Taking a break from alcohol
 

I have decided to have a dry January. Usually I have 1-2 glasses of wine most nights. On the plus side, I've noticed I've been sleeping better and my digestive system seems to be happier.

But I really miss my wine. What are some nonalcoholic drinks you like to have? I always have a water bottle with me, and I've been drinking lots of sparkling grapefruit-flavored water (the "flavor adjacent" kind like La Croix). I just read an article in 1843 about the advent of low/no alcohol cocktails. Ordinarily I'd laugh and make a martini or a negroni but it doesn't sound bad now...

Kombucha is my go to when I’m not drinking alcohol. Low-ish in calories and probiotic. Lots of flavor choices. I brew my own but it’s in every grocery store.

I went 17 years between drinks at one point and was drinking non-alcoholic beer. I don’t recommend it. I’ve never tried non-alcoholic wine but I’ve been warned not to.

If you're not fussy about wine, there's nonalcoholic wine. One label is Sutter Home, available in the usual California grape varietals. IIRC it's a bit over $5 per bottle and is probably about equivalent in quality to about the same priced wine with alcohol. It might work if you want the taste of a (cheap) wine with a casual meal. For some people, nonalcoholic wine and nonalcoholic beer might not be advisable.

Sparkling water.
Enjoy your sobriety :-)

My Noma Restaurant guide to fermentation book arrived. They veritably GUSH over the possibilities of kombucha and how it can transform drinks. They use it when putting together their Non-alcoholic pairing choices for their menus and confide that there are clients who order the non-alcoholic selection to drink with their meals alongside the alcoholic choices.

For gfunkdave I’d recommend elderflower cordial to give a little interest to sparkling water. Add it to carbonated water alone, with a little apple juice, with a bit of crushed cucumber or with lemon juice, or any combination of these.

Personally, I’m finding that some of the liquids that emerge from my salt brine lacto-fermentation projects are pretty nice mixed with sparkling water or no-cal lemonade, they taste a bit like isotonic drinks but without all the sugar. Am thinking of getting some fresh lychees to lacto ferment to see if I can recreate my favourite soft drink in Japan (Kirin’s Sekai Kitchen Salty Lychee drink)

I also drink kombucha when drinking less, it has a nice bite, lowish calories and I find it pretty satisfying.

I've been taking a general break since the start of covid.... often the lineups at the liquor store have been long, so it's a sufficient barrier to entry for me.

My wife is back on a low carb diet so we've cut out wine for at least the next week or so (though the wines we drink are supposed to contain less than 5g/l of residual sugar). I must say the tap water, chilled or otherwise, is now rather pleasantly palatable since I installed a chloramine filter a few weeks back. Water here is rain fall surface water collected in a reservoir so no ground or river water.

Yeah since the start of covid, I've had much more water, especially tap water. I probably should've done this long ago, but better late than never I guess.

Some German (dry) wines are labeled as being for diabetics. I don't know what the standard is, but it can be a quick way to find a dry or low calorie wine.

BTW, alcohol free beer is common in Germany. You especially see it in restaurants at autobahn rest stops. It seems to be made by the large breweries--no craft beer.

You know, I tried kombucha once or twice many years ago, pronounced it disgusting, and never looked back. Maybe I’ll give it another try. Will also look for elderflower cordial - where might I find it? Liquor store? Whole Foods?

I almost exclusively drink tap water (ours is from Sebago Lake, the second-clearest lake in North America) but will also fill from the filter in the fridge if I want it a little colder...though, this time of year it’s plenty cold from the tap!

Very uninterested in alcohol-free beer or wine. :)

Kombucha tastes like swamp water.
I have seen (and bought) an elderflower /lemon drink at Cost Plus World Market. It was good (although high in sugar). I had to buy it to drink while watching the Royal Wedding of Harry & Meghan because they were serving some kind of elderflower cocktail. ;) It comes in a tall bottle like wine. I think I may have seen it at Whole Foods too but not sure.
It was this one.
https://www.belvoirfruitfarms.com/ou...r-presse-75cl/

this is a very good brand, a little goes a long way with the elderflower variety and they have other lovely flavours too
https://www.belvoirfruitfarms.com/where-to-buy/

I haven’t yet tried kombucha, and that’s because I’m willing to accept that the commercially available kinds are nothing like what can be achieved at home with a little know how. If the most famous fine dining restaurant in the world is willing to stick its neck out to sing its praises, I am going along with the idea that they’ve figured something out. It’s on my “to do” list for this year, but it IS a project. Elderflower cordial requires no know-how or access to a home enthusiast with good taste to unlock its delicious secrets!

What is the difference between that and just grape juice like Welch's? They have different varieties and sparkling ones as well. We are not really alcohol drinkers, probably have had one or two a year, but most of our celebrations we do have a glass or two of Welch's sparkling red grape juice.

I had kombucha for the first time in 2019 at an airline lounge. It was in a chilled (branded) glass bottle. I didn't dislike it... but it definitely took me a bit to "acquire" a taste for it, I guess you could say.