Every day, many people choose to have a non-alcoholic (NA) drink, either while relaxing at home or out with friends and family. The reasons for such a choice are almost as numerous as the number and types of alcoholic drinks: religious or health reasons, previous issues with alcohol, being a designated driver or just needing a break from the “hard stuff”. Those that may have come to like alcoholic beverages in the past, such as beer, wine or cocktails, and that would like to enjoy a similar flavor or feel without the alcohol, however, are somewhat at a loss.
While there are quite a few choices, at least at some supermarkets and speciality stores, for non-alchoholic beers, for instance, most are lacking flavor and are too bitter and/or sweet. Few and far between are those that approach the quality and flavor quality of even a mediocre craft-beer.
The options for non-alcoholic wine are even grimmer. Most are barely a step above grape juice, and many are even sweeter. In fact, in my opinion, the Welch’s Sparkling Rose is a better beverage than most other juices marketed as a wine substitute! One of the topics I intend to explore in this blog is the production and marketing of quality non-alcoholic wines, with the
Supposedly there are even NA substitutes for “hard” alcohols such as gin. At the time of this writing, I have not found, tried or researched any of them, but intend to along the way. Since my previous tastes when drinking didn’t tend toward to cocktails and the liquors that made them up, I don’t have as much interest and motivation in pursuing alternatives, but will do so for completeness and to serve a wider audience.
“Mocktails” are a well-documented subject and there are many recipes and books for such. This blog will probably only address them in passing, perhaps in comparison with the NA liquor-substitutes mentioned above. However, I do plan to devote a section in the website to such, both with any favorite recipes I find and links to books that contain recipes and descriptions.
Finally, there are beverages such as Kombucha that merit attention. I don’t consider them a direct substitute for alcoholic beverages, but they stand on their own as flavorful additions to the pantheon of non-alcoholic beverages. They may also have additional health benefits (or at least not the health detriments of sodas, for instance) above and beyond the flavor advantages they bring.
I’m sure I’ll find new beverages and beverage-types to try as I go. I have already found a couple of new ones just in the few days since I started writing this introduction! So stay tuned in for all the latest…
Oh, I need to mention one thing: my goal is *not* to discuss the deeper reasons for not drinking alcohol, or the merits of a sober lifestyle, or ways to stop drinking, or to convince anyone to do so. Instead, my focus is simply on substitutes for non-alcoholic beverage products, and the subsequent promotion of such in order to expand the public’s knowledge of and demand for these types of beverages.