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Recommend me some good mocktails or N/A beers

Billbofet

Member
In an attempt to drink less, I have been experimenting with n/a beers, spirits/mocktails.

Some I have tried and enjoyed quite a bit for beer are Athletic Brewing Company's Free Wave Hazy IPA and Lakefront Brewery Riverwest Stein N/A.
I think both get you to about 80% of a true beer experience. I have tried other n/a beers, and most are pretty bad, so I'm looking for recommendations.

I also tried Seedlip Spice 94 non-alcoholic spirit. It's not a 1:1 replacement for any other spirit like gin or vodka, but it's been solid in both versions of a gin and tonic and a Moscow mule mocktail - this subbed as the spirit.
It has a very peppery note/finish, I think to mimic an alcohol burn, and I don't think you can fool yourself that this is an alcoholic beverage, but it gets you about 60-70% of the way to a cocktail experience.

Another method I have tried is making an Earl Grey syrup - 1 part sugar, 1 part water brought to a boil, then steeping three bags of Earl Grey for 20 minutes. From there, cool it down and refrigerate.
I used this syrup and made a solid drink. It was 1 1/2 oz. of the EG syrup, 3 oz. of grapefruit juice poured over ice, and topped with soda water. To me, this genuinely tasted like a cocktail. Very refreshing, but with a small bite at the end to mimic an alcoholic beverage.
Might sub the soda water with ginger beer to give it more zing/bite.

Anyway, I'm sure I'm not the only one wanting to drink less, so I'm reaching out to get other ideas and suggestions.

Cheers!
 

EverydayBeast

ChatGPT 0.1
Athletic Brewing is pathetic, Guinness 0.0 is bad Heineken 0 is the one stand out and than there’s budweiser which is actually good.
 

West Texas CEO

GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief and Nosiest Dildo Archeologist
In an attempt to drink less
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jason10mm

Gold Member
I actually think, and I can't believe I'm saying it, that Guinness 0 is not half bad. For a NA it is legit drinkable as it doesn't have that protein flavor a lot of them have. Ain't as good as real Guinness of course but passable.

But Guinness is already pretty low cal as it is a 4% beer already. I thought ultra amber was the best of the low cal beers.
 

ahtlas7

Member
Buy 0 proof liquor and mix your cocktail as normal. All the taste, none of the fun.
Italian sodas are good complete alternative to sweet cocktails.
 

Toots

Gold Member
Virgin mojito is n/a, with the added benefice of helping you stay virgin as long as you drink them
 
Go get some hop tea or hop water. I find they occasionally scratch the beer itch. Also, Guinness 0.0% is dangerously close to real Guinness And only like 60 calories I think.
 
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Jaybe

Member
I like Athletic’s IPA and Blonde. Heineken 0.0 is fine enough when I’m at a restaurant carrying mainstream brews. Partake is decent and like 10 calories I believe. Carlsberg does one like Heineken, it’s fine. I like trying whatever local one a restaurant is carrying. In Toronto, Bellwoods Stay Classy IPA is excellent and they do a couple other options. Gruvi I like too, just not sure how distributed it is.
 

Ophiuchus

Banned
If you're looking for more N/A beer options, you might want to try BrewDog's Nanny State or Clausthaler Dry-Hopped Non-Alcoholic Beer. Both have a nice flavor profile and come pretty close to the real deal. For mocktails, one of my favorites is a Virgin Mojito—just muddle some fresh mint and lime with a bit of sugar, top it off with soda water, and you've got a refreshing drink that's perfect for summer.

On a related note, I recently read about a Skeleton Key Cocktail Recipe that could be easily adapted into a mocktail. The original recipe calls for bourbon, but you can substitute it with a non-alcoholic spirit like Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative. Mix it with ginger beer, elderflower liqueur (or a non-alcoholic elderflower syrup), and fresh lemon juice. This combination provides a complex flavor that mimics a true cocktail experience, with the ginger beer giving it a nice bite. If you’re interested, you can check out more details on the recipe and make your own version this link.
 
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