NAN

Non-Alcoholic News my Nan would approve of!

• 🍹 COCKTAIL: Just in time for Dry January, Seedlip have announced a new spirit is coming our way. Look out for Notas de Agave next month. (link)

• 🍹 COCKTAIL: You’ll now be able to find all your favorite Ritual Zero Proof spirits in Walmart. (link)

• 🇮🇪 + 🇮🇹 FOOD: Treat yourself to a Guinness risotto this Holiday. Yes, you did read that correctly! Switch out the white wine with Verjus. (link)

ON THE BAR

In each edition of The Modern Substitute, ON THE BAR focuses on three drinks (although this time just the one) you should be on the look out for. We’ll give you a quick rundown of our thoughts on the drink, who makes it, where to buy it or, in the case of mocktails, how to make it.

Please note: due to popularity or limited runs, some drinks may be out of stock - please check with the beverage companies for updates.

FAIRYTALE OF DUBLIN - PART 1

Christmas Eve and The Black Stuff

• Guinness 0

• Dublin, Ireland

• Calories: 57

• Serving: 12 fl.oz.

• ABV: 0.5%

• Buy: Store Locator • Widely available online

• Price: $8.99 - $9.99 (4-pack)

The ModSub thoughts: I’m sitting in my kitchen drinking a Guinness 0 and I’m taken back thirty years to the times I celebrated the Holidays in Dublin. 

Witnessing Christmas Eve in the local pubs across Ireland is perhaps one of the most wonderfully joyful occasions there are. For a nation with citizens scattered worldwide, it's this festive season that draws them back to family and friends.

For sure, you could argue that every country experiences the same thing but in Ireland there's a special magic in the air during this season. Local pubs are packed. The bars overflowing with patrons four to five rows deep and a seat at table something akin to a small lottery win. 

Twenty, thirty, sometimes forty, half-poured pints of Guiness wait patiently on the bar for their customary top up before they are whisked back though the crowd of punters. 

There is an almost unspoken understanding among patrons of when to brave the crowd for the next round. A stealthy game of making sure there is always something in your glass. A tide of black velvet beers, Guinness and Beamish, and the odd whiskey or red lemonade for those that don’t like the black stuff.

Stand in a corner and watch the joy, the laughter, the tears, the singing, the embraces and you will witness the very essence of reunion. If you are ever lucky enough to be part of these celebrations, it will be a Christmas Eve you will never forget it. 

That was then though, and this is now. I have to say this can of Guinness 0 is just as satisfying as the original. The nitro widget delivers the customary smooth pitch-black pour, culminating in that iconic creamy white head.

Of all the NA beers I have tried, I’m not sure there is a brewery out there that has created an NA counterpart that so closely resembles the original. It really is quite an achievement.

Sláinte!

How Guinness describes 0: Guinness 0 boasts a beautifully smooth taste, perfectly balanced flavor, and unique dark color, similar to Guinness Draught, brewed to be non-alcoholic. The resulting product is a non-alcoholic stout that is unmistakably Guinness, inspired by the same dark, ruby red liquid and creamy head, hints of chocolate and coffee, smoothly balanced with bitter, sweet and roasted notes.

Learn more about Guinness 0 at: guiness.com

FAIRYTALE OF DUBLIN - PART 2

Suaimhneas síoría, Shane

Fair warning. The following is no longer about non-alcoholic drinks.

For a couple of years when I lived back in London, I was fortunate to spend time on the social periphery of The Pogues. A couple of birthday parties, backstage at a few shows, an evening out or two—always as a plus one—but they were heady times for an early twenties kid from the country, who was obsessed with music.

For many, the news of Shane MacGowan's death last month was a punch to the gut. Inevitable, of course, given his struggles, and much later than most expected, but a tough loss for anyone who loved his music.

In their heyday, The Pogues were untouchable. Their unique blend of traditional Irish music and punk ethos triumphantly set them apart from their peers. They could have you dancing one minute and crying to a ballad the next.

On December 10, 1990, the band did an extra Christmas show at the Electric Ballrom in Camden, London at the end of a long U.S. and European tour. By that stage, they were playing large theatres and arenas, so to see them back in a venue that held just 1500 people was special.

What made that night, though, was the joy of seeing Shane and Kirsty MacColl sing “Fairytale of New York” on stage to a crowd that sang every word back to them. We all have unforgettable moments in our lives, and that was one of mine.

So every Christmas Eve, I listen to that song, remember that night, and belt out the words to anyone who’ll listen and to no-one in particular. It’s the greatest Christmas song ever written, and you’ll never persuade me otherwise.

So here’s to Shane MacGowan, you were one of a kind. Suaimhneas síoría.

🎄 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 🎄