Here we are again, entering the bright light of a new year—and for some, taking a break from drinking in January is the best way to start those resolutions right.
Maybe you had too much merriment over the holidays, and you want to start your new year with a clearer head. Maybe a little voice says it’s time to pause on the booze. But just because you are taking a break doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still have incredible drinks.
Lucky for you, we live in the golden era of nonalcoholic options, and your friendly neighborhood drinks columnist loves to share his recommendations.
The Pathfinder
Not all nonalcoholic spirits are created equal. In fact, there are a ton of underwhelming products on the market that are off in flavor and hard to use. A great nonalcoholic spirit shouldn’t be “good for an NA”; it should be good enough on its own that it doesn’t need the qualifier.
The Pathfinder is a well-made, bitter, herbal-based spirit. Its base liquid is fermented with hemp and left to steep with wormwood, angelica root, ginger, sage, juniper, saffron, orange peel and Douglas fir. It is bold enough to build a cocktail around, but clever enough in its ingredients to be a great addition to other drinks. Of all the NA spirits I have tried, this is the only one where I’d take a shot. It is excellent in a spritz or to lower the alcohol content of a negroni, but my favorite Pathfinder drink is a mojito: Just replace the rum with Pathfinder, and thank me later.
Deschutes Black Butte Porter NA
The world of NA beer has grown exponentially. According to data from industry analyst Circana, nonalcoholic beer sales reached nearly $368.7 million in 2023, a 29.2% increase over 2022 sales. Most of your favorite breweries are scrambling to make NA beer to meet this demand; some are doing it better than others. While I enjoy things made specifically for the NA market, sometimes I just want a beer I know and love.
Very few beers scream “January in the mountains” like Deschutes Black Butte Porter, and luckily, the brewery knew we teetotalers needed some. Nutty and bold but refreshing enough to enjoy a few, this porter is perfect for winter stews or mountain views.
Ghia Le Fizz
When someone tells me they are dabbling in sobriety, I always ask: What are you drinking that you love? Sharing what is delicious helps keep alive that communal feeling you get from enjoying a bottle with someone. Large-format drinks can be perfect to bringing to parties where you may be a little nervous about being sober; this way, people can taste what you are enjoying, and get in on the NA fun.
Ghia Le Fizz is the newest addition to the Ghia line, whose products are bold, complex and, without a doubt, made for cocktail enthusiasts. The Ghia line also features four canned carbonated cocktails in their Le Spritz line that are perfect for single-serving drinkers or if you are looking to try different sparkling cocktail flavors. The Ghia Le Fizz cocktail comes in a classic 750-milliliter wine bottle, yielding four cocktails. Le Fizz tastes like they carbonated a strawberry while it was making out with a mandarin orange in an herb garden.
St. Agrestis Phony Espresso Negroni
The world of NA RTD (or “ready-to-drink”) cocktails is challenging. There are some with fantastic packaging and interesting-sounding flavors … that taste like muddy old socks. It’s tough to make an NA RTD that is more than just a soda pop or an herbal tea, so when I taste an RTD that is pitch-perfect in execution and concept, and it’s nonalcoholic, that’s a reason to celebrate.
The St. Agrestis Phoney Negroni line is exceptional. You get all the notes of a negroni with none of the work or alcohol. The bottles are an easy single-serving of 6.76 ounces, and the bottle is as stylish as it is delicious. Each variation in the Phoney Negroni series keeps getting better, and the espresso version is a balanced, easy-to-drink, perfectly executed cocktail. Just open it, and pour it over ice. The ease, the flavor—this is the future.
Fritz Müller Alkoholfrei
After I quit drinking, the thing I missed the most in the world of alcohol was wine. A glass of crisp, dry white wine in the shower is something every human should enjoy.
The Fritz Müller Alkoholfrei is everything I miss about white wine: It’s light, with crisp apple, Meyer lemon and subtle floral flavors—and just a hint of sweetness. It is made in the traditional German style and then dealcoholized using reverse osmosis. It’s perfect for oysters, or potato chips with caviar—and ideal for shower time, too. My favorite part about this wine is that when I serve it to non-sober folks, they are baffled that anything NA could taste this good.
Everything featured here is available for purchase in Reno; our friends at Craft Wine & Beer sell all five. And don’t hesitate to ask your favorite bar or restaurant to stock these excellent products. The more we ask for NA options, the more we see them out in the world.