Need to Quit Drinking Alcohol? Start Here
Do you need to quit drinking alcohol? Or are you looking to limit your drinking? When getting “sober curious,” the most challenging part is often finding what your new go-to alcohol alternative might be. Yoga, meditation, running, Netflix – they’re all good – but what about when it’s Friday night, and you’ve been invited to grab a few beers and celebrate the weekend? Are you going to whip out your best downward dog? You need a sober strategy – and it’s imperative that you know what it is before walking into familiar drinking situations. Here are a few tips to help make it much easier to choose your health over that hangover. Read until the end for something really special.
*This piece contains affiliate links for products that have been tested by EatDrinkLA in conjunction with Boisson in Los Angeles. Thank you for considering the purchase.
1. Make a Plan
When making a change in your life, no matter the size, it’s best to have a plan in mind. Let’s say you want to start working out at least twice a week. Well, then you’ll need to know your favorite exercise, where your stretchy gym pants are, what time you’ll go, etc. If you want to start limiting your alcohol or cutting back altogether, you can’t leave it to chance and hope your better judgment will kick in when you’re friend is cracking opening up that bottle of Cabernet – because we both know it won’t.
You need a plan! And more importantly, you need to stick to it. Begin with something simple like, “This weekend, I won’t drink alcohol; instead, I will do _____.” What you fill in that blank space is very important because it needs to be strong enough to take the place of your drink of choice—more on this in Tip #4.
2. Visualize yourself in your Plan
Just like athletes can see themselves winning a race, you need to see yourself winning against alcohol. If you’ve made a plan not to drink on the weekend but then find yourself invited to your bestie’s house for cocktails and conversation, don’t make that your excuse to wait until next weekend to go cold turkey when you will suddenly be ready.
Instead, stick with your plan and practice visualizing what it will be like hanging out with your pal without a Paloma in your hand. Maybe you decide to bring some really great snacks over instead, something you really enjoy and can feel indulgent about. Most importantly, close your eyes and actually see and feel what it will be like to move forward in this way. Visualize the conversations you’ll have and what your response will be as to why you’re not drinking this weekend. If you can dream it, you can be it.
3. Know your Why
If you’re reading this article, then you’re probably knee-deep in the love/hate relationship with alcohol that most of the world has. You’re questioning why you drink and whether or not it actually brings fulfillment to your life. These are always easy things to think about when it’s Sunday night, and you’re in regret mode – but the brain plays tricks on us, and somehow, when Friday rolls around again, we’ve often forgotten what we had against alcohol in the first place.
This is when you really have to remember your why. Even if all you wanted to do was try not to drink one time for the hell of it. Remind yourself that some part of you is interested in seeing if you can actually go out on a blind date without a tequila shot or if you still find your partner interesting without those rosé -colored wine glasses on. Go the distance and follow through.
A great way to remember your why is to write it on your phone as a calendar reminder. Maybe you need to see it every day, or just on days you might be tempted to drink alcohol.
4. Pick your new Poison – that isn’t Poison at all
The days of Fre and soda water being the only alcohol alternatives are long behind us. In cities like New York and Los Angeles, specialty non-alcoholic liquor stores are popping up in the trendiest spots. I recently visited Boisson in Studio City and was blown away by the array of choices, not to mention all the categories there are when it comes to finding your new favorite alcohol-free drink.
The store feels like a specialty wine shop, but unlike a wine shop (besides the lack of alcohol), they will let you try almost anything you want. Going AF is a new movement in our society, so it’s very normal not to be familiar with what a Wine Proxy is and have to give it a taste before you bring a whole case home. If you’re not able to stop into a local Boisson, they offer delivery and have an entire online marketplace.
Consider this your deep dive into all the alternatives to booze on your horizon!
Dealcoholized Wine
This is a category that most people are very familiar with. It’s wine that has had the alcohol removed. The taste is almost identical to regular wine because that’s how it began; however, the alcohol content is less than 0.5%. The first question most people ask is, “Yeah, but can I still get drunk on that amount?” The short answer is no, but that doesn’t mean you should take that as an excuse to drink the whole bottle. Fun fact: even a ripe banana can have as much as 0.5% alcohol as can a glass of orange juice.
To best enjoy Dealcoholized Wine, take a few notes from the experts:
- Chill your reds; they will taste more like what you are used to.
- A drop of Non-Alcoholic Bitters will also add more depth to Red Wine. Bitters has a category all its own at Boisson due to its popularity.
- A Sparkling choice is often the most fulfilling.
What to Choose: The most popular choices for dealcoholized wine at Boisson include Noughty Rouge by Thomson & Scott ($26) as well as their Noughty Sparkling Chardonnay – which is one of my personal favorites ($22). Also not to be missed is the brand’s own: Boisson Blanc, their first signature non-alcoholic wine ($20).
Wine Proxies
Wine Proxies are not meant to taste like wine; rather, they recreate the experience of drinking wine. These beverages are crafted with fruits and herbs to complement food – or can be enjoyed on their own. My favorite brand is London-based Jukes Cordialities, which you can read about in-depth in the article here, where I highlight the health benefits of enjoying this drink over some of the others on the market as it’s based in apple-cider vinegar. Varietals include Jukes 1, which mimics a White Wine, and Jukes 6, which is like a dark red and has notes of black currants.
What to Choose: The Sparkling Collection by Jukes is my favorite way to indulge, and it comes in a ready-to-drink 4-pack ($25). Also popular among Wine Proxy drinkers is the brand Proxies, which comes in interesting flavor combinations like Pink Salt and Red Clay ($25).
Non-Alcoholic Beer & Ciders
This category is similar to dealcoholized wine as many of the Beers and Ciders have had the alcohol removed, so they include 0.5% or less. They’ve also been created to taste like the original version. Athletic Brewing is one of the more popular brands, but you’ll find that all the big names like Guinness and Heineken have also entered the game. Regarding Ciders, the Domaine Dupont brand looks like a craft wine bottle and has 0.0% alcohol – which is a major plus. They’ve been making cider in France since the 1700s.
What to Choose: Heineken is spot on and highly refreshing on a hot day, and best of all, it’s got 0.0% alcohol content as it is a replication of the original versus an alcohol removal ($14). The Visitor brand is a popular choice if you like a Lager and has the benefit of including less gluten ($16)
Non-Alcoholic Spirits
These are your big gun replications: Gin, Vodka, Tequila, Mezcal, etc. If you’ve had it before with alcohol, then you’ll find it here without it. These can be tricky to taste authentic because it often means combining them with other mixers to get a drink you’ll want to enjoy. You probably won’t be doing shots of Ritual Tequila, for example, although they’ve nailed that smokey afterburn. That being said, there are a few brands that really get it right on the money when it comes to taste, and it’s up to you to decide what you do with them creatively.
What to Choose: Popular brands at Boisson include Spiritless Kentucky 74, which contains notes of caramel, vanilla, and oak, as well as anything by ISH – especially Gin ISH ($37/$36)
Non-Alcoholic Apéritif & Ready to Drink Cocktails
Consider these your spritzes with bite. Apéritifs generally get the party started, and you can choose to get a full bottle that mixes well with soda water, or you can get pre-mixed cans where the job is already done for you. These are heavy on botanicals and ingredients that are spicy and musky versus fruity. This category of beverages also bleeds into the Functional Beverages category that uses natural ingredients, vitamins, and herbs to elevate your mood or relax you.
What to Choose: The Starter Pack by Three Spirit includes three Non-Alcoholic Apéritifs designed to either energize or wind you down, using natural ingredients like spice and schisandra to pick you up and lemon balm to wind you down ($59). If you’re looking for great and unique flavor profiles, grab anything from the Ghia brand, especially the Sumac & Chili flavor. It’s a fabulous pre-packaged spritz ($22).
Adaptogenic & Hemp Beverages
Since beginning my own journey into a more alcohol-lite existence, this has become my favorite category of drink. Adaptogenic beverages include a mix of plant-based, functional herbs that generally cause mood-boosting or relaxing effects. Popular ingredients include ashwagandha, cordyceps mushroom, and l-theanine. It’s similar to having a cup of tea but with a little more oomph. As with anything, please don’t overdo it. Just like you wouldn’t drink coffee all day, don’t crack more than one or two of these cans open at a time.
I recommend finding the drink that not only tastes the best but perhaps offers some added health benefits you might be looking for. Kin Euphorics has immune-boosting functionality brain-boosting nootropics, and has the added bonus of being founded by a supermodel (Bella Hadid).
What to Choose: Hiyo Functional Seltzer is a great place to start if you’re just getting into Adaptogens. You will feel a definite relaxation element, but it’s also got all those extra goodies like lion’s mane mushroom extract and l-theanine to uplift you ($15). Another great brand is Curious Elixirs, which has different numbered beverages that both mimic cocktail blends and include herbs used in Ayurvedic medicine. It’s the best of both worlds ($10).
5. Be Forgiving
Habits are hard to break, especially when it comes to drinking. After all, you’ve been ingrained to crave alcohol for everything from celebrations to funerals. So take it easy on yourself and, most importantly, be forgiving. Start small, like replacing just one alcoholic beverage a weekend instead of going cold turkey (unless that’s what you know you need). Also, be sure to celebrate the small victories, like actually following through and not drinking that second glass of wine. Just don’t celebrate with another drink :).
It’s part of the human condition to want what we tell ourselves we can’t have, so keep the rigid rules to a minimum, and if you slip up, just try to notice WHEN YOU DID, and next time, try better. For example, if you find you can hang at the party alcohol-free for the first two hours but lose your willpower by hour three, make the choice to leave earlier next time. You will feel better about yourself, and no one will even miss you – or at least they won’t remember if they did.
You’ve got this, you’re awesome, and the world is your oyster.
You read all the way to the end! Reward yourself with 10% off your first purchase at Boisson with the code EATDRINKLA10 and this link. Shipping is free for over $150, and in-store pick-up is always available if you’re local, along with discounted delivery rates through Drizly.
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