The time has come

Drinks Discussions Other Alcoholic and Non-alcoholic Drinks
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The time had come where I can no longer enjoy alcoholic beverages (NAFLD). I can only to take a sip of my favorite wines, swish and spit. So sad😥. Can anyone recommend a faux vino they may have come across that may be worthy of a pour? I rarely drank anything containing alcohol, but when I did I went for deep reds and fruity rosés, Mai Tais and Mojitos and Daiquiris. I have no idea where to start. Your ideas would be appreciatec

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I’ve been on the wagon for 23 years now. For many of them, I didnt look for anything “faux” but in recent years have come across decent quality 0% wines. I was completely fed up with drinking sweet soft drinks all the time, or water. Here in the UK, I can now buy online and there are a number of suppliers and I have several bottles currently in the cupboard - Shiraz, Tempranillo and Merlot. My supermarket also stocks a limited range of alcohol free booze.

Although cocktails have never been to my taste, I know that alcohol free versions are also available online, as well as alcohol free “sprits”. The latter enables you to make a Virgin Mojito, for example, using an alcohol free rum.

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Do you drink also beer - some of the more recent non-alcoholic beers (covering different styles, e.g. lager, IPA, PA etc.) are actually not bad at all

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Are you looking for mocktail recipes, or specifically for non-alcoholic wine and beer replacements? Non-alcoholic Guinness is easily one of the best beers I’ve had since I quit drinking. Old Milwaukee is a decent standin for Budweiser and Coors Light. Heinekin tastes pretty much how I remember the original.

Recently I’ve been trying to track down some Amazake to replace my interest in Sake. Before I quit I was really in to tasting Scotch and Japanese whiskys, but I replaced that habbit with tea tasting. The main styles of tea I looked in to when I started were Black tea, Japanese green teas, Oolong, Jasmine, Pu-erh, and Lapsang Souchong. Good quality Lapsang surprised me as a good standin for Scotch.

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I tried Lapsang Souchong once since I’m an avid tea drinker - had no idea what to expect but had to spit it out and I understand you equating it to Scotch because I also have an aversion to the smokiness of that liquor. I used to love bourbon, but have become more a fan of vodka when my system can handle it. Those are rare occasions. I don’t seek out mocktails anymore except for an occasional virgin Bloody Mary or Pina Colada for a taste of summer.

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One thing with Lapsang Souchong is that the styles seem to be really different. The last one I had was so cheaply made I’m pretty sure it used that awful liquid smoke stuff. I just left the box in my apartment laundry room for someone else to drink. If you’re not in to smokey drinks that’s understandable, but I definitely recommend others try a few different Lapsangs if the first one doesn’t work out for them.

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I’ve seen recipes that use Lapsang Souchsong to poach food to infuse the smoked flavor, especially fish, without the trouble of fire or embers. Liquid smoke is a bad actor and I read labels on BBQ sauces very carefully and avoid it.

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Thank you!

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Thanks, I’m not really a beer fan but am considering some on these gawd awful hot days!

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I will look into those. Thank you!

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Wonderful! Just what I was looking for. Thank you!

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I really love lapsang souchong - though I’m not a fan of smokey whiskeys. Agree with Auggie, try and find a good quality lapsang. Other teas I love are oolong and darjeeling, some of them are pretty subtle.

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And some pu-erh teas will give you that smokiness, along with the fermentation notes that come from aging, but with any fine tea it’s worth it to seek out the real deal from reputable tea sellers.

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My favorite non-alcoholic bev is: The microplance zest of a Meyer lemon, juice of the lemon, ice and water. No sugar necessary. Divine.

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They really have come a long way with NA brews. Now that smaller guys are entering the market, there should be some great options and more coming.

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These Seedlip mocktails and non-alcoholic spirits are becoming more popular in Canada

I haven’t tried any non-alcoholic wines.

I have tried some local grape juices that aren’t sweet, from specific grapes, that are sold in wine bottles, but I prefer regular concord grape juice.

I’m almost a teetotaler (sometimes I go 6 months without a drink, some months I drink 3 or 4 drinks) . I probably won’t be drinking this fall. My go-to drinks are iced tea, lemonade, Arnold Palmers, apple or blackcurrant schorle (half juice and half sparkling water/soda) , Earl Grey, Masala Chai or various forms of coffee.

Occasional virgin Caesar (clamato juice with a dash of hot sauce/horseradish and a dash of Worcestershire.)

I order virgin margaritas and daiquris when I see them offered.

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There’s a renewed interest in shrubs, and they make a nice mocktail mixed with sparkling water or tonic water. Here’s one from the NYT: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022918-sweet-bay-peppercorn-shrub

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I was sure this thread would be about oysters!

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