Living Sober
Updated: 12/21/2024
I don’t always drink. I sometimes go long periods between alcoholic beverages, sometimes because I’m training, sometimes I just need a break, and sometimes it’s because I have no self-control and just need to take a break to ensure I still can. My “current normal” state is “sober-ish” which means I’m mostly alcohol free, but I’m also. ok having a few sips here and there, maybe a half glass of bubbles. Kinda aligned to my pescaterian status where most of the time I am,. but I’ll also have Chicken, Turkey, Ham or. the odd bit of bacon if it comes with something.
I do however, also really like beer and other “alochol tasty drinks”, and so over the years I’ve tried and built up a list of non-alcoholic options that I like. This is that list.
Note: there is a difference to be aware of, where some of these are 0% (i.e. flavored waters) and those that are alcohol removed and adhere to the 0.5% limit required to be called a “non-alcoholic” beverage. Please check any option if that distinction matters to you.
Beers
Fronted by Tom Holland of Spiderman fame, this is a relative newcomer to the market but has proven to quickly become my favorite NA Beer.
Another newcomer in recent times, still working my way through the Variety Pack but. have enjoyed every option so far!
A set of very tasty, sometimes tart and very hoppy, non-alcoholic craft brews. I like. Highly recommend the variety box option. And they also have some hop water options.
The distinctive taste of Becks, with no alcohol. Delicious.
O’Douls is a brand from Anheuser Busch (although for some reason it’s not on their Brands page) with an Amber and a lager style available.
Brew Dog has a great selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Great beer all round.
Athletic Brewing is all non-alcoholic with more traditional beers and flavored beverages.
Basically what it says … flavored water with hops as an ingredient. Not really beer for me, but tasty regardless.
One of my favorites, Brooklyn Brewery’s Special Effects range is incredibly realistic in taste.
It’s Heineken, with no alcohol. Same same.
We have a few local supermarkets that carry pretty damn good ranges of non-alcoholic beer, Safeway has a few, but QFC is the winner for me, they tend to have a dedicated section. Also when I am drinking, they have an amazing range of IPA’s :)
Wine
In addition to non-alcoholic beer, there are some pretty tasty non-alcoholic wines. I mean isn’t that just grape juice? In any case, the best I’ve found is Fre.
A tasty range of alcohol free wines.
Spirits
A very broad range of spirit replacements, I am particularly fond of the Gin, Rum and Bourbon replacements, they really do taste like the real thing in mixers (I’m not a straight spirit drinker so not sure if that still works).
Quite realstic Bourbon and Tequila options, the Bourbon and Coke mixer is hard to tell from a real one. Legit.
Tasty Aperitivo’s as a base for rather tasty cocktails and drinks.