I will look into those. Thank you!
Wonderful! Just what I was looking for. Thank you!
I really love lapsang souchong - though Iām 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.
And some pu-erh teas will give you that smokiness, along with the fermentation notes that come from aging, but with any fine tea itās worth it to seek out the real deal from reputable tea sellers.
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 havenāt tried any non-alcoholic wines.
I have tried some local grape juices that arenāt sweet, from specific grapes, that are sold in wine bottles, but I prefer regular concord grape juice.
Iām almost a teetotaler (sometimes I go 6 months without a drink, some months I drink 3 or 4 drinks) . I probably wonāt 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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Thereās a renewed interest in shrubs, and they make a nice mocktail mixed with sparkling water or tonic water. Hereās one from the NYT: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022918-sweet-bay-peppercorn-shrub
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I went on a shrub spree a few years ago, and while my guests loved them in cocktails, I usually drank them in sparkling water or seltzer or even just chilled water because I sometimes have an allergic reaction to alcohol, and they were just lovely without.
I recommend the cold shrub method - Michael Dietsch has a good book on it, some of his recipes are available on the Internet to start.
My favorites were lemon (like a lemonade concentrate but more intense), orange (like a better orangina or aranciata), and blackberry (intense and almost savory). Then you can mix and match fruit and herbs and flavorings. Ginger is pretty fantastic in fall and winter.
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Me too, and it continues every summer.
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Found this older list I wrote:
And this from my original spree:
And hereās the method and a few ideas from the āshrub guyā:
https://hollyandflora.com/2015/03/03/how-to-make-shrubs-aka-drinking-vinegars-3-refreshing-recipes/
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Seedlip is increasingly available in the UK. Perfect with Fever Tree tonic for a faux G & T.
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Iām looking forward to my rhubarb late this summer!
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I am obsessed with this German drink, and get my fill every summer.
Tart, delicious. super-refreshing. Otherwise, Iām pretty much a rhubarb hater.
Iāve been more mindful of my alcohol intake of late. I have found most no alcohol beers disappointing and so have favoured 2-3 % ABV IPAās instead of the standard no alcohol Lager variety. One no alcohol drink I do like is kombucha made with hops. This is a particular favourite.
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You donāt have to rely on NA lagers as there are more and more NA IPA on the market now which actually donāt taste bad, like Free Wave (Athletic), Just the Haze (Sam Adams), Juicy IPA (Untitled Art) or IPNA (Lagunitas) to name a few
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One big benefit is that you can make it at home for about 1/10 the cost of buying.
