NA Road Tripping

MODSUB94

Wotcha!

This week, we are stripping down the newsletter to just recap my recent family road trip through California and share how I discover new (and old) non-alcoholic drinks while traveling.

Hopefully, you’ll come away with a few ideas for finding great NA options on your own adventures.

Cheers, Myles

P.S. What’s one thing you do to make sure you have good NA drinks on your trips?

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BAY AREA

Supermarket Foraging

To understand how passionate I am about non-alcoholic drinks, you just need to know one thing: If I spot a supermarket in a town or city I’ve never been to before, I’m checking it out for new NA treasures.

So, on my first night in the Bay Area, I found myself wandering around a Draeger’s in Los Altos, seeing what I could find. Quick aside—good God, stores make it difficult to find these drinks sometimes. The beer aisle was five aisles away from the wine and spirits aisle. Why?

Anyway, after multiple laps around the store, I found a prize in the beer cooler: 6-packs of Fort Point Beer Company’s KSA Kölsch and Villager IPA. I went with the Kölsch—a perfect beer after a long day of travel. Golden pour, biscuity malts, floral throughout with just a hint of bitterness. If the beer doesn’t wow you, the beautiful can design will. Off to a cracking start.

If you’re up in the Bay Area, go visit the brewery—either in the Mission, down by the ferry terminal near the Bay Bridge, or at their Presidio Pop-Up.

For more information on Fort Point Beer Company click here

TIP: Look for mid-to-higher end supermarkets that will stock NA beers from local breweries. They’ll also likely have a more interesting selection of NA cocktails and wine.

BAY AREA

Fieldwork’s Backyard

I only had a couple of must-do’s on this road trip—everything else was about discovering what we’d stumble upon as we made our way down the coast. That said, one of the things I really wanted to do was visit a Fieldwork Brewing Company taproom.

Our route took us south from SFO right away, and since most of Fieldwork’s locations are farther north, my best option was the Fieldwork Beer Garden in Monterey. True to its name, it’s an outdoor space attached to a coffee shop, with a bar built into a shipping container.

The bartender was super friendly, and—most importantly—I got to enjoy some of my favorite NA beers, Headliner and Day Money, in their backyard instead of mine. If you haven’t checked out their beers yet, make it a priority. They’re the best.

For more information on Fieldwork Brewing Company click here

TIP: To find breweries and taprooms across the country, check out Reducaholic’s non-alcoholic beer map

CENTRAL COAST

Friday Night De-Lights

Why is it that finding a parking spot—when you're desperate for a toilet in a town you've never visited before—is sometimes so flipping hard?

Now try adding in a Friday night farmer’s market, where it seems like everyone and their aunt has come into town for the evening.

Despite the comedy, desperation and indecision of the moment—my family finding the whole experience wildly amusing—eventual relief was found.

As a reward, we took a lap around the market to see what was on offer. Wouldn’t you know it: Tucked in the corner was a trailer from a local company called Yes Cocktail Company.

To be fair, it wasn’t the only cocktail vendor at the market—but it was the only one offering a non-alcoholic aperitif.

I was lucky enough to get a taste of their Amarø, and it was top-notch. I’d love to expand on the flavor, but I was caught up in a quick chat with Lauren, one of the founders, while enjoying the sample. So I didn’t take in as much as I should have. Still, I walked away with a smile on my face, especially when Lauren ducked under the counter to share a sneak peek of the non-alcoholic gin she and her husband are working on.

Check out Yes Cocktail Company if you’re ever passing through town—or find them online. It was a cracking road trip find!

For more information on Yes Cocktail Company click here

CENTRAL COAST

20 Minutes Late for 805

As we headed out of Paso Robles and down Highway 101 toward our next hotel in San Luis Obispo, we passed the 805 Brewery on our right.

“Oooo!” I blurted out, shooting a side glance at Mrs. ModSub in the passenger seat. She knew immediately. “You may as well—you’re here,” she replied, and we were on the next exit ramp in a flash.

Sadly, it was 6:20 p.m., and with no taproom on site, I had missed my opportunity to sample 8-ZERO-5, the brewery’s non-alc version of their flagship blonde ale. It wasn’t meant to be. They did have a cool truck outside, though!

Have any of you had 8-ZERO-5? Any good?

For more information on 805 Beer Company click here

TIP: To find breweries and taprooms across the country, check out Reducaholic’s non-alcoholic beer map

CENTRAL COAST

Lumanai

Speaking of stumbling across drinks at markets, we found ourselves wandering around State Street in Santa Barbara on a Saturday afternoon and came across a stall selling Kava drinks from Lumanai.

Unfortunately, it was late in the day and the market was closing, but I managed to snag a Ginger Honey Lemon and a Raspberry Orange Spice. Both were great—though I particularly liked the Raspberry Orange Spice, the earthy Kava flavor ever-present though embraced by the tamed sweetness of the fruit. 

Based out of Las Vegas but also available around the LA area, these are well worth picking up if you come across them.

For more information on Lumanai click here

LOS ANGELES

Coffee with Sam Bail (Third Place Bar - NYC)

An unexpected highlight of this road trip was grabbing a coffee with Sam Bail, founder of Third Place Bar in NYC. Sam happened to be in LA for the week, and it was a treat to meet in person and talk shop for an hour or so.

Her pop-up bar and mixology classes have become a big draw in New York. If you’re heading to the city, be sure to check her calendar for upcoming events. Sam is also one of the MCs for the upcoming Zero Proof Choice Awards and writes an excellent newsletter called The Anti-Hangover Drinking Club.

LOS ANGELES

Erewhon

If you’ve never been to an Erewhon, it’s an experience worth your time. Just be warned—it’s easy to get overstimulated, and even easier to drop a boatload of cash. Their breakfast deli alone was better than most restaurants I’ve had the misfortune of lining up for on weekends. The stores aren’t that big, but you can easily spend an hour wandering up and down the aisles, as if wiling away a morning in a culinary art museum.

When I visited the Culver City location last year, I walked away with an armful of NA drinks—most of which I’d never heard of. This year, I stopped by the Grove location in downtown LA, and the selection felt completely different. It was interesting to see what a high-end grocery store curates. There were some excellent choices, some that left me scratching my head, and a handful I hadn’t seen before. That’s not meant as a judgment—it just always intrigues me to see what stores choose to stock when space is limited.

I left the store with a fabulous breakfast sandwich, a lager from Malibu’s Rancho West, and a canned wine by Domaine de Brau called Cypher, from France. The sandwich was vacuumed down within a minute; the two drinks I’ll bring you in the coming weeks.

For more information on Erewhon, click here
For more information on Domaine de Brau, click here
For more information on Rancho West, click here

SAN DIEGO

Crodino at Osteria Panevino

Here’s a quick tip you may or may not know about ordering NA drinks at restaurants: always ask what non-alcoholic options they have—don’t rely on the menu.

Usually, you’ll get a response like, “Well, we have Heineken 0.0, or we have Pepsi products,” etc., etc.—or some variation on that theme. But sometimes, if you politely push a little further, you’ll be rewarded.

At Osteria Panevino on 5th Street in San Diego, that’s exactly what happened. I asked the question, got the usual reply, and was about to order my default Arnold Palmer when a thought popped into my head:

“Do you have Crodino?”

The restaurant was busy, and the manager had jumped on the floor to help. Her eyes lit up. “We do! I keep it in the back for the Italians on my staff. How do you know about that drink?”

I explained that I write this newsletter. She told me she was working on a non-alcoholic menu for the restaurant but hadn’t quite finished it yet. Seeing my excitement—I love love love Crodino—she offered it on the rocks or with non-alcoholic sparkling wine, à la Aperol Spritz.

“What non-alcoholic sparkling wine do you have?” I asked.

“Mionetto.”

The heavens opened up. The angels came down. And my daughter looked at the ridiculous grin on my face and thought: dork.

So here are three takeaways:

1. Ask what NA drinks the restaurant has. Always.

2. If you’re in an Italian restaurant, ask if they have Crodino. There’s been a massive nationwide distribution push for this little golden aperitivo, and they might just have a bottle stashed away—unaware the public even wants it.

3. If you’re in San Diego, go visit Osteria Panevino for some fabulous Tuscan-style Italian food. And if you see Gioia he manager, tell her I still have that smile on my face.

For more information on Osteria Panevino, click here
For more information on Crodino, click here
For more information on Mionetto, click here

TIP: To find bars and restaurants across the country that serve non-alcoholic drinks check out the Buzzcutt app (Apple and Android)

SAN DIEGO

Visiting Monday Morning AF Bottle Shop

My number one goal on this road trip—at least in terms of non-alcoholic drinks—was to visit Monday Morning AF. The owner, Zane Curtis, was an early reader of this newsletter, and I was one of a handful of people he reached out to while curating the store’s inventory.

The first of its kind in San Diego, Zane has created not just a non-alcoholic bottle shop in Monday Morning, but a destination for mindful drinking—a place where the expectation isn’t simply to pick out your products and leave.

It’s a place where you can hang out, knock out a few emails, attend a tasting event featuring a DJ or local artist, or sit at the bar and enjoy a few drinks. It’s a place to relax and be inspired. It’s bright, modern, and immediately welcoming—and that’s before I even get to the Kava slushy machine. Yep, a slushy machine with Kava Haven as the main ingredient. Don’t leave without trying one!

Beyond the store, Zane is also working with local restaurants to design non-alcoholic drink menus—a smart business move for him—and a huge win for people like us who are looking for more inclusive options when dining out. His enthusiasm and energy for the industry seem boundless, and his future plans make me wonder if he realizes there are only 24 hours in a day.

So, if you do nothing else the next time you’re in San Diego, make sure to visit Monday Morning AF. It’s a glimpse of the future.

For more information on Monday Morning AF, click here

TIP: To find NA bottle shops and alcohol-free bars across the country, and across the world, check out Zero Proof Nation’s Global Map

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