It's mid-January and I'm still dry! I plan on making it to the end of the month. I know I can do it, even though it kind of sucks because I absolutely miss red wine with dinner, a cocktail at 5 p.m. on a Friday, and also all of the other excuses for drinking alcohol I've invented over the years.
I like drinking, but I know I ultimately need to reset my relationship with alcohol — mostly for my liver, which I recently found has 'benign nodules' on its surface. These are not actually related to drinking and have most likely been there since birth because I know my mother has them too, but their existence still made me think about my overall health and how I can do better for my body this year.
The liver is an amazing organ that works really hard to heal our bodies. The problem is, if you're drinking most days out of the week, it has to work harder to flush that alcohol instead of focusing on cleaning up in other aisles of the human body. I figured dry January was a great month to give my liver a break.
But what to drink instead?! I have sampled so many nonalcoholic drinks over the past two weeks I've already come up with a list of the best 5 options. Aside from just coffee, tea, and seltzer, which are of course helpful while abstaining from alcoholic beverages.
Here's my list:
St. Agrestis Non-Alcoholic Phony Negroni
Price may vary
from
St. Agrestis
I love a Negroni. Frankly, I love anything alcoholic and bitter. This attractive glass bottle from St. Agrestis contains a sparkling nonalcoholic version of your favorite classic cocktail. If you pour it into a rocks glass with a giant ice cube and an orange peel, you won't miss the booze one iota. It's bitter, effervescent, and tastes like an adult beverage. Plus, you could literally give your friend a sip and not tell her it doesn't have booze in it and she'd have no clue.
Ghia Original Aperitif
If you love Amaro, you're going to love Ghia. It's a slightly less bitter version of the beloved Italian digestif and is also made with lots of herbs and fruits, including yuzu juice, elderflower extract, acacia, and rhubarb root. I was a big fan of the original aperitif flavor. It's great on its own or paired with soda water over ice!
Curious Elixirs No. 4 Booze-Free Blood Orange Spritz
Price may vary
from
Curious Elixirs
Looking for something light and bright for daytime drinking? Look no further than Elixir No. 4 from Curious Elixirs. The blood orange spritz is surprisingly delightful and not as sweet as you might imagine. It evokes prosecco with citrus, sans alcohol, and actually contains holy basil, American ginseng, and turmeric for healing and calming energy.
Rhino & Lucy Heart Chakra Herbal Loose Leaf Tea Blend
$12.99
from
Rhino & Lucy
Tea has been a major part of my sober journey this month and because January is cold, it has been such a delight. Rhino & Lucy is a specialty tea company with lots of fun blends but the Heart Chakra loose leaf tea blend with hawthorn berries, rose petals, mistletoe, and oatstraw is too delicious to miss.
Enroot Sparkling Cold Brew Tea Six-Pack
If you love seltzer and iced tea, this is the bevvy for you. Enroot makes some of the most lovely flavored beverages I've ever had and I will absolutely continue drinking this marvelous elixir long after Dry January. My favorite flavor is the Strawberry Lavender Rosemary Tulsi, but they are all so good. That makes sense because the flavors were crafted by James Beard award-winning chefs.
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