I love the culture of alcohol. I love pairing wine with food, going on distillery tours, visiting local breweries, attending wine tastings, discussing the ingredients in an elaborate cocktail, etc. I love it so much that I’ve based two series around the culture of alcohol: my first series is about a winegrowing kingdom, my second takes place in a family bar.
But the reality is that I have alcoholism in my family. My grandmother was one of the top drug and alcohol counselors in our county. We’ve all seen or experienced alcohol’s dark side. One of the issues my sisters in After Hours on Milagro Street and Full Moon Over Freedom struggle with is how their father’s alcoholism affected their lives. It’s even addressed in a mock-cocktail menu in Full Moon Over Freedom.
Like many people, I embarked on Dry January as a re-fresh for the start of the year. This has been the longest I’ve gone without a drink since I was pregnant with my youngest son two decades ago.
I’ve learned that I enjoy going out, whether or not I have alcohol. I’ve learned I’m totally okay with other people drinking when I don’t. I’ve learned I’m comfortable choosing not to drink and still prepared to go out and have a ball.
Most importantly, I’ve learned there are lots of tasty non-alcohol options. Here are some that I’ve enjoyed this month.
Fancy mocktails at bars
Thank God for the mocktail movement. I’ve had some delicious drinks here in Houston at Angel’s Share, Hugo’s, and Bar 3. They were made so beautifully that I didn’t even feel like I was missing out. They fulfilled that enjoyment I have of sitting at the bar sipping something delicious. Even without a mocktail menu, I’ve learned that bartenders are pretty helpful coming up with something non-alcoholic on the fly.
Non-alcohol beer
I’ve tried a few non-alcohol beers during this month. The best, by far, have been from Athletic Brewing Co., a brewery whose entire focus is no-alcohol beers. If you like IPA, I highly recommend the Free Wave. I can find this beer at my local grocery store.
Alcohol-free stores
If you can’t find good non-alcohol beer at your grocery store, then you might have a shop focused on no-alcohol drinks in your area. Here in Houston we have Sipple. Rather than wasting money on something loaded with sugar or no-alcohol wine that tastes like grape juice, it’s great to go to this shop and get recommendations from the experts!
No-alcohol spirits
At Sipple, I discovered that there are lots of no-alcohol spirits that you can sip alone or with a mixer and feel like you’re having a cocktail. Because I also decided to embark on a healthy form of keto this January, I didn’t want something with a lot of sugar. The folks at Sipple recommended Pentire Seaward, this junipery, briney tasting spirit that tastes amazing by itself or mixed with club soda. It has zero calories and zero carbs.
Fake your brain
In lieu of all of these, I’m a big fan of Topo Chico and lime. I saw a TikToker who cleaned out a Miller Lite bottle, kept it handy, and filled it with sparkling water whenever she wanted to feel like having a beer. Sometimes it’s just the procedure of relaxing with a drink that signals to your brain that it’s time to take a load off.
I’m glad I’ve figured out some healthy habits to cut back on my drinking as I age without cutting back on the fun I like to have. With all that said, I am super looking forward to February 1!!!!
