Say goodbye to hangovers.
Reviewed by Dietitian Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia
Key Points
- Drinking with intention can improve well-being and reduce alcohol consumption to just a few drinks monthly.
- Nonalcoholic alternatives like Ghia, Hoplark and Athletic Brewing offer flavorful substitutes for alcohol.
- Cocktail-inspired seltzers and THC tonics are additional satisfying options.
Almost two years ago, as I sat on my back deck responsibly socially distanced from family after testing positive for COVID yet again, an article popped up in my feed that asked the question: Why are we still drinking alcohol?
The article, which basically said no amount of alcohol is good for us, kind of stopped me in my tracks. I went to a Big Ten college in the 1990s, so binge drinking was a popular activity. I write about wine and beer as part of my career, and my in-laws have a vineyard and make prosecco. Alcohol is deeply woven into my life. But I wondered if it was time to reexamine my relationship with it.
Having COVID was a great time to pause my alcohol intake. I didn’t feel great for a few weeks, so I just didn’t drink. And then I kept not drinking. It was surprisingly easier than I expected. While I completely abstained for several months, now I have a glass of wine, beer or cocktail here and there. And, man, drinking less feels really great.
But a seltzer doesn’t always meet the moment, so I’ve spent quite a bit of time sampling nonalcoholic drinks. Some are great, while others get poured out immediately. Here’s what I now keep stocked.
When It’s Spritz Season
I love a spritz so much. It’s the epitome of summer drinking. They’re so refreshing and even pretty to look at. For me, it’s more about the Campari or Aperol—those bitter liqueurs are a fantastic balance to slightly sweet prosecco, but I also just love a splash of one of them in a glass of seltzer.
Luckily, Ghia makes a fantastic nonalcoholic version. Their canned spritzes are delicious and come in four flavors (I particularly adore the Ginger flavor), plus they have a bottled aperitif that I can add to a glass of seltzer.
When I Want a Beer
As a retired home brewer and someone who wrote about beer for many years, you could say that I love craft beer. But even before I started my new life as an intentional drinker, I started drinking nonalcoholic hop-infused seltzers from Hoplark. And they still satisfy my desire for a beer. Hoplark’s offerings include sparkling hop-infused teas as well as seltzers. I have the sparkling water variety pack on autoship and love the Mile-High-Biscus One for summer day-drinking at the beach.
And while I love Hoplark a lot, it doesn’t taste like beer—and people who don’t appreciate the taste of hops may not be the biggest fans. When I want a more straightforward beer analog without the buzz, I turn to Athletic Brewing Company. Both their Run Wild and Free Wave IPAs are great, and my husband is a fan of their Athletic Lite with Lime and Salt, which is perfect for times when only a Corona and lime will do.
When I Want a Buzz
While I’ve found a solid replacement for almost all of the flavors of the drinks I liked best, obviously none of them give me a buzz. That’s where Cann Social Tonics come in. As a lightweight, their 2-milligram THC drinks are perfect, plus I can drink two without feeling like I overconsumed. (They have 5-mg and 10-mg options too.) The flavors are yummy and the Roadie packs are perfect to bring in my purse to parties—they are filled with an infused flavored syrup that I can just pour into a can or glass of seltzer. The Spritz is also delicious.
When I Want a Cocktail
I was an early adopter of Spindrift. While my old-school favorite is no longer available (RIP, cucumber), I still always have Spindrift in my drink fridge at home, and our office is always well stocked with a variety of flavors.
And as more people have started drinking more intentionally, Spindrift has risen to meet the moment with their line of cocktail-inspired seltzers. My favorite is their Ginger Lime Mule. It’s like drinking a lime-infused ginger beer without the cloying sweetness—or alcohol.
When I Want a Glass of Wine
Sadly, I haven’t found a nonalcoholic bottle of wine that I love yet. The reds I’ve tried taste like bitter grape juice. And the whites taste really thin and almost flavorless. So when I want a glass of wine, I just have a glass of wine! Because I’m drinking with intention, a single glass satisfies.
The Bottom Line
I feel so much better since I started drinking with intention—cutting back to a drink or two a month rather than a drink or two most days. After trying dozens of “substitutions,” these are the alternatives I turn to most weeks for happy hour or an after-dinner sip.
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