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Wotcha!

Sam Bail over at Third Place Bar recently posted this on Threads: “Hot take: if a bar doesn’t have a solid NA program, it doesn’t deserve a spot on a ‘50 Best Bars’–type list.”

She got the kind of responses you might expect from social media—some angry, some supportive. But one person suggested she simply start her own award for the best bars in NYC for non-alcoholic drinks.

So she has! Nominations for NYC’s Best Bars for NA Awards 2025 are open until December 28 using this online nomination form. Check out the judging critera here.

So if you have a favorite bar in NYC that serves fabulous non-alcoholic drinks then please nominate them!

Winners will be announced on January 5th. What a cool guide this will be for next time we visit The Big Apple.

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

Myles

P.S. I’ve just thought of another perfect Christmas gift I should have included in the Holiday Gift Guide last week—check below for Sylva’s Paduk, available from this week’s sponsor.

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

WINE ALTERNATIVE
Norïe - Heart of Gold
Norïe - Red Rose Whisper

BEER
Best Day Brewing - Dark Diamond

EXTRA READS
2025 ModSub Holiday Gift Guide

Read time: 5 minutes 10 seconds

From this week’s sponsor: The Zero Proof

The Zero Proof has recently launched a limited supply of Sylva Paduk to US and Canadian customers.

Sylva, founded by former Seedlip founder, Ben Branson, is one of the few non-alc spirits worth drinking neat and is made from British fruit wood and malted barley. It’s fruit-forward with gentle smoke, made to sip slowly over ice (or mixed with soda).

There is a very limited supply of Sylva left, so get yours while you can at www.thezeroproof.com.

Thank you for supporting our sponsors who in turn support this newsletter.

New Non-Alcoholic Drink News

NORTH AMERICA

BEER: Finally, someone has put out a non-alcoholic holiday beer—yippee! Except that no sooner had Athletic Brewing’s Winter Wonder launched than it sold out almost immediately. Here’s hoping they already have a new batch in the works. Otherwise, bah humbug! (Link)

BEER: Wisconsin’s Stevens Point Brewery has debuted its first two NA beers—Amber and SnowPilot. (Link)

BEER: Staying in Wisconsin, Central Waters Brewing has an NA version of their Honey Blond Ale launching soon. (Link)

BEER: Philly residents can look forward to the brand-new Low Key Non-Alcoholic IPA from Love City Brewing. (Link)

WINE: Good lord—I thought this week’s NAN would be entirely new NA beers, but Lyre’s snuck in at the last minute with the announcement of a new Rosé to celebrate the holidays with. (Link)

WINE ALTERNATIVE

ModSub’s thoughts: One of the many wonderful things about non-alcoholic drinks is that there are no rules. Many non-alcoholic brands have leaned into the vast array of botanicals to conjure up flavors. Sylva experiments with wood, Little Saints with mushrooms and wood, and (parenthesis) embraces seaweed.

For Norïe, it’s flowers, more specifically fermented flowers. The New Jersey–based company came onto the scene at the beginning of the year, taking its place in the sparsely populated wine-alternative category. Using slow fermentation to experiment with and tweak flavors, the founders have mixed and matched their flowers with fruits, botanicals, and spices.

I’d been holding onto the Norïe trio for just the right moment, two of which popped up in the last few weeks. The first was a dinner party where I opened Red Rose Whisper to go with a chicken mole bowl with farro. Unquestionably floral on the nose, Red Rose Whisper leads with its namesake flower, a welcome flourish of cherry and stewed strawberry. Pomegranate adds a cranberry-like mix of tartness and bitterness while also contributing sweetness. The fermented milk thistle introduces an earthy, tea-like flavor. Citrus appears in the form of orange peel and Meyer lemon, along with a fleeting glimpse of vanilla. The combination of flavors is stunning. I don’t know how many iterations it took to arrive at this final recipe, but however long it took, it was time well spent.

A week or so later, Heart of Gold was the beverage guest of honor at Thanksgiving. It was served with a turkey roulade and all the usual festive sides and fixings. If Red Rose Whisper could be described as warm and comforting, Heart of Gold makes you sit up and pay attention. It’s immediately intriguing. A mix of honey, pears, apples, and a touch of pineapple from the honeysuckle and quince is enhanced by anise, celery, and a nutty spice from tarragon, calendula, and angelica root. It’s fruit-forward but in a delightfully awkward, earthy way. Don’t let the intrigue put you off—it’s undoubtedly a winner.

I still have Lots of Purple sitting on a shelf downstairs, patiently put aside for an end-of-year meal. Given what a hit both Red Rose Whisper and Heart of Gold proved to be with our dinner guests, I have no doubt it will live up to the standard set by its siblings. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: it’s an exciting time for those of us looking for alcohol alternatives.

How Norïe describes Heart of Gold: A delightfully eccentric sparkling drink with floral aromas and a tapestry of fresh, herbal, and subtly sweet flavors. This light and bright blend features fermented milk thistle, quince, honeysuckle, and balancing botanicals.

How Norïe describes Red Rose Whisper: A bold, romantic sparkling blend of opulent fermented flowers, bursting with deep notes of pomegranate, ripe plum, seamlessly intertwined with delicate floral notes.

BEER

ModSub’s thoughts: It’s always fun when a new drink falls into your lap when you least expect it. Yesterday, while I was wearing my real estate hat, I went to visit some clients who are planning to list their home early next year. As soon as I got in the door, the husband said, “Before we get into things, I’ve got something for you,” and 30 seconds later handed me a 6-pack box of the new limited-run Dark Diamond from Best Day Brewing.

My face lit up with excitement—I’ve been excited to try Dark Diamond since I reported on its release a few weeks back—but what my friend didn’t realize was that I had already planned to write about a different Best Day beer this week. It had been on the schedule for weeks. But that particular beer is going to have to take a back seat now that I’ve got my hands on these beauties. 

Despite being referred to as Mexican-style dark lagers, the roots of this style of beer trace back to 19th-century Austrian and German immigrants who brought Vienna lager and Dunkel brewing techniques to Mexico. The most famous example is, of course, Negra Modelo, who launched their own NA version—Modelo 0.0% Negra—earlier this summer.

Dark Diamond is the amber beer I’ve been waiting for. Lightly toasted malts, a hint of caramel and cocoa, and a smooth body from the corn, deliver an amber ale that’s anything but light on flavor. Leave the beer to stand for a few minutes so the carbonation settles and you can savour those malts to their fullest, until an easy bitterness takes you to the finish. It is, by any measure, an exquisitely tasty beer. 

Here’s hoping that Dark Diamond becomes a seasonal fixture on the holiday calendar at Best Day. Whether you’re fresh off the slopes, taking a breather while hiking, or just wanting a beer while the furnace kicks into gear after a long day at work, Dark Diamond has got your back, and then some.

How Best Day describes Dark Diamond: Best Day’s Dark Diamond is a rich, dark Mexican-style lager with smooth roasted malt character, a touch of cocoa, and a clean, crisp finish. Balanced and drinkable, this lager brings depth without heaviness. 

Previously on the ModSub: Best Day Brewing - West Coast IPA

2025 MODSUB GIFT GUIDE