Ancestral Wisdom for the Mind and Body

Wotcha!

Happy New Year!

If I find myself at times irritated by the lack of effort so many establishments put into their non-alcoholic drink menus—often forcing me to take matters into my own hands—it’s also important to give credit where credit is due.

Last night, I celebrated an anniversary at the Horse Brass Pub in SE Portland with the ModSub family. The pub has been a stalwart of the Portland bar scene since 1976. There’s no shortage of English pub knock-offs here in the States, but none I’ve visited pull it off with quite the same old-school authenticity as the Horse Brass.

Walking in last night, I was confident they’d have a couple of NA beers on hand, given the usual depth of their beer menu. What I wasn’t expecting was an entire section of the menu dedicated to non-alcoholic drinks and not just beers I was so excited I ended up thanking our server the moment he arrived at the table, with a level of enthusiastic delivery that clearly took him aback.

So, if you find yourself in Portland anytime soon and don’t want to risk an unimaginative Heineken 0.0 being your only option, head over to the Horse Brass on SE Belmont. You may even meet the person you later marry there too!

Anyway, as always — enjoy some great drinks this week.

Myles

In this week’s edition:

NAN
NA Drink News

FUNCTIONAL
RIVR - Adventure and Serene

ITALIAN SODA
San Pellegrino - Chinò

Read time: 6 minutes 7 seconds

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New Non-Alcoholic Drink News

NORTH AMERICA

WINE: California’s O’Neill Vintners & Distillers launch three functional, verjus-based wines. (Link)

BEER: Cigarmakers and mental health advocates League of Fat Bastards debut two beers as part of a new non-alc line designed to accompany their stogies. (Link)

BEER: Off Road Non-Alcoholic Pale Ale is the latest NA offering from Arizona’s Mother Road Brewing Company. (Link)

BEER: Michigan’s Eastern Market Brewing Company expands its NA line-up with Dad Bod Hazy IPA. Also, look out for a new line of sours coming later this year. (Link)

BEER: Dry January sees the release of Michelob ULTRA Lime Zero. (Link)

BEER: New York’s Good Time Brewing adds Wheat to its line-up. (Link)

WORLDWIDE

BEER: Over in the UK, Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone has launched Hawkstone Lager Zero. (Link)

FUNCTIONAL

ModSub’s thoughts: I’ve sat on this for months. Not because I don’t like RIVR’s three drinks—I very much do—but because I struggled to figure out how to write about them. Five hundred to seven hundred words—the usual space I dedicate to each drink—felt far too restrictive given the subject matter. It simply isn’t enough room to adequately describe the centuries of struggle and subsequent resilience of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians who produce RIVR. Not mentioning it at all would feel unforgivable. So instead, I’ll link to this piece, which provides a far richer and more thoughtful background on the tribe’s history than I ever could.

RIVR comes in three flavors: Raspberry Hibiscus (Adventure), Mango Passionfruit (Adventure), and Blackberry Lavender (Serene). All three contain 5mg of hemp-derived THC and a blend of functional mushrooms—Ashwagandha, Lion’s Mane, and Reishi—delivered in tea form. Adventure utilises yerba mate, while Serene uses hibiscus tea as its base. It’s this use of tea as the delivery method that made me fall in love with these drinks. Don’t get me wrong, I love a bit of fizz, but RIVR’s teas are something special and provide the perfect vehicle to set them apart from their carbonated competition.

Beyond the excellent flavors, it’s the science behind the drinks that’s truly intriguing. In their words, “RIVR is less about getting high, and more about tuning the system—mentally, physically, and physiologically.” They achieve this by carefully balancing low-dose THC with functional mushrooms, ensuring that neither the herb nor the fungi dominate. The result is a drink deeply rooted in ancestral wisdom, bridging mind, body, and land. The formulations draw on remedies and health benefits passed down through generations.

As I’ve gotten older, the tug-of-war between staying on the couch and heading out for the evening has become increasingly difficult. Adventure has been just the tonic I’ve needed to get me in the mood to socialise and engage with my community. On other days, when a good night’s sleep has been hard to come by, Serene has helped deliver a calm, relaxed, and genuinely restful night.

And if those aren’t two worthy reasons to check out RIVR, well then I don’t know what are. Go check ’em out—I’m pretty sure you’ll be glad you did.

How RIVR describes Mango Passionfruit Yerba Mate: Uplift the mind, energize the body, and soar. The tropical flavors of mango, passion fruit, guava, and orange deliver a refreshing and invigorating taste, inspired by ancient flavors from around the world.

How RIVR describes Raspberry Hibiscus Yerba Mate: Uplift the mind, energize the body, and soar. The bright, tart flavors of raspberry and hibiscus, complemented by hints of blackberry and lemon with a subtle sweetness of agave nectar infuse each sip with the vitality of the land.

How RIVR describes Blackberry Lavender Tea: Free the mind, nourish the body, and float. Enjoy the harmonious blend of blackberry, lavender and prickly pear with the subtle sweetness of agave nectar.

ITALIAN SODA

ModSub’s thoughts: It’s a rare day that I come out of my local high-end specialty food store without something new and interesting to drink. To be fair, it’s also a rare day that I actually go in at all—but when I do, it’s always chock-full of treats to be savoured. A few weeks back, I emerged with a traditional English Christmas pudding and a bottle of Chinò from San Pellegrino.

Long-time readers will know I’m a sucker for a small Italian bottle with barely a label to inform you of its contents. I’ve yet to meet one I haven’t adored. Chinottos, though—they’re the ones that really get me excited. Finding one I hadn’t tried before felt like an early Christmas gift. So there was no question about slipping that imported San Pellegrino Chinò into my basket as I headed for the cash register. Buon Natale to me!

The world-famous Bergamo beverage company first launched Chinò back in 1950. Chinottos, made from the small orange chinotto fruit, are often lumped in with colas. To be fair, visually there’s not a lot to separate them—but one sip of a Chinotto and the difference is clear. Where cola leans into sugary caramel sweetness, Chinottos proudly show off their herbal, tannic bitterness, alongside deep orange citrus and, in this case, a blend of 20 different herbs.

Many of the most intriguing non-alcoholic spirits we see today—and the cocktails made from them—share these same qualities, born from arranging fruits, botanicals, and herbs into something that truly wows an adult palate. And yet these little Italian bottled beauties weren’t part of a mindful-drinking movement ahead of their time; they were, and still are, simply part of everyday Italian life. Strange, then, that these fabulous bitter “sodas” aren’t more popular over here. For me, it’s one of Italy’s best-kept secrets. Perhaps it’s time that changed.

That Christmas pud? Still sitting in my fridge.
The Chinò? Long gone.

How San Pellegrino describes Chinò: A true ‘cult drink’, Sanpellegrino Chinotto is a beverage with a taste that is entirely its own. Born in the ‘50s, Chinotto is made from extracts of zesty sun-ripened chinotto oranges that get their distinct flavour from the unique conditions of the Mediterranean land. A deep brown colour with a light carbonation that rolls off the tongue, every sip is a journey to the south of Italy with the iconic Chinotto. It is full of the exquisite aroma from chinotto essential oils that plays joyfully with the scent of orange blossom flowers, whilst its full-bodied taste balances sweet and bitter with smooth hints of cinnamon and rhubarb between the mix of 20 different herbs.

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