During quarantine a lot of us became craft cocktail masters, wine connoisseurs, and even home brewers. Our need to keep moral high and boredom low, meant finding new hobbies, habits, and rituals to weave into our days. While some of our new practices had a positive impact on our lives worth carrying over into our new normal (we’re looking at you, sourdough bread), others are worth reconsidering, like those company Zoom happy hours that always seemed to happen in the middle of the day. 

If you are in the process of reassessing your post quarantine booze intake, navigating social gatherings can feel a bit daunting. But, have no fear, you have a lot of options!

If you would prefer not to partake, the nonalcoholic scene has expanded exponentially over the past few years. New non-alcoholic wines, zero-proof spirits, drinking vinegars, and ready to drink mocktails are hitting the shelves every day that allow you the ritual of a cocktail without the negative effects.

If cutting cocktails completely isn’t how you would like to proceed, there has been a rise in ‘Mindful Drinking,’ a phrase coined by journalist and author, Rosamund Dean. Mindful Drinking means “bringing awareness to our behaviors in terms of our decision to drink alcohol: for example, tallying how many cocktails one consumes in a given night, or paying close attention to why, where and when one is drawn to drinking.” (Blum, 2021) This mind-set may be the perfect fit for someone looking for ways to positively reframe their relationship with alcohol and scale back on their intake. 

One of the ways we like to be more mindful about the drinks we do have is by prioritizing the ingredients and taste over a drink’s ability to get us signing a song for karaoke that we will surely regret the next day. 

A good low alcohol cocktail should provide just enough punch to add a little something special to your day, without having to worry about how you’ll feel the next day. We also love low alcohol cocktails because they are perfect for the all-day tailgating, bonfires, and last chance BBQs, when you want a cocktail but don’t want to need a nap at 3pm on a Saturday.

Our End of Summer Sipping Sangria celebrates all the flavors we’re loving right now, has a couple gut friendly ingredients, and is the perfect low alcohol batch cocktail for your next get together.

 

End of Summer Sipping Sangria

Ingredients:

• 2 Cinnamon Sticks
• 1 inch piece of Ginger
• 4 Whole Star Anise
• 2 Medium Peaches (thinly sliced)
• 1 Medium Apple (thinly sliced)
• 1 Medium Orange (thinly sliced)
• 2 Cups Ginger Kombucha
• 2 Cups Sparkling Apple Cider
• 1/8 Cup Orange Juice
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• ½ Cup Bourbon*
• 1 Bottle of A Low ABV or Non-Alcoholic Sauvignon Blac

 

Directions:

1. Add the peaches, apples, and orange slices to a large pitcher, bowl, or drink dispenser.
2. Pour the white wine, bourbon, lemon juice and orange juice over top.
3. Add the cinnamon sticks, ginger, and star anise and stir well to combine.
4. Add the kombucha and apple cider right before serving, give it a stir to combine, and serve over ice. 

 

Notes:

• You can substitute a zero-proof whiskey to further reduce the alcohol content of this cocktail without losing the smokey flavor that the bourbon provides.
• If you are making this cocktail ahead of time, do not store with the fruit and spices left in the liquid to prevent the drink from becoming overly bitter.

 

Resources

• https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/23/well/dry-january-mindful-drinking.html
• https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-is-mindful-drinking
• https://www.esquire.com/uk/life/a35395059/rise-of-alcohol-free-drinks
• https://www.drinksretailingnews.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/20143/Buyer_92s_Guide_to_Mindful_Drinking.html