10 Mocktails to try Immediatly

What do I drink instead of alcohol when going out? 

Mexican food? Fajitas and margaritas were my jam. Sushi? Sapporo all the way. Brunch? Obviously I am getting a mimosa. Steak? A glass (bottle 🙈) of red wine. I quit drinking alcohol 222 days ago but girlfriend LOVES a theme so I couldn't just switch to soda when going out to eat. The idea of not ordering the drink associated with the meal I was getting was a huge barrier for me when thinking about life without alcohol. I wanted to feel like I was getting the same "experience" as I did going to restaurants or at special occasions as I did before I quit drinking alcohol.

So instead, I have come up with my list of drink pairings for each type of occasion from staying home to camping to each type of cuisine when going out. First let's start with drinks I enjoy at home. Trust me, I have tried ALL the NA options on the market and these are what I have come to find works for me. 

Nightly drink: "The Melody"

Once you stop using wine as a way of winding down, you don't really feel the need to replace it for the purposes of stress relief. But I do enjoy a good "night cap" of something other than water to end the day. My go-to's are hot herbal tea in the Winter or a drink I invented called "The Melody". I drink it literally EVERY day. It is simply, lime-flavored mineral water with a splash of cranberry juice . Its refreshing and has a little bite to it. Best part is, its WAY cheaper than buying NA drinks from the store but has the same effect for me.

But since I drink it every day, its nice to have one of the fancy NA alternatives on the weekend as a special treat. Here are my favorites that I keep on hand in my house for when I feel a craving for a "drink", which is pretty rare these days. 

Weekend treats: NA all the way

Mingle Cranberry Cosmo

I love this drink so much, I made a nail polish inspired by it

Poppi Ginger Lime

Blue Moon NA

This is so delicious and tastes just like the real thing. Except, its a heavy beer and I definitely don't usually drink more than one before feeling full or being painfully aware of the empty and pointless calories I am drinking. Sometimes it's nice to have one on my back patio though.

NA Corona

Most restaurants and liquor stores and even gas stations carry these so its a great option for "on the go" when you want to bring beer with you to a house party that definitely wont have NA options. 

Stella Rosa Peach

This baby is sweet but its oh so good in small doses. Grab a glass and cheers away. Perfect for special occasions.

White Claw NA

Such an easy choice for grabbing a case and not over thinking the fact that you no longer drink alcohol. Perfect for hot days outside. 

Now, lets chat about going out. Like I said, I need to pair a unique drink to every type of meal or the experience is ruined for me. But here's the thing, ordering a "mocktail" off a menu can be expensive, which is dumb and makes me mad. Instead, I have a few drinks I put together myself and order them casually and not as "a mocktail" and usually only get charged the price of a soda or juice when I order them that way. But sometimes, it's fun to just discover new mocktails, even if they are pricey. 

Bars: A drink with no name

When going to a bar with friends, I love to order new mocktails and get excited by my new journey instead of feeling left out. In fact, I found my favorite "A drink with no name" from PF Changs by ordering off their mocktail menu and now I will go to PF Changs just to get this drink... it is that good.  

But if I don't feel like paying $14 for a freaking juice cocktail with a garnish, sometimes I'll just order "The Melody" and ask them to add a few drops of bitters and a fresh lime garnish and boom, my own mocktail for the price of a soda normally. IF they have it, fresh ginger makes this drink BOMB but most places don't have fresh ginger for drinks I have found. 

Brunch: Mel's Mock-mosa

If you ask for a small orange juice and a glass of sparkling water with a splash of grenadine in it, BOOM its the most delicious mock-mosa. I usually ask for a champagne glass on the side. If you order it IN the champagne glass you will down that shit way too fast because champagne glasses are actually pretty small. 

Now, if you are making your own mimosa at home or when camping, let me tell you... the above mentioned peach champagne from Stella Rosa mixed with a little OJ is life. Better than the real thing and no headache to boot. The NA champagne from Fre is also good and an NA mimosa bar is actually a really fun way to have fun with drinks, with different variations of fruits. Sometimes the presentation is really the best part anyway. 

Mexican Food: Mel-garita 

For as long as I could remember if we were going to get Mexican food it was "Fajitas and margaritas" and its just not Mexican food otherwise. Funny thing is though, I would usually only drink half the margarita before switching to beer anyways as margaritas were so hit-or-miss for me. So do I order virgin margaritas? No freaking way. It's way too expensive for the most sour thing you will ever drink. Instead, I order sparkling water with fresh lime. You can also ask for your cup to have sugar or salt around the rim and it makes it fun and adds a little more flavor. Sometimes I skip this option all together and order an NA Corona. It literally tastes the same and is soooo satisfying to have a cold "beer" with a taco. Best part is, something about knowing it is NA that makes you only want one. It satisfies the urge to have a "cold one" on a hot day but I don't feel the need to drink countless empty calories after the initial itch is scratched. 

Sushi: Hot tea?

Hear me out on this one. My friends and family are pretty big drinkers so if we are going to sushi, we are usually ordering saki. And there's nothing quite as lonely as being the only one without a tiny shot to cheers with. So instead, I order Iced green tea, which is actually a perfect pairing for Sushi, and then i'll get a side of hot green tea which I'll cool down a bit with ice. Then, whenever anyone at my table does a shot of saki, I pour myself a shot of the tea and cheers along. 

Camping: White Claw NA

Yes, The Melody is definitely cheaper but the NA White Claws taste exactly like the ones with alcohol. Sometimes you just gotta keep it simple and not even think about the fact that you are the only one not getting drunk during the day. Taking a bike ride or staying active helps me not want to sit around and just drink. I actually enjoy camping so much more now that I don't drink. 

Pizza: Root beer

I am not proud to admit this one, but I would very specifically only go to pizza joints that also served beer. The association of pizza and beer was so strong for me that I wasn't going to pizza unless I could also get beer. What I have come to realize now is that pizza places that serve drinks are actually way more expensive, so these days, I find myself going to regular old pizza joints and ordering a pitcher of root beer. Yes, this one is just soda. But it's soda I don't normally drink and man does it go perfectly with pizza. 

Fancy Dinners: Dessert

I have yet to find an alternative to a good wine. They do say your "drink of choice" is hard to replace and I was definitely a wine girly. So I just don't even pretend an NA wine is going to do the trick. They all taste like bad grape juice in my opinion. So when going out to a fancy dinner, I'll just order The Melody BUT... instead, I allow myself to indulge in a delicious dessert. Not drinking empty calories makes it pretty easy to justify a chocolate mouse in the end of a good meal. 

I never thought I would be at the place where I am not only NOT missing alcohol but excited by the alternatives. There is nothing like enjoying a special occasion or evening and not having to worry about driving home or having a headache the next day. 

Much love, Mel