Mindful Drinking Gift Guide (2023)
Award-winning bartender and wellness coach, Derek Brown, shares some of his favorite mindful drinking gifts for the holidays.
If you love delicious, adult sophisticated drinks and are drinking mindfully, this season is stacked. Never before has there been such a great time to find no- and low-alcohol drinks and accessories to compliment the mindful drinker.
Below are ten of my favorite things of late ranging in price from budget ($16.99) to expensive ($250). Most of them hover in the sweet spot between $25-35. Hopefully, you can find something for the mindful drinkers in your life but, even more importantly, this is your chance to forward my newsletter to your friends and family, dropping some massive hints.
Cocktails need bitters, especially no- or low-alcohol cocktails. The bitterness adds both “stopping power” and depth of flavor. It can be the difference between a mediocre and exceptional cocktail. However, most bitters contain alcohol, adding to the ABV (alcohol by volume) of your drink. There’s one producer that makes zero alcohol bitters that do the exact same as those with alcohol, imitating classic bitter profiles. That’s All the Bitter by husband and wife team Ian and Carly Blessing. The best way to try them is their Travel Pack, which includes their Aromatic, Orange, and New Orleans Bitters.
Brew Dog makes some amazing beers and has extended their run into non-alcoholic brews, too. The holiday package, which has 12 beers, includes classics like their Nanny State but also unique offerings from non-alcoholic “rum” cocktails to spiced cider that are only available via the holiday package. If you want to know what else they’re offering, scroll down. Otherwise, enjoy the surprise (or, I mean, watch someone else do so).
Even if you dispense with the alcohol, the ritual is still an important part of making cocktails. Having beautiful barware adds to the fun and Bull in China makes some of the most beautiful shakers, jiggers, and mixing glasses. They sell them in sets, too. If you prefer your cocktails shaken, their brass set is under $100. Otherwise, my favorite is the backpack set––have cocktail kit will travel (perhaps throw in the bitters travel set and you can make cocktails just about anywhere).
Chris Patino Tasting Journal $19.99
Chris Patino is one of the most respected bar personalities in the game and Raised by Wolves, which he co-owns with Bartender at Large podcaster Eric Castro, is one of my favorite bars. His journal is clearly intended for spirits and wine with alcohol, but it just as easily stands in for no- and low-alcohol spirits, too. Especially if you plan to attend Mindful Drinking Fest in Washington, D.C. this year. (We had over 90 products to try earlier this and this January there will be many more!)
Tea makes a great gift. Even if it’s stored away and pulled out when you’re in the mood, it’s always a welcome pour. However, it’s even better when it’s made by both a great tea proprietor and award-winning cocktail bar. Death & Co., the cocktail bar, has a created a great blend with L.A.-based tea artisans Art of Tea to steep and serve on its own or even blend into no- or low-alcohol cocktails. The tea has floral, fruity, and earthy notes with a base of one of my favorite aged teas, pu-erh.
Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze by Tawny Lara $16.99
I’ve been off the market for awhile. So long that when I was on the market, I drank. In fact, the date that sealed my fate was over alcohol and, really, I’m not sure if I would have had the confidence to pursue the person of my affection without a drink or two. If you’ve decided to stop drinking––or stop drinking while dating––instead of reaching for a drink pick up Dry Humping instead. In it, sex-pert Tawny Lara helps you navigate your way through dating, sex, and relationships without alcohol. Though my partner and I met over drinks, we’re both mindful drinkers now and rarely, if ever, drink alcohol. And it’s still a valuable read.
Meehan’s Mixology Spoons $29.99
Speaking of my partner: When baking pies last week, she reached for my Meehan Mixology Spoons to measure ingredients. I eyed her like a hawk and made sure she washed and returned them to thew drawer. That’s because I can’t do without measuring spoons when creating non-alcoholic cocktails. Often I’m measuring out smaller amounts of ingredients to non-alcoholic cocktails that add flavor, body, and zing to the drink like apple cider vinegar a teaspoon at a time. And bar legend Jim Meehan’s spoons are my favorite both functional and handsome.
Surely Non-Alcoholic Red Blend $26.99 (but get 15% off with my code: Derek15)
A good non-alcoholic red wine is hard to find. The alcohol does a lot of heavy lifting in reds. However, Surely non-alcoholic wine has done something special by starting with a base of de-alcoholized wine and adding extracts and teas to make up for what is lost in the de-alcoholization process. The result is a meaty, almost gamey, medium-body red that gives way to fruit and herbs. I drink it with anything from the grill. Not exactly winter holiday fare, but I wouldn’t mind it with some roast duck from a Chinese restaurant on Christmas Eve. (P.S. I work for them, but I’m also a fan.)
Wilderton Sample Pack $29.99
This year was a great year for non-alcoholic spirits. Among the indicators of non-alcoholic spirits’ growing success was the first completely non-alcoholic distillery opened in the United States, Wilderton Botanical Spirits. There they produce three unique and absolutely delicious distilled spirits created by distiller Seth O’Malley and his partner Brad Whiting. This is a sample pack with three 200 ml bottles to try them all.
Laura Silverman has done much to advance the culture of mindful drinking, especially with her detailed maps that show where to get non-alcoholic drinks from dry bottle shops and booze-free bars throughout the world. The very least we can do is show some support. But, in this case, she’s answering a call for those of us who enjoy a good dad’s hat (being a dad, not required).
These are my favorite gift ideas as of late, but please let me know if you have any more suggestions below in the comments. Otherwise, I wish you a happy and, hopefully, sane holiday shopping season remembering that––more than anything––what matters most is not the amount of gifts we give or receive but the love that we share.
Upcoming Seminar on Bringing Non-Alc Home for The Holidays
Via Zoom on 12/5 at 12-1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (U.S. & Canada)
For retailers and brands, or anyone in the business or “No & Low,” I’m leading a free webinar with Distill Ventures on non-alcoholic off-premise sales with some incredible leaders in the category, including Camille Vidal, founder of La Maison Wellness; Lynnette Marrero, co-founder of Speed Rack & MasterClass host; Pauline Idogho, founder of Mocktail Club; and Sean Goldsmith, co-founder and CEO of The Zero Proof.
In this free webinar, we’ll discuss:
How to emphasize at-home rituals and create simple serves for guests.
The importance of non-alcoholic drinks in making hospitality and hosting more inclusive.
In-store sampling, bundles and other ways to encourage first-time and repeat purchases.
Derek Brown is an author, award-winning bartender, NASM-certified wellness coach, and founder of Positive Damage, Inc.
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Love that hat 😉