Fresh Finds:

Trying 6 new(ish) NA beverages to learn what's worth picking up this weekend!

This issue, I’m doing something new by trying a few new drinks I’ve seen around Sioux Falls for the first time recently (or just haven’t tried) and giving my incredibly uniformed opinion about whether they’re any good or worth grabbing if you see them. They’re not all “alcohol alternative” drinks, but isn’t any beverage that doesn’t have alcohol in it technically in that category? I’m in charge of this newsletter and I think so, so you can just deal with if you don’t agree. Not everything I tried was great, but there were nothing bad enough that I had to pour it out and a couple good finds!

Ghia & Ginger

This one is the drink I tried that was most marketed as an alcohol free cocktail alternative. Ghia makes an NA aperitif that I’m sure I’ll review at some point but this is a great way to see if you like it. It has an herbal bitterness found in a lot of aperitifs and liqueurs that is not for everyone, so try one of these before you get a whole bottle of Ghia. These are ready to drink and a great NA alternative to something like an Aperol or Campari spritz. They’re not cheap (I want to say around $3.50 per can?) but are very good and extremely summery. Worth it for a special occasion definitely and honestly compared to most alcoholic drinks a total bargain.

Betty Buzz Sparkling Grapefruit

This is probably more of a mixer, but I love grapefruit juice and sodas in mocktails so I thought I’d try it out. It’s not a bad drink but doesn’t have the distinctive bitterness of grapefruit juice and tastes more like the agave syrup (that number 2 ingredient after water) than grapefruit. Wouldn’t be a terrible mixer for anything but don’t expect it to bring a lot of grapefruit flavor.

Live Can-Do Kombucha

This kombucha take on Mt. Dew, which has since been renamed Citrus Rush apparently (the Mt. Dew and Kombucha fan overlap does seem small, though I count myself as a proud part of it) tastes just like a grocery store soda brand called Mountain Thunderclap or Hillbilly Joy Juice, but also like kombucha. Not sure I’d get this again, but it’s exactly what it says it is, so no complaints!

De La Calle Grapefruit Lime Tepache

Tepache is a lightly fermented (very low alcohol) beverage like kombucha or kefir, but made from fruit and originating in Mexico. This brand had several flavors to choose from but because I was already trying one grapefruit beverage I figured I’d keep up the theme. The Grapefruit Lime flavor definitely had more lime than grapefruit. I need more grapefruit in every grapefruit drink if any beverage companies are reading this!

The fermented flavor definitely reminds me more of a water kefir or white kimchi as it’s mostly fermented anaerobically (closed to the outside air) with a lower sugar content. This is unlike kombucha which starts with more sugar that is converted to alcohol and then into acetic acid by aerobic bacteria (bacteria that need oxygen) which gives it its distinctive sourness and smell. A great option if that isn’t your thing!

Deschutes Black Butte Non-Alcoholic Porter

This is the only true NA beer I tried this time and it was a great find. Porters always translate better to being non-alcoholic, and this is no exception. It’s sweet without being syrupy or heavy. Hopefully this is the first of many NA options from Deschutes. It’s not a revolutionary idea, but it’s well done.

Hoplark 0.0 Really Really Hoppy

The other new “beer” I tried is from HopLark, who make hoppy sparkling waters that I have had before and enjoyed moderately. This tastes like a hoppier, less bubbly version of them, but not like a beer. The closest comparison is to Lagunitas hop water with a little more body and color. Not my favorite, but for some reason I think I would enjoy it more if I would buy a tallboy of it from a gas station. The gas station tallboy section is woefully underserved when it comes to NA beer options. Hopefully that will change in the near future!

Side Note:

This is the part of the newsletter where I foist some totally unasked-for, completely unrelated recommendations on you. Enjoy!

Sierra Farrell - Hey Me, Hey Mama

I love Sierra Ferrell’s album “Long Time Coming” from last year, and her newish cover of Ray LaMontagne’s “Hey Me, Hey Mama” is a gem. ( Also check out this live version of her amazing song “Silver Dollar”. )

History Tea Time with Lindsay Holiday

It’s hard to choose a video to share from my new favorite history YouTube channel, History Tea Time with Lindsey Holiday, but this one where she talks about how terrible a bunch of royals are and how close they are to losing their jobs is pretty great. It is part 2 of a series but it’s the better half!