Happy New Year! 2024 will be an exciting one for my family as our son will graduate with an associate degree in mathematics and then will graduate from high school! He has been accepted to the Colorado School of Mines and along with two other close friends, has also been awarded a school Presidential scholarship. We are so incredibly proud of his hard work and pray this year is the beginning of many blessings in his adult life.
As I begin this year, I am in the midst of the final phase of Live Hard, the yearlong program of 75 Hard. Starting on 22 Dec, I began 30 days of no alcohol, following a diet (I am following SOTA…the same one Mandy and A-Rod use), two 45-minute workouts with one being outside, ten pages of nonfiction reading (has to be a book, not a magazine or website or poetry), daily five-minute cold shower, drinking a gallon of water, talking to a stranger, random act of kindness, completing eight critical tasks, and taking a daily progress picture of myself. Thus far, and I am halfway through as I type this, I have been successful! Should I miss one of these requirements, I cannot simply begin this phase over again…I have to complete this phase on 21 January (one year to the day I began my 75 Hard journey, click here to read that post) in order to complete the Live Hard program. It has been a long, challenging, and mentally toughening experience. The cold showers alone require a constant mental debate about what I am doing!
One of the easiest tasks is skipping the booze. It is appropriate, therefore, that I discuss options for anyone who may be observing Dry January or any period of going without booze or for those who choose not to drink at all! Thanks to the social media movement of sober curious, sobriety challenges, and all the evidence that choosing to reduce alcohol consumption (I would also include any mind-altering substance), there are so many options out there for mocktails and alcohol-free wines, spirits, and beers that can help you meet your goal of reducing or eliminating alcohol in your life.
Today, Mandy and I (who are both in “strict SOTA” mode right now) will chat about some options out there for you to check out. If you are in the Colorado Springs area, The Wine Gallery will be offering complimentary tastings every Wednesday from 3:30 to 6:30pm for the month of January of the NA (non-alcoholic) beverages that they carry.
During past Dry Januarys, I have presented a plethora of NA spirits and wines for Mandy and I to sample, but many have ingredients that both she and I are avoiding right now (and given her issues with bubbles, I am honoring her need to avoid those as well.) If you want to read about those various experiences, check out this past blog post here. Today I wanted offer some current and new options that you can find just about anywhere (in this case, I found these at my local Sprouts.)
Most of these new mocktails are inspired by their fully loaded cocktails but in lieu of alcohol, use a variety of herbs and flavor profiles to mimic the taste and mental effects that we often experience when consuming alcohol. Many combine real fruit juice with either alkaline still or sparkling water and then add herbs and adaptogens like ashwagandha to help relax, increase serotonin and dopamine precursors or seek to increase circulation (used in ancient cultures as aphrodisiacs, and include herbs/spices such as damiana, ginger, and citrus). Some mocktails seek to help reduce inflammation, which is a side effect of alcohol, and thus include ginseng and turmeric while others include holy basil to help reduce stress. There are so many options out there in terms of mocktails, you are sure to find something that will tickle the palate while doing your body some good.
NA wines and beers have really come a long way from O’Doul’s. Made in the traditional fermentation/brewing process, NA wine and beers can now undergo dealcoholization after the production process to remove the alcohol (either through vacuum distillation where the alcohol is evaporated off or reverse osmosis) or the fermentation process is stopped prior to the production of alcohol. The first two steps allow for a more true to taste experience whereas the arrested fermentation process leaves higher amounts of sugar and will affect the taste. Pikes Peak Brewing, here in Monument, has jumped into this world and taken the water they use for brewing their beers and added the hops they also use in their brewing process to produce Trail Water, which has zero alcohol by volume or sugar or carbs. I intend on tasting it today and will let you know my thoughts when we chat about your NA options today on Mandy’s show.
Finally, there are also some amazing blogs and social media posts out there to help you craft your own mocktails, either using the NA options that are more and more available or common ingredients you may have already at home! Please check out my friend, Jayme Henderson, who is not only an amazing wine maker but an exceptional craft cocktail/mocktail creator. She offers mocktails for those not drinking Storm Cellar wines at their winemaker dinners and asados, and let me assure you, those are some of the best mocktails/cocktails I have ever sipped! Her blog is Holly and Flora and not only does she offer some great mocktails, the photography and descriptions of her life on their mesa are mesmerizing. Please check her out!
Well, that wraps us this post (and I owe Mandy a blog post toute suite). You don’t have to follow Dry January just in the month of January. There are several sober challenges throughout the year to help you either break some bad habits, create new, healthier habits, or just help you discover new and delicious drink combinations out there. If you find an NA mocktail or spirit/wine/beer you enjoy, feel free to drop a message here or DM me on social media.
Next month, we’ll chat romantic wine and food pairings. I will be offering two classes at The Wine Gallery that you can explore what you like and enjoy the weekend before the “super” bowl game. The classes are already filling up, so please reach out to The Wine Gallery to reserve your spot.
Until next time, cheers and namaste.
twy
the wine yogi 