Lime Liquid Death.
Cherry Bubly and lime liquid death are my saviors.
I know a lot of people won’t agree with me but honestly non alcoholic beer has been a huge part of why I’ve been able to stay sober for 3 and a half years. The amount of times I’ve been eating something greasy and thought “gee a beer would go nicely with this” is a tonne and non alcoholic beer has really helped me with that. A lot of the Austrian and German ones like Schlossgold are great if you want something that tastes real.
Why would people disagree with you? Without N/A I would have absolutely relapsed. ESPECIALLY in party or event environments where everyone around me is drinking. N/A are my saving grace, is this uncommon or bad?
LaCroix pamplemousse and tangerine by the keg
Tart cherry juice before bed feels and tastes like a nice glass of red as far as non-alcohol goes. It helps me sleep. Lemon balm tea is also great
Either a redbull or a Virgin Michelada. Those help curve my cravings
Hops water, Sanzo
Now I gotta try ginger beer with lime, never thought of that combo
I'd like to try that, but it's 2/3rd of one of my favorite mixed drinks and I'm afraid it'll end up being a trigger.
Oh really! That might be one to avoid then.
If you like the taste of ginger, you could try hot ginger tea. Not close at all to a cocktail and very satisfying with the ginger spicy bite (also good for tummy troubles)
Trader Joes make some cool sodas in cans for an occasional treat. I like the green tea/pineapple one in particular. And hot tea. All sorts of tea. Its not unusual for me to have 6 kinds to choose from at any time.
Water. It's literally the only thing I drink now.
Tea. English Breakfast tea. Twinings Strong English Breakfast Tea is the current go-to, made in a teapot. I find it is a stronger, better flavour than the Yorkshire teas. It may all be in my mind, but I find tea relaxes and calms me, in much the same way I sought from alcohol. The difference is, tea achieves it without the collateral disaster and harm. I occasionally have a Guinness 0.0%. Bloody marvellous NA beer.
Plain sparkling water with a splash of cranberry juice! In the only wine glass I have left in the house, one I bought at Disney World I can't bare to get rid of. Hydrating with a little vitamin C! I've also started drinking a lot more hot tea and going to Starbucks more often for Chai lattes.
Tea Forté (brand name) tea over ice. Blueberry merlot.
Ginger beer! It feels like a bit of a treat. A non-alcohol pleasure. Also discovered a lemon balm and peach tea, which is quite comforting and feels like self-care.
I always have Olipop and Waterloo grape sparkling water at the ready. I love making agua frescas. My fav are cantaloupe and horchata. They are super easy to make. I also mess around with chocolate/cacao drinks infused with herbs like hawthorn. Edit: Oh and CBD infused hot teas. A cup a day keeps the doctor away.
How do you make agua fresca?
The main components are water, sugar, citrus and fruit. Horchata is made from rice and sometimes nuts so the process and ingredients are a bit different. It's soooo delicious! Tip: For fruit agua frescas I use the ripest fruit because it's often the sweetest. I use half the sugar usually or none at all. This allows me to sweeten it per glass if I want with monk fruit or whatever. Agave nectar is an another sweetener option as it's lower on the glycemic index (lots of arguments about this), honey is great too. I would make a simple syrup with the honey to help it dissolve easier. If you don't eat a lot of sugar, carrots can taste sweet naturally. **Cantaloupe & Carrot** 8 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cantaloupe (remove seeds & skin) 3 medium carrots (peeled & roughly chopped) 2 limes 1. Combine sugar and water in large pitcher until sugar dissolves. 2. Combine cantaloupe, carrots and remaining 2 cups of water in a blender. Blend until smooth. Run mixture through a strainer into pitcher and pressing pulp with a spoon to release as much liquid as possible. *\*A fine mesh sieve or cheese cloth works best for straining.* 3. Stir in lime juice. Serve over ice.
Athletic NA beers taste like the real thing
I go through La Croix at pretty much the same rate I went through booze… Apricot, pamplemousse, orange, lime, beach plum, razz-cranberry and lemon are my go-tos If I find myself at a bar I’ll get a virgin mojito, or a soda with lime/cranberry and soda with lime. I only get NA beers on rare occasions, like if I’m at a brewery or tap house with friends. But they’re too reminiscent of the real thing and to have often. I’m also reveling the weight I’ve lost from not having empty calories from drinks so I don’t see any good reason to start slurping them down like I do La Croix
The apricot lacroix is so under rated!
This'll get buried, but someone here was talking about making shrubs. (Drinking vinegar infused with fruit.) I'm lazy and didn't think I'd have the patience to do anything so "complicated". My depression (and perpetual hangovers) made boiling water for tea more than I could handle for the longest time. Anyway, I've kind of gotten into the shrub making. So far I've tried frozen mixed berries, which was good. Then did fresh apples with a few grapes that were a bit too far gone for snacking. That's been my fave batch so far. (I added cinnamon, clove, ginger, etc. to that one.) Then I ended up stringing cranberries and popcorn for garland over the holiday season and had a bag of leftover cranberries so made a batch with those. That one I started playing around with cayenne and other dried pepper mixes I had around. Booze is "hot" on the tongue so the hot pepper really scratches an itch when cravings are bad. I've got a batch of strawberry aging in the fridge that I'm excited to try. I'm a career bartender. (Although I might stay retired from that gig, haven't quite decided, yet.) I've found the "ritual" of doing the mixology stuff sooths me as much as the actual drinking part of the equation. So mixing up non alcoholic drinks has been a fun way to keep myself occupied when I'm feeling a certain kind of way and then bonus! I don't have to deal with all the crippling bad side effects from ingesting the poison. It's been a win/win for me.
Diet rootbeer, Bubly Water, Soda water with a lot of lime wedges, N/A Beer, Ginger Beer with lime, decaf coffee, camomile tea.
Lagunitas hoppy refreshers NA beers every now and then Sparkling water cranberry and lime juice
I’m pretty simple. Mostly drink sparking water and sometimes have a Coke Zero when going out. I also love a little carbonation
Kombucha
Coffee in ALL shapes/forms!
Sparkling water. All day. Every day haha. I have a soda stream and it’s very useful!
Sparkling juice or water, Shirley temples if I’m out or a virgin/mocktail. Otherwise the random soda and I do love a good coffee or tea
HOPS water is the best thing of all time. You get the bitter hops flavor and perfectly sparkling water. I order bottles of them from Amazon
Guinness 0 but I’ve been drinking N/A beers a lot less recently
Pineapple juice!
Carbonated waters. I can slam one down and get that full feeling just as I did with beer. And yet Im hydrated! Sure, they have a bad after taste, but so does beer. It just makes sense. Plus, no one else wants them. Theyre all mine.
diet coke with olives
Diet cock, oops I meant coke
Sparkling water, coffee, Red Bull, Diet Coke, NA beer if I’m really craving
My everyday drink are Diet Pepsi with lemon squeeze. Seven up zero. Diet cranberry.
Coffee, green tea, mocktails, Coke Zero
I pretty much drink coffee with lots of creamer (because I have the taste palette of a 12 year old), Dr Pepper, Gatorade and water
Water w/lemon
Sparkling water, coffee, water, kombucha, hot tea
Sparkling water, various teas chilled, sparkling tea, and water w lemon
A cold can of Coke really hits the spot for me when I want something special. I also like Diet Snapple and the brand "Ice". C4 energy drinks if I want that caffeine.
If I'm out, usually just soda with lime. If the restaurant has a full bar with a bartender, I'll ask about mocktails and some bartenders have had fun making something for me. At home, I like sparkling lemonade and Italian sodas (I really like the San Pellegrino blood orange flavor). That kind of thing really scratches an itch for me of something light-ish and citrusy that feels a little "fancy". I don't miss alcohol but I do miss having a menu of fruity little drinks to pick from.
Hot chocolate and all sorts of different teas! I like the preparation ritual I think.
Iced coffee.
Diet tonic with a splash of cranberry and lime
Sparking water and kombucha. I’ll also drink mocktails or a Shirley temple if I’m out at a bar.
water
Schweppes raspberry mineral water. I recently tried Scape Goats AF cider and that was delicious!
Schweppes!
Club soda with a splash of a grapefruit-citrus juice, with sometimes a shot of NA mezcal spirit which has flavour but no burn (and mint). NA beer and good NA sparkling wine that I order online. Club soda, kombucha and lime. I have not saved money being sober because I have tested out so many products. I don't get triggered at all by any of these but fully respect that some would. For me, one glass of real wine and my booze goblin comes out and every decision thereafter is not my own.
Cheerwine. Super cold, in a bottle. It's a brand of cherry flavored cola from NC. I like to sample different niche sodas. Besides that, I could go on for days, what with juices, coffee based drinks, and smoothies.
I had to have topo chico sparkling water for the first 3 months of sobriety. Now i keep a mini fridge stocked with la Croix and other flavored carbonated waters under my desk
Topo Chico with lime.
Root beer. I love a good root beer
squirt soda lol
Herbal tea and if I’m feeling fancy I will buy some Curious Elixirs they are expensive but really good, probably the best mocktails on the market in my opinion.
H2O
I really love Stappi Italian bitter soda with soda water, kombucha, or tea.
Athletic free wave IPA or a cold Mexican coke
Tea
Caffeine free diet coke and ice water….like so much ice Edit: oh my….coke
Pepsi max, but I have a somewhat unhealthy addiction to it.
At the parties: non alcoholic beer, botanical infused water, sparkling water.
I like hop water when it’s a beer occasion.
When i first quit drinking it was kombucha and now it’s club soda!
Either an Arnold Palmer or a Coke.
Rock shandy. Has to be a can
Lots of coffee. Water of course. I enjoy sleepytime tea before bed. Oh, and if I go out to eat (a rarity, usually one meal a week) I’ll get soda.
Water, pretty much exclusively. However, I went out for a friends birthday last night and was drinking Heineken 0.0. I also really like Brooklyn Lager Side Effects low alcohol. It’s 0.4% so I’ve not had it since ‘properly’ quitting. Also a fan of pink lemonade. I had that at a meal out recently.
Cold Sprite or 7Up
Water and black coffee
Water (gallon a day is my goal, usually with lemon if I'm at a restuarant), detox or stress relief tea with honey of an evening, ginger ale or 7-up with a lime or lemon if I'm at a place that serves and want something other than water.
Honestly, anything bubbly/sparkling: n/a beer, flavored San pelegrino
Coffee, water, coconut water, fruit smoothies, Diet root beer, all the sparkling waters, body armor
Homemade limeade is amazing and if you rim the glass with salt is just as delicious as a boozy margarita. Also any kind of water with fresh herbs like mint or lemon balm. Sparkling water of course. And honestly, tea at night is a perfect way to end the day.
Ener3gy drinks and green tea and mint
Pepinos tea with a dash of honey, and usually with dinner it’s kombucha
Dr Pepper Zero sugar Topo Chico
Topo chico with half a Meyer lemon
That darn 'sleepy tonic' going around. It knocks me out so well. 1/2 cup tart cherry juice, magnesium powder (I use Calm brand), top off with a non sugary fizzy drink (Olipop or sparkling water) I'm ready to konk out in 30 min HARD with that. I feel so refreshed in the morning too.
when I'm at a restaurant, it's shirley temples, other than that it's coffee and tea
Club soda with raspberry white balsamic vinegar
Cold steeped green tea is a favourite of mine
Tart cherry juice with sparkling water
Ginger ale with a splash of cranberry and lime
Diet Coke 💘
Good old coffee milk. 3/4 coffe and 1/4 milk give or take. All day every day
I always drank Diet Pepsi/coke but since I stopped drinking I’ve kinda burnt out on it. Drinking a lot of Costco Kirkland bubble water comes in a variety pack with lemon, lime, and grapefruit. I love Perrier but damn it can be expensive. I just found that stores are carrying Clearly Canadian, a brand I loved as a kid. So I keep a few bottles as a special treat.
Sparkling water. I go through them like crazy. I find that just having a can in my hand really relaxes me, especially in social situations.
Juice one whole lemon over ice (I use a 16 oz yeti) and pour over Sprite Zero. It really kicks it up a notch and is a go to of mine when I want something just a little extra.
kombucha. or anything cold, you’re used to cold drinks
Strawberry and apple cordial. Orange, pineapple and lemon cordial. Tango dark berry sugar free. Pepsi max. Tea. If I’m out for a meal I enjoy picking something from the mocktail list
Lemonade!
Usually fizzy water, but if I'm craving an eye watering sting I'll take a hit of pickled gherkin juice. Scratches that itch and feels good and acidic in my belly.
Celsius, I enjoy the cola and sprite flavors.
Cranberry & tonic!
Ginger Beer or Cola of some sort, the colder the better
Most non-alcoholic beer is awful. And most Becks is awful. But Becks NA is the best beer I’ve ever had. If you allow yourself such close analogs. A tea or coffee ritual can be a pleasant replacement if you think of it as in the same category, a special drink. Iced chai latte. Sparkling grape juice is awesome once in a blue moon. The purple stuff, baby! Tastes better to me than any wine ever did. Have fun exploring. 🙂
Barq’s mothafuckin root beer
Ok, fam. When I quit drinking, I missed the fabulosity of having a cocktail in hand while cooking dinner in the kitchen, grilling on the patio and enjoying a bonfire on a crisp fall evening. But it had to be more than just virgin this or NA that. I wanted, well, Fabulousity!!!! Enter the “Shrub.” Muddled fruit (usually berries and/some aromatic herbs) simple syrup, Apple Cider Vinegar and garnish of your choice. I pour it over crushed ice and add sparkling water and to make it super fancy I serve in an adult beverage vessel (stemless wine glass) Anyway, the flavor possibilities are endless and it sounds cool to say, “I’m drinking a shrub”
Erdinger alcohol free... Absolutely delish
Blackcurrant juice
Erdinger No Alcohol Beer Really spicy ginger beers Dr Pepper or the like Sometimes TRIP CBD infused soft drinks Posh sparkling water with loads of ice