It's All About the People. Right?

Wotcha!

Two things to put to put on your radar:

Cheers,

Myles

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

BEER
Go Brewing - Salty AF Chelada

COCKTAIL
Free AF - Espresso Martini

Read time: 6 minutes 13 seconds

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WINE: By the time you read this, Lyre’s will have launched its new Premium Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Rosé in a can. (Link)

COCKTAIL: Now available in Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and the UK: Le Tribute’s Non-Alcoholic Bitter Aperitivo. (Link)

WINE: Three new wines aimed at luxury hospitality from start-up Vinoera in England: Fresh & Fruity Red Wine, Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc and Sparkling Rosé Provence Style. (Link)

BEER

ModSub thoughts: Despite being an avid football (soccer) fan since going to my first game with my dad and granddad at the age of five, I’ve only been to one World Cup. That was back in 2014, when Brazil hosted the tournament. It was an extraordinary experience—not just because of the football, the stadiums like the Maracanã, or the warmth of the Brazilian people, but because of the international celebration that brought together people from all around the world and the time spent with fans in all colours of shirts. There really is nothing quite like it.

So much so that my strongest memories of that trip aren’t about 22 players, a green field, and a mostly white ball. They’re of the people who came to the tournament: singing songs with Chileans on their way to beating the reigning European champions, Spain; watching Brazil play on a big screen with locals on Copacabana Beach; and taking a 10-hour round-trip minibus ride to Natal with 10 strangers we'd met on a soccer forum just months before.

But perhaps the highlight was a soaking-wet afternoon spent in a roadside café in Recife awaiting the Mexico v Croatia kick-off. The rain was pelting down, to the point where it was unclear whether the game would even proceed. The flooding was that bad. Crammed into the café were six of us English lads and what felt like hundreds of Mexican fans. Despite the torrential weather, they were in a jovial mood, singing songs, laughing and joking, and sharing bottles of tequila and snacks from their homeland with us.

Their generosity and hospitality that day is still something that comes up when we reminisce about that World Cup adventure. They could have ignored us, but instead they welcomed us as their own. And that’s what it’s all about. The football is just the sideshow.

So, as Mexico kick off World Cup 2026 today against South Africa, I’m going to raise a glass to those lovely Mexicans who took the time to make us feel welcome. For true continuity, I should have opened an NA Mexican beer for this toast, but I had a can of Salty AF Chelada from Go Brewing in the fridge and opted for that instead.

Lime, salt, and beer make a wonderful combination when the occasion calls for it, and this tasty number from Go Brewing does not disappoint. The lime has quite the tang, the salt brings its unique minerality, and the lager—while dominated by the other two flavours—is exactly the thirst-quencher you’d hope for. A perfect choice to kick off the tournament.

Here’s to Mexico going far in the competition. I’ll be rooting for them—unless, of course, they face England. In which case, all bets are off.

How Go Brewing describes Salty AF Chelada: Light, clean, and endlessly crushable, Salty AF Chelada is the go-to choice for those who love bold flavor without the booze. The hit of salt enhances every sip, making it the perfect companion for warm days, good vibes, and your favorite meals. Whether you're kicking back on the beach, celebrating a win, or just looking for something wildly refreshing, this brew is built to deliver.

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COCKTAIL

ModSub thoughts: I didn’t shake it hard enough, apparently.

I had just watched a Johnny Drinks YouTube video about the reasons people make their Espresso Martinis wrong. I was watching mainly because I needed to remind myself what goes into the regular, fully leaded coffee cocktail. The pair of mixologists were complaining about the lack of a creamy head on one of their knowingly failed attempts. I looked over at mine—I hadn’t shaken it hard enough. Damn, I need to try it again.

I would have guessed the roots of the Espresso Martini came from a 1950s Italian hotel bar, where a James Bond-type character slides onto a stool next to a diamond-clad, Sophia Loren-type woman. She feigns disinterest until she hears him say to the barman, “A martini, please, and a shot of espresso.” The barman pauses, looks him in the eye, thinks for a second, and answers, “Coming right up, sir.”

But my imagination is off by 30-odd years. The original cocktail was created by Dick Bradsell at his bar, the Soho Brasserie, in the 1980s. According to his daughter, Bea, a young model came in and asked her father for a cocktail that would “wake me up, and **** me up.” At the time, the bar had just invested in some new illy coffee machines. So Bradsell mixed fresh, yet cooled, espresso, vodka, and coffee liqueur and came up with the Vodka Espresso, poured over ice.

Over the years, the cocktail evolved, with variations on the recipe popping up in bars across the world. A decade later, Bradsell started pouring the drink into a V-shaped martini glass and added the now-signature three coffee beans atop the froth to represent “health, wealth, and happiness.”

And so I find myself in the ModSub kitchen making my own non-alc version of the Espresso Martini from Free AF. To be fair, “making” it is a little bit of a stretch. It’s ready to drink, so all I’ve really done is pop the tab on the can and pour it into a shaker with some ice. But the ritual of the shaker is fun, as is the drink itself.

Obviously, coffee is the overriding flavour, but underneath there’s a hint of rum steering the drink towards a Kahlúa-like profile, and the cocktail’s sweetness reinforces that impression. The mouthfeel is relatively robust, especially if you shake it properly before serving!

As a non-alc version of this famous cocktail, Free AF’s Espresso Martini hits many of the right notes, though its sweetness means it appeals to me more as a dinner-party dessert cocktail. But who on earth doesn’t like dessert?!

Nice job, Free AF, for this RTD, and kudos to the late Dick Bradsell for thinking on his feet when that young model needed his help. Little did she know what she was helping to create!

How Free AF describes Espresso Martini: The original midnight wake-up call. Made with real coffee and Afterglow™ this can serves two: pour into a shaker with ice, shake hard, strain into two martini glasses. Marvel at that iconic foamy finish and top with three coffee beans.

EXTRA READS

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• Blog thumbnail photo credit: Willian Santos