New Year, New Chapters

Plus a Glass and a Half is Just Enough

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MODSUB#68

Wotcha!

Thank you for all the support for the Substitute Without Sacrifice guide I published at the start of the new year. I hope you find the 50+ drink starter suggestions useful.

If you’ve been meaning to check it out but haven’t got around to it, head to the link at bottom of this email.

On to this week’s drinks …

Cheers,

Myles

P.S. It’s been a while since I covered any NA beers. If you were wondering if I was every going to cover them again, rest assured they’ll be a couple in next week’s issue.

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

SPIRIT
Wilderton Aperitivo Co. - Citrus Aperitivo

WINE
Just Enough Wines - Brut Bubbles and Pinot Noir

Read time: 5 minutes 55 seconds

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NAN
New NA Drink News

NORTH AMERICA

• WINE: Australian non-alcoholic wine company, Not Guilty, now have distribution in Canada for their collection of four award-winning wines. Fabulous labels too! (Link)

• COCKTAIL: Functional cocktail company, Peak Cocktails have just launched their fourth flavor: Lemon Juniper Fizz is out now. (Link)

• BEER: The folks over at Go Brewing have made their monthly beer club all the more enticing with the membership-only release of Manana Banana Pancake Stout. Get over to their site to get yours. (Link)

• WINE: The impressive Saint Viviana wine collection has recently expanded with the new release of their Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Chardonnay in an 8.4 fl.oz. can. (Link)

• WINE ALTERNATIVE: Talking of cans, Töst Beverages announced their Töst and Töst Rosé are now available in the aluminium format. (Link)

• COCKTAIL: Last, but by no means least, the Pineapple Paloma is the new flavor from Mingle Mocktails. (Link)

WORLDWIDE

WINE ALTERNATIVE: Anne-Sophie Pic, the most Michelin starred woman in history, has teamed up with Muri to produce Uzume. (Link)

SPIRITS

Origin: Oregon
Calories: 40
Sugar: 9g

Serving: 25.4 fl.oz. / 750 ml
ABV: 0%
Price: $36.99 (1)

ModSub: I can’t believe it’s been 13 months since I wrote about Wilderton’s Earthen—still one of the most unique non-alcoholic spirits I’ve ever tried. Along with The Pathfinder, it has probably been the most permanent resident in my bar. Sadly, no longer, as the Hood River-based company has discontinued both Earthen and its sibling, Lustre. That’s the bad news.

The good news? Amid a complete brand overhaul toward the end of last year, Wilderton is now Wilderton Aperitivo Company. While it has let go of two spirits, it has held onto and fully backed its third—Bittersweet Aperitivo. More on that bitter beauty another time, because along with the shuffle and the gorgeous new labels came a fourth release—Citrus. And, all regional biases aside, I’m very excited about this one.

Neat
While most will likely prefer to enjoy Citrus in cocktail form, I’ve got to say it’s an absolute treat straight out of the bottle. Unlike Bittersweet, the bitterness is toned down considerably, leaving a sweet layer of citrus fruits (orange, lemon, tangerine and yuzu) atop a botanical base. The flavors perfectly complement each other, with neither taking the lead or fading into the background. It’s been at least two decades since I tried the French aperitif Suze, but Citrus reminds me of it, with the fruits replacing floral notes.

Winter Spritz
You may recall me mentioning this cocktail during the holiday season. I described it as “a bittersweet festive flourish for the senses, and one to keep up your sleeve when you want to impress guests.” Two weeks later, I still can’t stop thinking about it. The tartness of the cranberry adds a touch of sourness to the drink, which is balanced perfectly by its distinct sweetness. As the holidays hit the rearview mirror, this one really should be on your end-of-year menus for next year. 

Dirty Spritz
This one, though, takes the gold medal. The bright and zesty tartness of lemon juice, the salty tang of olive brine, the sweet citrus, herbs, roots and spices of Citrus—all topped off and enhanced by bubbly tonic water. That’s a lot to take in whether you are reading this or actually sipping the drink. Regardless, it’s phenomenal. I can’t see how this could be out of place in any decent cocktail bar in the country.

While Bittersweet might test your tolerance for bitterness, Citrus strikes a more approachable balance. Sip it neat or play around with cocktail recipes—this is one to come back to again and again.

How does Wilderton Aperitivo describe their Citrus Aperitivo: Lemon, yuzu, and blood orange combine with fruity undertones and a hint of saffron. Vibrant and refreshing with a crisp finish.

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WINE

Origin: California
Calories: 30/25
Sugar: 3g/3g

Size: 8.5 fl.oz.
ABV: 0.5%
Price: $48/$51 (6)

ModSub: One unexpected by-product of not drinking alcohol anymore is that my desire to consume vast amounts of liquid in an evening has considerably diminished. At the height of my COVID bender, I could pack away quite a fair few drinks of a night. Now, I’m content with just one—maybe two on the weekend. That’s no reflection on the drinks themselves—quite the contrary. I actually think I savor and enjoy these drinks far more. It’s the taste that counts now, not the buzz.

When I read about why Jessica Hershfield and Kaitlyn Lo started Just Enough Wines, it resonated with me. Their canned wine company was born out of frustration with the size of the bottles their favorite wines came in. The problem wasn’t the wine itself but finding themselves either drinking too much or leaving an open bottle, forgetting about it, and wasting it. What they wanted was a single-serve premium-quality wine but they just couldn’t find one.

So, in 2020, the two graduate school friends launched Just Enough Wines, bypassing traditional bottles and focusing solely on 8.5 fl.oz. cans. Within two years, they had released six wines produced from grapes grown across California’s central coast. Since then, the company has gone from strength to strength—even landing a spot on the menu of United Airlines flights.

What I haven’t mentioned until now is that none of their wines were non-alcoholic. That changed last month when they launched non-alcoholic versions of two of their original wines: Brut Bubbles and Pinot Noir.

A strong aroma of pear greets you the moment you pull the tab on the Brut Bubbles. With Chardonnay at its core, it’s green apple that dominates the flavor profile. The dry, deep flavor is reminiscent of baked apples, with a tartness that doesn’t overpower the faint sweetness of the fruit. There’s a lively acidity on the finish that will wake you from any daydreams of Grandma’s warm kitchen and her apple pie. Two thumbs up from me—I really liked it.

Light-bodied and dry, the Pinot Noir was also a pleasant surprise. Non-alcoholic red wine, often the straggler in the race for like-for-like drinks, is still the most criticized. Few NA red wines escape extreme viewpoints on either end of the spectrum. Still, I’ll stick my neck out and say that Just Enough’s Pinot Noir is really very good. The dark, jammy fruits are met with an earthiness that steers clear of the dreaded “this is just grape juice” label, producing a reserved, and ultimately welcome, complexity. 

I rarely, if ever, reach for a glass of wine as my “one” drink of the evening, but in the last six months, I’ve been more keen to seek them out to accompany a good meal. I think you’ll find both of these options to be really rather lovely for that purpose. For those of you who look to that one glass of wine in the evening, you can let me know whether it checks that box. 

How does Just Enough Wines describe:

Brut Bubbles: Bright and refreshing, our 2023 Non-Alcoholic Brut Bubbles hails from the Central Coast of California, offering a delightful alternative for any occasion. This non-alcoholic wine bursts with notes of ripe pear, crisp Granny Smith apple, and zesty lemon tart, perfectly balanced by a lively acidity on the finish. Versatile and vibrant, it’s an ideal choice for crafting mocktails, non-alcoholic spritzes, or enjoying on its own.

Pinot Noir: Our 2023 Non-Alcoholic Pinot Noir hails from the Central Coast of California. On the palate, our Non-Alc Pinot Noir has enticing notes of cranberry, mixed berry jam, and fresh figs. Refreshing and easy to drink, this non-alcoholic wine is the perfect companion with food or alongside your next adventure.

READS + LISTENS
Last Week’s Edition + Other Suggestions

Last week’s newsletter.

Free resource for those of you who are at the beginning of your journey of exploring non-alc drinks but aren’t sure where to start.

Here’s a new ad from the folks over at St. Agrestis.

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