Sober-Curious? My top 5 N/A Drink Choices
Now that word is getting out that I haven’t drank in a few months, some people are reaching out to me to ask what I drink instead of booze, so I thought I would share for those who want to ask, but maybe want to be anonymous. I am proud of you for prioritizing your health!
Here are some of my top N/A go-to choices - sharing in case it helps anyone else who is on the dry January, or Sober-curious train.
Create your own ‘Cravings Only’ Drink - For me, it was Hot Water, Lemon & Turmeric:
When I first stopped drinking, I very much was used to having a drink to relax. I do not think I was ‘addicted’ to alcohol, I think I just had developed a habit of having a glass of wine or beer at the end of the day and associated that with act of relaxation. I knew I had to create a new habit and I wanted to replace this association with something that had a very strong, distinct flavor to retrain my brain. I decided on: Hot Lemon water with Turmeric. I made it a point to ONLY have lemons & Turmeric during the moments that I was stressed or overwhelmed or mad and this hot drink is what I started reaching for instead of booze. And guess what? I officially retrained my brain (like Pavlov's dogs ha) And now, whenever I even just smell lemons, I am automatically calmed. It is wild!
Maybe your relaxing drink is something else and not as random as lemons and turmeric , but just make sure you only have that drink when you feel the way you used to when you’d reach for booze AND it probably needs to have a strong smell or flavor profile to be effective. You need to retrain your brain so that you never feel like you’re missing something - just remember that!
P.S. do some research on the benefits of turmeric - there are some studies that claim it helps inflammation and reduce the risk of cancer and Alzheimer’s. Lemons also have some benefits as well - like digestion and bloating, among other things.
(Occasional NA drinks) - Due to the sugar and calories, I try to ONLY drink these when in social situations/fancy dinners/with friends, though sometimes on the weekends I have them at home as well - like while watching a football game, or out to eat or whatever. Sometimes it is also easier to have something that looks alcoholic in a glass just so you don’t have to discuss your choices with strangers if you don’t want to. I am past that now - I will talk to anyone about why I don’t drink if they ask (ha), but that’s not as easy as you’re just starting trying to quit or change a habit and people are constantly making you question yourself. If you have something in your glass, no one asks. Here are my faves for that.
Fre Wine: This wine is at Kroger and is pretty affordable - but think of it more as a juice. It is honestly just ok. Will it replace the flavors of favorite red blend? No, but it did get me through the holidays and did I come to enjoy it? Yes - so it gets a spot on my list. I liked the red options better than the white options. The Fre sparkling wine is awful though, don’t try that. ha This is the only brand of NA wine I have tried as of now!
NA Beers: I have always liked beer more than wine - and lucky for me because the NA beers seem to taste WAY better than wines (in my opinion anyways), but I have not tried that many wines because they are high in sugar. All of these, to me, taste like beer. I don’t like IPAs in general, so I haven’t tried any of those to report on. Here are my faves:
Guinness Zero - This is AMAZING! It tastes the exact same as regular Guinness and is only 60 calories. It is becoming easier to find now. Yum so good! 10/10 my fave.
Other beers that I have tried and liked:
Odouls Amber (regular is ok too), 8/10
Athletic Light (only 25 calories) & Athletic Golden 7/10 - more tangy like a hoppy beer (but not an IPA, though they have that option too, I just haven’t tried the IPA). This brand seems to be everywhere right now/very easy to find in all grocers.
Heineken Zero - if you like Heineken, this tastes pretty close to that. 7/10
Other Hot Teas - At night, I have tried probably every non-caffeinated tea they make ha . I love this Detox tea and this Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea - I get both from Amazon. I am also a huge fan of mint teas. I have created a new habit of having hot tea while watching TV or whatever else at night and it has become a part of my nightly routine to aid sleep. (Without alcohol, I also now sleep through the night for the first time in years).
Flavored Waters - This is a ‘duh’ - I’m sure - but La Croix and Target brand sparkling water options are my favorite throughout the day when I want something other than plain water. I also order sparkling water at restaurants a lot and ask for it in a wine glass to feel fancier. I tend to go towards sweeter options like Key Lime, Orange Cream and Mint Cucumber . I do not find sparkling water hydrating and I think it causes bloating but it does help mix up my day and it has no calories or artificial sweeteners (which I also avoid because those are also very, very bad for you. If you’re interested, ask me about my Diet Coke poisoning in my twenties bc yes, that is a thing.)
REAL Ginger Ale - Now, I am adding this because if you have ever had a real, spicy Ginger Ale OMG it is sooooo good?! The Fever brand is soooo yummy and would totally cure a craving for me. Now again, I try to avoid fake sugars that are in diet things, but I have tried these Diet ones and they are delicious! A great choice for another non-alcoholic option. You could use real ginger as your cravings only drink and I bet that would work!
Anything that you have tried that I need to? Let me know, I would love to hear!
xo.
Jackie Dean