If You're Ready To Drink Less Alcohol, Read This

Hi there,

Recently, someone very close to me was told by a doctor that they should cut back on alcohol for long-term heart health reasons.

I told this person: Not to worry! I have a collection of amazing mocktail recipes that are just as satisfying. I also have an bunch of non-alcoholic (NA) beer and spirit recs.

In fact, in my opinion, it’s never been easier to cut back on alcohol.

An ironic thing about this subject: I have hundreds of cocktail recipes on my website. In fact, A Couple Cooks has become very well known as a web destination for cocktails.

My husband Alex and I got really into the art of cocktails during the pandemic (like everyone else, ha!), and started posting tons of cocktail recipes. I even ended up getting a certificate in mixology.

We developed so many recipes that we’d mix up a few tests, take one sip, and throw the rest down the drain. Because we didn’t want to get tipsy: we just love a really well-crafted drink.

As I’ve embraced more of the Mediterranean diet lifestyle while writing a book about it (it allows for moderate alcohol), I’ve becoming more aware of my own alcohol consumption. It has never been super high, but I’m now being more selective about when I do decide to drink.

Here’s the thing: there are so many times where a good cocktail or a glass of wine or beer sets the tone of a gathering. I love a great fruity cocktail by the pool, or handing a spritz to guests when they walk in the door. To me, meals really do taste better with a glass of Albariño or Sancerre (my personal favorite).

Alcohol is intertwined so much in our culture that it’s hard to detangle it.

So I’ve set about to finding ways to enjoy all those great things about a cocktail or a beer, without the alcohol. Here are three categories this falls into:

So many mocktails I’ve ordered at restaurants and bars just taste like fruit juice. I do think mocktail culture is rapidly growing and there are so many better options in the past few years. But of course I love a good homemade mocktail most. Here are a few I think you should try:

• Aperol Spritz Mocktail: One of my favorites: bubbly with a homemade orange simple syrup

• Margarita Mocktail: So tasty and refreshing, and a secret ingredient adds complexity

• Shrub: Such a fun summer project; you make fruit-infused vinegar and then mix with sparkling water

• Paloma Mocktail: This one is seriously simple and refreshing

• Pomegranate Mocktail: This works in either summer or winter; apple cider vinegar adds intrigue

Scroll down for all the recipes. (Members, I’ve added all 5 recipes to your ad-free recipes archive!)

My husband Alex is also on the “drink less” train, and he has compiled a list of his favorite NA beers and spirits. We wrote a post about this years ago but the options are even better today:

• Best Day Brewing Kölsch: My top pick for a non-alcoholic beer! It has fantastic flavor and body that drinks almost like the real thing.

• Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA: Many NA IPAs taste a bit like juice; this beer has more of a classic hoppy bitterness.

• Guinness 0.0: This non-alcoholic stout tastes very close to the classic original.

• Sanbittèr Non-Alcoholic Aperitif: This one is my personal favorite! It’s a bright red non-alcoholic Campari-style aperitif made by San Pellegrino. Alex and I like drinking it on the rocks or with a splash of sparkling water. Here’s where we got ours: Sanbitter NA aperitif (affiliate link).

There are several other fun drinks that I like to enjoy that really hit the spot when I’m craving something:

• Hop water: This is non-alcoholic sparkling water infused with the same hops used to brew beer. It’s easy to find these days and so refreshing.

• Kombucha: Honestly I feel like adding kombucha to a glass with a few fun garnishes is 99% as fun as a good cocktail.

• Sparkling water + a few shakes of bitters: This is actually so refreshing: adding a hint of bitters to drinks has virtually no alcohol and it adds so much intriguing flavor.

xoxo
~Sonja