Sober September is a perfect time for a consumption reset
September has arrived — where it came from, we’re unsure, but it’s here and that means it’s the end of summer and the holidays will be here before we know it. In recent years, many have decided to observe Sober September. Like its counterpart, Dry January, it’s a time for those who are sober-curious or just simply want to spend less time feeling hungover or want to give their bodies a rest and a reset. If you think about it, the timing is perfect since it’s the end of summer, kids are back to school, and you’ve got just enough time to get ready for what will likely be a busy holiday season.
If you’re looking to take part in Sober September or are just thinking about cutting down on your alcohol intake, here are 9 non-alcoholic spirits you should check out.
The world’s first plant-powered social elixir
These vegan and gluten-free social elixirs are hand-crafted with high-grade extracts, active plants and adaptogens grown by cultivators who respect nature. Made with zero-plastic recyclable packaging, Three Spirit takes drinkers from the start to the end of their evening, with active ingredients and serves to help them feel good through the power of plants. Three Spirit’s plant scientists identified how alcohol interacts with the body’s receptors, and then worked alongside herbalists to select plants – some used for centuries in ceremonies and potions - that are rich in active compounds that interact with those same receptors. Find it here.
Curious Elixirs, a pioneer of booze-free craft cocktails with a mission to transform how we drink by making the world’s best non-alcoholic cocktails. Handmade with the best ingredients and no added sugar in the Hudson Valley, Curious Elixirs utilize organic ingredients as well as adaptogens to help de-stress. Learn more here.
Enjoy a blackberry ALL-Free Shandy
Using select ingredients and zero artificial flavors or sweeteners, this exceptional, guilt-free beverage delivers on taste without shortcomings. Just like traditional beer, Suntory uses only the two-row barley malt which contributes to the rich flavor of ALL-FREE, while the aroma hops give it its bitterness and signature sophisticated bouquet. ALL-FREE is also made with 100% Tennensui water—Quality, natural mineral water blessed from the Japanese forests—bringing to life ALL- FREE’s unparalleled flavor. In addition to these ingredients, carefully selected natural flavors allow ALL-FREE to mirror the taste of real beer. This original recipe enables the removal of the fermentation process entirely and delivers a specialty beer-like beverage with zero calories and 0.00% alcohol. Grab yours here.
A pioneer in the world of n/a spirits, Lyre’s has an entire portfolio of flavors. The creation of each Lyre’s variant requires deconstructing elements of existing spirits, sourcing all-natural essences, extracts, and distillates from 39 different countries of origin, and developing proprietary non-alcoholic formulas, which are constantly being updated to produce refined products. The Lyre’s portfolio includes a chic Italian aperitif, Italian Orange, as well as an American Malt, Absinthe, Dry London Spirit, Orange Sec, Coffee Originale, Amaretti, Aperitif Dry and Rosso, and a Dark, White, and Spiced Cane Spirit, all of which can be used in conjunction to recreate low and no-alcohol versions of favorite cocktails. Find yours here.
Ghia features a signature bitter and herbal flavor profile
Ghia is the non-alcoholic aperitif that can be enjoyed on ice, spritzed, mixed, spiked, or straight (with no stigma). With a bright and bitter flavor profile inspired by Mediterranean aperitivo culture, Ghia’s formula is transparent and health-forward ingredients including Gentian Root, Lemon Balm, Fig, and Elderflower – with no added sugar. It’s an inclusive spirit free drink that changes the way we think about drinking and socializing. Get yours here.
Seedlip was the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit. Founded by Ben Branson in 2015, Seedlip marries his 300-year farming heritage with a love of nature, flavor and design. Inspired by the 17th century book, The Art of Distillation, Ben tinkered with a copper still & homegrown herbs in his kitchen in the woods to create the first distilled non-alcoholic spirit. Crafted from the highest quality, globally sourced botanicals, each expression celebrates the vast range of flavor that nature provides: aromatic Spice 94, herbal Garden 108 and citrus Grove 42 – all of which have no alcohol, calories or sugar. These provide the base for sophisticated, complex non-alcohol cocktails to solve the dilemma of what to drink when you’re Not drinking.® It can be served simply with a splash of premium Ginger Ale or Tonic, or used to craft elevated non-alcoholic cocktails. Find Seedlip near you.
Created by spirits at Salcombe Distilling Co, this will remind you of a zero-proof gin
Created by spirits at Salcombe Distilling Co., experts for health-conscious imbibers who value flavor and don’t want to compromise, New London Light is made with all natural ingredients chosen for their specific nutrients, and bioactive compounds that have powerful health benefits. Not intended to be a nonalcoholic gin but inspired by gin making principles, the base botanical blend is juniper, ginger and habanero with 15 additional added for a spectrum of flavor using a combination of distillation, maceration and extraction techniques. The botanicals were also chosen due to their involvement in the trading routes that traveled through Salcombe and the coast of England in the 1800s, carrying exotic fruits and spices between England and the Americas. Snag New London Light here.
Acid League is a direct-to-consumer wine proxy subscription
Food and wine are a natural pairing but existing non-alcoholic substitutes are a pale imitation of the real thing. Acid League was determined to change that, by providing non-drinkers and the sober curious with a premium wine experience that captures the complexity of wine and pairs excellently with food, no matter where you’re dining. Available through a monthly direct-to-consumer wine club, Acid League offers three unique, rotating bottles per month, first launching with Blanc Slate, a take on white wine that draws on the terroir and flavors of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Cuvée Zero, a complex yet crushable red inspired equally by the best French wine regions, and a play on orange wine, Zest Contact. Acid League’s Wine Proxies are a sophisticated, elegant alternative to traditional alcoholic wines and are designed to be paired with meals, both at home and in restaurants. Each layered blend is crafted through hundreds of taste-tests using house-made ingredients to match the depth and complexity of great wine. Check out their current proxies here.
Founded in 2019 by serial entrepreneurs and fitness enthusiasts Chris Boyd and Ben Acott, Drink Monday creates non-alcoholic spirits that deliver on taste and experience – including Monday Gin and Monday Whiskey – which are both free of alcohol, full of flavor, and mimic your favorite spirits. They are vegan, gluten-free, and big-8 allergen-free, and support a wide variety of healthy lifestyles with zero calories, zero carbs & zero sugar. Drink Monday was born from a thirst for a top shelf adult drink that wouldn't affect tomorrow's big day at the office, date night, or gym session. It’s the option to enjoy when you want to take on life how you see fit, with no barriers and no excuses. To learn more, visit here.