A Road Less Travelled

Wotcha!

It got cooler here in Oregon. Seasoned Oregonians usually lean on an expectation that summer will stretch into early October, but it feels like fall is already in the air, and we haven’t even got past Labor Day yet.

Still, it’s also that time of year when I start thinking about darker beers, red wines for dinners and dark spirit cocktails to enjoy by the warmth of a fire. Things I look forward to every year.

Friend of the newsletter and co-author of the NA beer directory we published earlier in the year, Tyler McMahon, got in touch to let me know Dry Hop Fest is coming back again this year.

If you are in the Denver area on September 12th and want to try samples from over 30 non-alc beverage brands, this is where you need to be! More information here.

Have a great long weekend, and maybe try a non-alcoholic drink you haven’t tried before.

Then let me know what you think of it!

Cheers,

Myles

In last week’s issue (MODSUB146), Liquorice, Pine and All Things Fine, this link got the most attention.

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

BEER
Roadie - Special Light Brew

WINE
Solubrae - Sundown

Read time: 4 minutes 50 seconds

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NORTH AMERICA

COCKTAIL: Just in time for the colder weather, which has arrived annoyingly early in Oregon, is Hiyo’s new limited-edition seasonal Apple Cinnamon. (Link)

BEER: Hitting the shelves as I type is Sam Adams’ new non-alcoholic Oktoberfest. (Link)

BEER: You can now get Bero’s Kingston Golden Pils in a rather handsome bottle. (Link)

BEER

ModSub thoughts: I remember a time when I first moved here to the U.S. in the mid-nineties. I went fly-fishing with a guy who I had recently met through the family I was staying with. I was new to the country and knew barely anyone, and I enjoyed his company. Halfway up into the mountains, he reached back and grabbed a couple of beers, and we enjoyed a “Bud” as we headed to the river. I’m pretty sure we did the same thing on the way back. To this day, I remember the thoughts that were running through my mind as we took the winding curves up into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains—this is a bad idea; we shouldn’t be doing this.

Thankfully, nothing came of it. Nor the other infrequent times I pushed the limits. No crashes, no injuries, no hospital visits. But it still took me a few more of my younger years to take it all seriously, until finally it became a non-negotiable. That was all a very long time ago.

So when a six-pack of Roadie Super Light Brew showed up on my doorstep, I won’t lie, I wasn’t sure how I felt. This was an alcohol-free beer for driving? Is that okay? Some would say yes and some would emphatically say no. But the email that accompanied the package from Jon over at Roadie placed the beer in a completely different light: “It is built around the ritual of opening a cold brew when alcohol does not belong: the drive home, the road trip, the summer cooler, or for someone who wants something more interesting than water.”

Super Light Brew has zero alcohol. Not 0.5%. Zero. So why shouldn’t you have a beer with no alcohol on the drive home? It still doesn’t feel quite right typing those words, but for the life of me, I’m struggling to see why not. And of course, there is a little tongue-in-cheek humour going on here from Roadie, not to mention there’s a whole car culture thing surrounding the beer that I haven’t got into.

The beer, though, is as intriguing as the marketing, and it too will divide opinions. The flavour leans towards the malts initially before grapefruit kicks in, followed by a mildly bitter aftertaste. Somewhere in there is an almost candied floral sweetness that I’m darned if I can figure out. Initially, it’ll throw you, but half a can later you’ll likely not even notice. There are times when it seems to sway somewhere between a lager and a hop water, showing characteristics of both, yet neither quite interested in taking the lead.

I’m giving Roadie Super Light Brew a thumbs up, but never has a new beer given me so much to think about.

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WINE

ModSub thoughts: I sat down yesterday evening with the family to enjoy one of the few remaining outdoor summer dinners. I popped the cork on a bottle of Sundown rosé from Solubrae to accompany a bowl of orecchiette pomodoro that ModSub Jnr has been perfecting over the course of the spring and summer. It’s lovely when the kiddo starts cooking for you!

Solubrae announced its arrival earlier this year, debuting two wines—Daylight, a Pinot Grigio, and Sundown, a blend of Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir sourced from California vineyards. The wine company was founded by TV actors Patricia Heaton and her husband, David Hunt. Its name comes from the word “salubrious,” with a little spin on the spelling to incorporate the Spanish word for sun.

Sundown is delightfully dry, and its acidity is lively while never overexerting itself. Berries are prominent on the palate, with hints of peach and melon peeking through. It’s a pale light-bodied rosé carrying an impressive weight of magnificent fruit flavors. Don't be surprised if it catches you a little off guard. 

With Double Golds at the recent International Non-Alcoholic Competition and Zero Proof Choice Awards, Sundown is a rosé earning well-deserved attention.

Not too shabby for a debut release.

EXTRA READS

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