There are plenty of fun options worth pouring well beyond Dry January, from nonalcoholic beer and wine to premixed mocktails. Here are some of our favorites.
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Guess what? “Splitting the G” still counts with a nonalcoholic beer. Guinness 0 is arguably one of the best zero-proof versions of existing alcoholic beers. It comes in the same unique can that allows it to cascade into your pint glass for an unmistakably smooth drinking experience. If you or anyone in your family is a NA beer skeptic, this might be what converts them.
When I tried this launch from Tom Holland’s BERO line of nonalcoholic beers, I was considerably impressed. It had the look, mouthfeel and taste of an IPA. It even maintained a nice, frothy head after being poured into a pint glass. Like Guinness 0, this is so good and so similar to alcoholic beer that it will make you do a double-take.
If your beer of choice is something light like a Miller Lite (my preferred light beer, fight me!), then this blonde ale from Montauk Brewing should be in your fridge. It’s incredibly light, crisp and flavorful. There’s no weird aftertaste, which can sometimes be the problem with nonalcoholic beer that isn’t super hoppy or malty. This one is balanced and incredibly drinkable.
Elysian Brewing just added a new member to its popular IPA “Dust” collection: Easy Dust, a nonalcoholic IPA. Considering that the other beers in this collection clock in at 8.2% ABV, Easy Dust is a nice break from the buzz. It has that bright citrus profile you might expect from an IPA, and a crisp finish. It’s not too strong or too hazy, and I like that it comes in a fun can that looks just like all the other beers.
This is exactly the kind of drink I cannot wait to sip on my patio this summer. If you’re a fan of beer cocktails, then the brand-new Modelo Chelada is for you. Both the lime and salt come through nicely, and it has a great carbonation level. Pour it over ice and you will be immediately transported to la playa. I also think this would be a fantastic contender for a beer slushie.
Without a doubt, my go-to hazy NA beer is from nonalcoholic brewing pioneer Athletic Brewing Company. If you’re not familiar, Athletic came onto the scene as a fully nonalcoholic brewery back in 2017, and has been making excellent beers ever since. If you also love hazy IPAs but don’t always want to deal with their high ABVs, then this is one to check out.
If I’m at a bar and don’t really feel like drinking, I’ll order a club soda with bitters and lime. Sure, the bitters have alcohol, but it’s just a splash. New Orleans-based El Guapo has created that exact same feeling in a canned drink—using nonalcoholic bitters. Its cucumber lavender bitters and soda is one of the best nonalcoholic canned mocktails I have ever had. It’s not sweet, but rather fresh, herbal and, well, bitter. If you’ve been unimpressed with premixed mocktails, I highly urge you to give this one a try.
These have become a new obsession of mine for an evening wind-down drink when I don’t want to have tea or seltzer. Hiyo Social Tonics come in four flavors, and my favorite is either blackberry lemon or watermelon lime. These are sweet, but really delicately flavored and full of carbonation. They taste like fancy mocktails that you might get at a hotel bar. I enjoy pouring them over ice in a Collins glass, or sipping them from a coupe.
It’s hard to pick a favorite flavor of the De Soi canned mocktails, because I’ve enjoyed all of them. The Spritz Italiano is a nice mock Aperol Spritz that doesn’t compromise on the bitterness of the Aperol, but I think my recommendation is the Très Rosé for a classic rosé spritz. It’s not overly sweet, and it’s great either straight from the can or over ice. This was actually the drink I brought to share at a Fourth of July pool party last year, and everyone was super impressed by how good it was.
I’m absolutely a sucker for a good ginger beer cocktail, and I love this nonalcoholic version from Medase. What I like about all of the Medase offerings is that you can enjoy them straight out of the can or over ice, but you can also use them as a jumping off point for creating your own mocktails. It’s a lot of fun to be able to customize something totally to my preferences.
If you’re a fan of seltzers, then you have to try these mocktail-inspired flavors from Spindrift. First, they have very cute punny names, which is a huge bonus (at least to me): Cosnopolitan, Berry Belli-no and Nojito. My favorite is the Berry Belli-No, because I love anything peach. They all taste like slightly more elevated and complex versions of your favorite Spindrift seltzers.
Another win for creativity in the name of zero-proof drinks is Curious Elixirs. The brand has some of the best packaging around, and it makes every drink feel like a special occasion. The flavor profiles are excellent—like a juniper cucumber Collins or a smoked chocolate cherry old-fashioned. If you want to see which elixir is right for you, there’s a fun little quiz on the brand website. If you’re hosting any dry dinner parties, then this should definitely be on the menu.
If mixing up your own nonalcoholic cocktails is more appealing than drinking premixed options, then I have a great find for you. Free Spirits has created zero-proof versions of tequila, bourbon and gin. You can either use them to replace alcohol in your favorite cocktail, or do a 50/50 mix of NA and full-proof spirits for a less-alcoholic cocktail. Free Spirits also has nonalcoholic versions of sweet vermouth and an Italian aperitivo similar to Aperol.
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