The Best No-Booze Beverages for Your Sober October Pleasure (Mocktails, NA Beer, and Wine)

Sober October is right around the corner, my friends! Whether you’re sober-curious, so-over hangxiety (hangover anxiety), or are simply looking to kick-start your health before the holidays, having a supply of nonalcoholic drink alternatives can make the month more enjoyable. I’ve been alcohol-free for over two years, so I know what I’m talking about!

Here’s a short list of my absolute favorite booze-free beverages. To keep it simple, I only included my #1 choice in these three categories:

• Mocktails
• NA craft beer (aka near beer)
• Alcohol-free wine

I hope you find this list helpful. You might even enjoy these boozless beverages enough to keep them stocked in your fridge long past October!

Best Mocktails: Curious Elixirs

When I first stopped drinking, I thought I’d have a blast mixing up mocktails on my own. What actually happened was a series of unfortunate kitchen experiments gone down the drain.

Fortunately, the pros at Curious Elixirs know what they’re doing. 

The premixed mocktails aren’t just a blend of fruit juices; they’re legit botanical tonics full of good-for-you adaptogens like:

• Ashwagandha
• Ginseng
• Rhodiola   

Adaptogens are plant-and-mushroom-based ingredients that help your body maintain balance by alleviating stress, anxiety, and fatigue. This makes Curious Elixirs especially beneficial for people who struggle with anxiety and depression this time of year—or any time, really!

With all this healthy goodness, you might think Curious Elixirs taste like celery juice or something equally disgusting (to be fair, I’ve never tried celery juice). I assure you, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Each Elixir boasts a unique and complex flavor profile. They also come with a fancy card providing suggestions on how to best serve your mocktail. For example, you might pour over ice and add a twist of lemon, or shake into a glass and top with a sprig of mint. Either way, you’ll feel sophisticated AF!

I opt for the Curious Cocktail Club Monthly Variety Pack.

Best Nonalcoholic Craft Beer: Athletic Brewing Co.

I love beer. I mean, I really love beer. For years, my life revolved around three things: running trails, eating burritos, and drinking IPAs.  

But when we moved back to the northeast, all those things suddenly became unavailable. I’m sorry, East Coast, but your trails are short and muddy, your beer sucks, and don’t get me started on the burritos.

Run Wild IPA by Athletic Brewing Co. was the first East Coast IPA I actually enjoyed drinking—and it’s nonalcoholic! After being pleasantly surprised with the first sip, I offered it to my husband. He tried it and said, “your NA beer tastes better than the regular beer I ordered.” I’m sure it was true. He stopped drinking soon after, and we’ve been Athletic Club members ever since.

Run Wild is my fave among Athletic’s signature brews (all NA). However, they regularly come up with limited releases that are equally amazing.

Pro tip: subscribe to their monthly—or bi-monthly—membership to get first dibs on limited run brews. Trust me, they sell out fast!

To try Athletic, use my referral link for a free 6-pack !

Not ready to commit to a whole sixer? Single cans of select Athletic brews are also available at ProofNoMore, the premier online marketplace for nonalcoholic craft beverages. Check them out! You can even order a Sober October Box containing a variety of beers, wines, and whiskey??? I know I’m getting one!

Best Alcohol-Free Wine: Grüvi Dry Secco

I’m not gonna lie, finding a nonalcoholic wine that didn’t taste like grape juice was hard. In fact, I spent my first year of sobriety mixing grape juice with sparkling water and calling it rosé. I still do this sometimes, but only because it’s so dang delicious.

When I’m in the mood for an actual wine replacement, I get Grüvi.

I first found out about this brand when Thrive Market sent me a bottle as a free gift. It was love at first sip, so I immediately ordered more.

I must say, Grüvi’s version of rosé isn’t that far off from my sparkling water concoction. But the Dry Secco? Oh Lordy, it’s good. It’s a genuine semi-dry sparkling beverage that belongs in a champagne flute. And, with no added sugars, it’s much less sweet than the sparkling cider that comes out around New Years Eve—I give myself a sugar hangover after drinking a bottle of that stuff. The naturally occurring sugars in a bottle of Grüvi Dry Secco equals what you’d get from eating one apple.

I have yet to try Grüvi’s full lone of nonalcoholic beverages, but I’m looking forward to it!

In Conclusion

I hope this post gave you some ideas on new nonalcoholic beverages to try. It’s a short list, but as you can see, some of these drinks are quite pricey. Totally worth it, in my opinion, but I didn’t want to go overboard with providing options. Also, I haven’t found any palatable alternatives that are more economical. We still drink a lot of plain old sparkling water in my house!

If you have any good NA options to add, please leave suggestions in the comments.

Cheers, and Happy Sober October!

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