Sober October Guide Part 3: I Drink Beer Every Night During Sober October, Here’s Why
Award-winning bartender and wellness coach, Derek Brown, discusses how drinking non-alcohol drinks has helped him change his past habits and adopt new, healthier ones.
I was not a beer drinker before I stopped drinking alcohol. In fact, I used to say that whiskey was “beer perfected.” Whiskey is, after all, made from fermented grains––just like beer––and then distilled. But, if I was being honest, whiskey just worked quicker. Beer would fill me up before I got half drunk.
I used to act as though that was simply a more sophisticated stance. I never stopped to process that this particular habit was born backward, the taste followed the need. I just thought I’m a whiskey drinker. That’s who I am. However, when I had to face my problem drinking, any tacit agreement I had made with my psyche about who I was when I drank was promptly thrown out the window.
I needed a new approach.
So, here I am a beer drinker. But not just any beer drinker. I drink two non-alcoholic beers every night. Not only does it improve my mood, it’s also good for my gut health (which is another end run around for improved mood). Drinking non-alcoholic beer is good for you whereas drinking a bottle of whiskey most certainly is not. No judgment, of course––I still think whiskey is delicious.
However, when all’s said and done, I don’t feel like I gave up anything. I just found a new ritual in drinking non-alcoholic beers that I liked and was better for me. This is what at Stanford University they dubbed an EANAB, an “Equally Attractive Non-alcoholic Beverage.” You can substitute them for alcoholic beverages and still enjoy the rituals associated with them, whether that’s a cocktail at the “velvet hour” between work and dinner, with your meal, or out on the town.
I set out to prove that with my “31 Days of NA Drinks” calendar there are many delicious EANABs and certainly something for everyone. In the calendar, I list 31 of my favorite non-alcoholic beverages, beers, wines, spirits, and ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails. It’s been available to a select group of people who recommended my newsletter to friends (thank you, especially to our leader Elaine), and now I’m making it available to you.
Below is a brief discussion of the categories and a link to the calendar that you can use along with a discount code from Boisson, who partnered with me on the calendar. Check them out and follow me on Instagram for daily updates.
Non-alcoholic Beers
Non-alcoholic beer is the largest category of non-alcoholic drinks by far at 65% of non-alcoholic adult drinks consumed. And it has grown year-over-year at 38%, accounting for a little over 1% of all beer sales. That’s despite the fact that beer has been losing market share for over a decade.
One of the reasons beer is leading the NA game is that beer is low alcohol to begin with (although low alcohol is a complicated term). That means the taste of beer is easier to replicate than most non-alcoholic beverages with a higher ABV (alcohol by volume), namely wine and spirits. Most of the beer’s flavor comes from barley and hops, not alcohol.
Ready to Drink (RTD) Cocktails
I have plenty of non-alcoholic cocktail recipes in the calendar, including some easy ones. But the easiest of all is to open a can and pour. I used to look down on this category as it was quite bleak unless you enjoy the saccharine taste of canned Margaritas. Maybe an occasional Bud Lite & Clamato ‘Chelada. However, that’s changed for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic RTDs. There are far better quality and you can bring them along to parties or picnics. You can even add some alcohol to non-alcoholic RTDs for a lower-alcohol cocktail.
De-Alcoholized Wines & Wine Alternatives
I wrote about this category a few newsletters ago. There’s so much to explore, but the main takeaway is that non-alcoholic wine doesn’t suck anymore. I suppose that’s a through-line of all these beverages because passionate entrepreneurs and beverage makers have decided enough was enough and that they wanted something more quality-oriented.
But de-alcoholized wines and wine alternatives are making the greatest strides as far as I’m concerned. And they’re the second-largest category of non-alcoholic beverage sales. They taste great, pair well with food, and are wonderful gifts for dinners and house parties.
Also, if you’re in New York next week I’m doing a tasting with Third Place Bar and Double Zero Social Club. Tickets here.
Non-alcoholic Spirits
This may be the most confounding category for most people. They pick up an NA Bourbon alternative, it doesn’t taste like Bourbon, they put the NA Bourbon alternative down and walk away. They also tell all of their friends how bad it tastes (I’ve seen the reviews). It doesn’t matter how carefully and thoughtfully made it is, whether it was distilled, or even costs millions to get to market.
That’s a shame because it ignores what these non-alcoholic spirits do best: make great non-alcoholic cocktails. The truth is, they can’t taste like spirits with alcohol because nearly half of alcohol spirits is alcohol, between 30-60% ABV. What they can do is intimate the flavors and create something that works in classic and creative cocktails. That’s why I’ve given recipes to try them with.
We’re nearly halfway through Sober October, or Sober-ish October if you’re just taking it easy. Congratulations, it can be harder than most people think. EANABs, however, are one way to make it easier. My suggestion is don’t change the ritual, change the beverage.
Here’s a link to the “31 Days of NA Calendar.” Leave a comment with the ones you like the most!
Next Week: Cocktails Are Cocktails, Some Don’t Have Alcohol
In next week’s post, I’ll discuss non-alcoholic cocktails, how to make them, and why we don’t need a special word for them. Sign up for my free newsletter if you haven’t already and get notice of new posts before anyone else.
I’m grateful to my partners in the Sober October Guide: Sunnyside, a science-backed mindful drinking app that can help you during the challenge (sign up for free), and Boisson, an online retailer of curated non-alcoholic drinks that ships nationwide (get 10% off with the discount code: DEREK10).
Derek Brown is an author, award-winning bartender, NASM-certified wellness coach, and founder of Positive Damage, Inc.
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