Korey and I started our first year of sobriety right after Thanksgiving, 2021. We purposely planned this to start before the holidays ramped-up for the year because our mindset was if we started the year off with the hardest time of the year to not drink, then the rest of the year should be a breeze 😉. This meant that we spent a LOT of mental capacity, brain power, and time discussing our drinking, or rather non-drinking, strategy for the holidays. We didn’t want to be caught off-guard, so we tried to proactively plan for all the events we knew we’d be challenged with. How would we handle office holiday parties? Close friend’s holiday parties? Christmas Eve with our closest family friends? Christmas morning mimosas? Christmas dinner wine? New Years Eve toasts? Through all the planning, we started to realize just how many alcohol-free substitutes are available to us that we would have never even noticed before seeking it out. We filled our holidays with alcohol-free wines and champagnes, non-alcoholic beers, coffee and hot cocoa bars, and – get this – REGULAR ORANGE JUICE (gasp!). We had no idea how much space alcohol was taking up in our lives and in our brains until we tried to fill in the gaps during a high stress, very social, extremely busy time of year. Here’s a non-alcoholic wine I tried that I actually really enjoyed during the holidays.

I never realized how much I used alcohol as a space filler, ice breaker, or awkward moment breaker until I let it go. Alcohol is a great go-to for things like first dates, where you want to meet in the evening but don’t want to commit to a whole meal; a great companion to keep in your free hand when playing yard games like cornhole or ladder golf; a great excuse when you want to get out of an awkward conversation at a party – “oh, would you look at that, my drink is empty, let me leave and go get another one…”

Alcohol is also used as a symbol of many human emotions and traditions. Celebrating a job promotion or an engagement? Hurry, pop the champagne! Stressful day at the office? Better pour a glass of wine or crack a beer as soon as you get home. Shit, why wait until you get home? Better yet, go out for happy hour with your co-workers so you can complain about work stress while sipping on your wine or beer. Even better, more and more offices are building bars right in their office now. My last job had an entire refrigerator full of wine, champagne, spiked seltzers, ciders, and craft beers, plus 4 kegs on draft. Feeling sad after the death of a family member, a breakup, or a fight with a friend? Better break out the booze to help ease your pain. Birthdays, holidays, weddings, vacations, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It seems like everything we do “calls for a drink.” Here is an actual photo of my work refrigerator, and the one non-alcoholic option I was able to find on a Friday afternoon 😊.

So, how do we navigate life without a drink in our hand? How do we celebrate our victories and successes, bond with our co-workers, and get through life in general without reaching for that drink? For me, I lean on lots of alcohol-free alternatives. I wish I could say I was such a badass that when I stopped drinking, I immediately began challenging the system and everyone around me, proudly toasting with my Aquafina, and educating everyone around me about the dangers of alcohol. But I didn’t. And I’m glad I didn’t because let’s be honest… that person is annoying. I tried my best to still participate in all the same traditions, but it took some creativity to fill my glass with something other than what is so widely offered – booze.

I know it seems like alcohol is surrounding us. That’s because it is. But if you look closely enough, there are more and more alcohol-free alternatives popping-up around us as well. If you live on planet Earth, you have probably heard of Ryan Reynolds and know that he owns a Gin brand, Aviation Gin. BUT did you know that his wife, Blake Lively, also owns a beverage company? She owns Betty Buzz – a non-alcoholic beverage company. (Disclaimer here that I just found out Betty Buzz has expanded and now also offers Betty Booze – an alcoholic line of her delicious beverages, which is slightly disappointing – but Betty Buzz still offers their non-alcoholic options nonetheless). Some breweries are now brewing their own non-alcoholic versions of their delicious craft beer recipes, and those that aren’t often have one or two non-alcoholic beer options available for consumption on-site. There are plenty of non-alcoholic wines and champagnes available. There are even non-alcoholic spirits available to make your very own mocktail at home with the taste of your normal go-to cocktail.

My point is, when my Dad quit drinking 35 years ago, the non-alcoholic beer options were few and far between – O’Doul’s and St. Pauli Girl. Both of which taste like shit. No offense. But the world of non-alcoholic beverages has opened up so much and if you’re open to other options outside of your normal go-to of Sauvignon Blanc or the local IPA, you may find that filling your glass with something bubbly at the end of the day is actually all you need to fill that craving, and whether it’s a kombucha or a rosé doesn’t actually matter.

My favorite non-alcoholic go-tos:

• Kombucha – it’s tart, it’s bubbly, it’s refreshing, it’s delicious, and there are a MILLION different flavors. Also – it’s so fucking good for you! It’s a probiotic, meaning it will get your insides flowing (not in an overly aggressive way, don’t be scared). I LOVE pouring kombucha in a wine glass for a special occasion or just because I want to feel fancy. It’s also normally a fun, bright color, so it looks like it could be a cocktail to any wandering eyes. My all-time fav is the GT’s brand Gingerberry flavor.
• Seltzer – great replacement for your hot weather activities. If you’re one for drinking spiked seltzers or beers by the pool, on the beach, on the boat, or just hanging in the backyard, this can be easily substituted with a plain old seltzer. I don’t love drinking seltzers on just a regular day because I don’t love the taste of them that much to be honest.  But when it’s hot outside, that shit quenches my thirst and is a great replacement when I would normally be drinking something boozy! Seriously, I go through a 12 pack every two days when we are at the beach. Keeps you hydrated and counts toward your water intake for the day too! 😉
• Non-alcoholic beer – honestly, I am a sucker for the Heineken Zero. Since I quit drinking, I don’t love the taste of beer all that much anymore, but sometimes a beer just sounds good and fits the occasion. For example, if I am eating chicken wings, I need a beer to go with it. Also, if you’re a Guinness fan, the Guinness Zero is probably the best and “closest to the real thing” non-alcoholic beer you can get. It tastes exactly like a regular Guinness (delicious) and has the same mouth feel. It’s actually scary how real it tastes and will make you second guess if you’re drinking the real thing.

Korey’s non-alcoholic go-tos:

• Athletic Brewing Company – Upside Dawn. That’s their Golden Ale and is a great “beer flavored beer” that checks the boxes of malt, hops, and carbonation, while staying low calorie (45 cals) and alcohol free.
• Sierra Nevada’s Hop Splash – hop water. It’s carbonated water with hops added for a slight citrus flavor and mild bitterness. Good if you’re missing that hoppy flavor but want something refreshing and hydrating.
• Hoplark Hop Tea – similar to the hop water but with a tiny hint of tea to give it a more balanced flavor.

At the end of the day, I think you’d be surprised at how much some of these non-alcoholic options actually scratch that itch you’re looking for when you crack that beer or pour that glass of wine in a specific scenario. I have found it’s often more about the tradition, the toasting, and the ordering than it is about the actual beverage itself. Hopefully this provides you with some pointers or ideas for the next time you find yourself reaching for an alcoholic beverage simply out of habit or because a holiday or social tradition “calls for it.”

I would remiss if I didn’t point out another hidden benefit of drinking non-alcoholic beverages. When your kid asks you for a sip of your fancy drink, you can give an enthusiastic YES 😊. I’ll never forget the look of joy Fischer gave me when I said he could have a sip of my drink after being told “no, this is a grown-up drink” for the first five years of his life.

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