The Little Red Drink from the Heart of the Alps

MODSUB#62

Wotcha!

Three things:

1. I hope you enjoyed your week, both those who were celebrating Thanksgiving and those further afield that weren’t.

2. NAN left me a note saying she’s taking the week off but she’ll be back next week with all the new drink news. Fair enough, she was looking a little tired.

3. I have had some lovely emails recently from a handful of you and I just want to let you know how much I appreciate the support. Thank you.

Enjoy!

Myles

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

APERITIVO
Lurisia - Aperitivo Analcolico

BEER
Runner’s High Brewing Company - Raspberry Wheat

BEER
Untitled Art - Chocolate Dark Brew

Read time: 5 mins 29 secs

NAN
New NA Drink News

APERITIVO

ModSub: I’m not going to lie—I’m a sucker for a small bottle of liquid with an Italian label on it. As long as I can figure out whether it has alcohol or not, it’s in my shopping basket faster than you can say Francesco Totti. So, when I spotted Lurisia’s Il Nostro Aperitivo Analcolico on the shelf of a local specialty food store, there were few hurdles in front of me. Basket, checkout, straight out the door.

Who knew such a small bottle could have such a fabulous backstory? Well, probably a lot of Italians, but I’m banking on the fact that many of you, like me, wouldn’t have. Around the turn of the last century, a miner wielding his pickaxe struck a vein in the rock one day and uncovered an unknown source of spring water. Word got around that the water had special healing properties—even receiving a thumbs-up from Marie Curie for its impressive qualities. It wasn’t long before the Lurisia Thermal Facility was founded, and the water was being bottled and shipped across the country, putting the northern Italian alpine town on the map forever.

Despite decades of success with bottled water, it wasn’t until 2009 when the company expanded its line to include soft drinks and aperitivos, using authentic recipes and natural ingredients from around the country. Among its soft drinks, Lurisia offers two aperitivos, but the one I have is “con assenzio maggiore Piemontese”—with Piedmontese great absinthe. It took me a while to figure this out, and I hope I have it correct. From what I understand, the key ingredient is great wormwood, which also happens to be one of the primary ingredients in absinthe.

Essentially, wormwood provides bitterness, though different varieties bring unique flavors to the table in various vermouths, aperitivos and amaros. While the sugar levels mean I probably wouldn’t drink this too often, it’s quite a treat. I was surprised it wasn’t more bitter, given that great wormwood is known for being intensely bitter, but it’s definitely present. The dominant sweetness is balanced by woody, herbaceous notes and a touch of menthol, making it more complex than you might expect. Its vibrant dark magenta hue comes from a blend of carrot and blackcurrant. It’s fun, and I like it a lot. It would be more fun sipping one of these by a fireside somewhere, après-ski in the Italian Alps.

So, a warm note of gratutide to that miner. Without him and his pickaxe, I wouldn’t be sipping this lovely little aperitivo in my kitchen, 5,500 miles away and a century and a quarter later. Grazie.

How does Lurisua describe their Aperitivo: It is the Piedmontese lands that give birth to our major absinthe, a plant with a characteristic bitter and decisive note. The full-bodied and bitter taste, with characteristic citrus notes, reveals the original taste of the traditional aperitif in an unprecedented key, all natural.

*The company doesn’t appear to have a direct online sales outlet. So I have linked to one company that does sell online. However you will likely find this aperitivo in Italian and specialty food stores.

BEER

ModSub: Runner’s High Brewery made its debut this past June at Atlanta’s Peachtree 10K road race with three beers: a Golden Wheat, a Raspberry Wheat and a Dark Chocolate. The brewery is owned by the Canadian cannabis company Tilray, which has been diversifying its portfolio over the past few years with the acquisition of 19 beverage companies, including Widmer Brothers, 10 Barrel Brewing, Redhook and Montauk Brewing Company.

If you hadn’t already guessed, the brewery aims to appeal to runners looking for healthier beer options. While this is a worthy goal, I can’t help but wonder if branding so heavily around running might feel a bit limiting—especially considering that many other NA breweries are frequently seen handing out beers at road races across the country. Still, there are smarter people than me in charge, and at the end of the day, who cares? It’s the beer that matters, right?

Now, onto the Raspberry Wheat I have in hand. Truth be told, I wasn’t convinced I’d like this beer. I love raspberry as a flavor, but it does have a tendency to elbow all the other ingredients out the way. I’d also be lying if the “raspberry jam” mentioned in the brewery’s description sounded overly sweet  and, frankly, less appealing to me. However, I was wrong on both counts. The recipe is far more balanced than I expected. There’s a nice touch of bread and banana in the mix that keeps the raspberry in check, and the sweetness is perfectly matched by a mild bitterness at the finish.

So yeah, if someone handed me one of these along with a medal at the end of a 10K race, they’d probably make me a lifelong fan.

How does Runner’s High describe their Raspberry Wheat: Bright Ruby Red with Off White to Very Slight Pink Head, Haze from American Wheat Base. Fully Ripe Raspberry, Raspberry Jam and Kush Terpenes. Refreshingly Crisp and Jammy with a Well-balanced Sweetness, Pleasant, Mildly Sweet Finish with Relatively Low Perceived Bitterness

BEER

ModSub: Talking about drinks you'd want to consume at this time of year, one of my favorite dark beers in the last couple of years has been Untitled Art’s Chocolate Dark Brew.

I read an Instagram comment the other day that went something along the lines of, “Yeah, I’ve been swapping out my beach beers for firepit beers.” I thought that was a great way to describe this time of year and the type of beers you're likely to reach for. The Chocolate Dark Brew is one such beer.

Up there with the best NA beers, period - never mind just stouts - the CDR is full-bodied with an unsurprisingly strong chocolate flavor, a malty foundation punctuated by refreshing carbonation, and rounded out nicely with a gentle bitterness to offset the sweetness from the chocolate.

For anyone of the dark beer persuasion, this one is a must. Lovely jubbly.

This recommendation was first published on December 9, 2023.

How does Untitled Art describe their Chocolate Dark Brew: All the rich chocolatey goodness of your favorite stout, now without the alcohol! Loads of dark malt and cacao nibs give this dark brew the smooth bitterness and luxurious body befitting a decadent liquid dessert! Our membrane filtration technology allows us to brew fully-fermented beer and gently remove the alcohol without losing the aromas and flavors of your favorite styles. All Flavor, No Alcohol!

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OTHER GOOD STUFF
Last Week’s Edition + Holiday Gift Ideas

Need some Holididay gift ideas? Here’s a whole bunch from two of the leading voices in the non-alc space: