The ModSub 2025 Holiday Gift Guide

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Wotcha!

Well, putting this guide together was harder than I thought. Firstly, because it’s the first one I’ve ever done and I didn’t know any better. Secondly, because there’s just so much to choose from!

I’ve written over 200 non-alcoholic drink recommendations, and any one of them could make a great gift. Tricky to choose a favorite amongst so many favorites.

So I decided to stay away from picking specific drinks—though, to be fair, a few have slipped in. Instead, I’ve pulled together some fun and varied gift ideas to appeal to your NA-loving friends and family.

Hopefully you find something useful in this collection.

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

Myles

P.S. Looking for a specific drink for a gift and need some recommendations? Hit reply and I’ll give you some suggestions.

From this week’s sponsor:

The Zero Proof is running a massive 60% off Black Friday sale, but it ends soon. Like, really soon. So don’t miss out!

The Zero Proof is a curated online marketplace featuring some of the world’s best non-alcoholic wines, cocktails, beers, and functional drinks. Started by two best friends as a blog about the non-alc movement, they’ve quickly grown into the largest non-alc retailer in the U.S., offering more than 400 products and helping introduce exciting brands from abroad like Oddbird, Sylva, Gnista, and ISH.

Check them out at www.TheZeroProof.com

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

For the NA beer lovers out there, this is one cool gift from NA Beer Club.

You’ll get 24 different non-alcoholic craft beers—everything from lagers to IPAs to stouts. If you’ve ever wanted to explore NA beers from around the country, this is a fun, festive way to do it.

Order soon, though—they’re down to their last 100 calendars, so don’t miss out!

Ted Segers, the non-alcoholic brewery created by Dax Shepard and friends, currently has just one beer on the market—Unleaded Regal Brew. Their merch line, however, is anything but limited.

Matching their general view of not taking things too seriously, the trio has created a collection of tongue-in-cheek T-shirts. From “The Dad That Stuck Around” to “Another Segers Please, I’m Driving”. The designs reflect a dry sense of humor with a nod to some personal home truths.

Unleaded Regal Brew is an exceptional beer, but I sometimes wonder if this is a merch company that happens to sell beer rather than the other way around. Who cares, I guess!

We’re big fans of SAYSO’s sorcerous cocktail tea bags over here at ModSub Towers. This year, the brand added a powdered version of their cocktail line, sold in handy stick packs — just add cold water and give it a stir.

While perusing their site the other day, I came across this On-the-Go Martini Kit, featuring everything you need to make a delicious Martini when you’re out and about.

The white travel kit includes six Martini sticks, olive pouches, a small cocktail shaker, cocktail picks, and a bunch of other fun goodies.

If Martinis aren’t your thing, they also have a Hot Toddy gift box worth checking out.

Talking of products that are great for travelling, check out this stocking stuffer from perennial ModSub favorite All The Bitter.

The Bitters Travel Pack includes 1oz bottles of their Orange, Aromatic, and New Orleans–style bitters. Perfect for those restaurants and bars that haven’t yet got with the NA drinks program and you need to doctor a club soda.

Alternatively, if you want something that leans more festive, pick up a bottle of their delicious Cherry Coffee Blast.

You really can’t go wrong!

This newsletter generally stays away from discussing or advising on sobriety. While it’s lightly woven into the broader theme, we’re really just here to talk about non-alcoholic drinks.

However, if you have a friend starting out on their dry journey or family member struggling with their sobriety, The Sobriety Deck might come in handy.

This stocking-stuffer-sized box contains 50 cards split into five categories — Sobriety Toolkit, Knowing Ourselves, Relationships, Growing Up, and Experiencing Joy.

Created by the team over at Recovery Rocks, Tawny Lara and Lisa Smith have put together a fun, easy, and non-judgemental way to help you navigate the challenges that can arise when cutting alcohol out of your life.

There are quite a few subscription services offered by non-alc brands across the different categories. It’s actually the only way you can try some of the limited runs from the larger NA breweries.

One that caught my eye is the Curious Cocktail Club from Curious Elixirs. Every month they rotate through their collection of craft cocktails, wine, and beer alternatives. Choose anywhere from 4 to 12 bottles and have them delivered to your doorstep every 30 or 60 days.

They’re also offering a limited Sampler Gift Pack featuring all 10 Curious Elixirs plus a couple of bonus bottles. Remember, it’s 2 servings per bottle — that’s a lot of fun drinks!

Y’all know by now, I’m always on the lookout for options I can pop in my pocket for those occasions when sugary soft drinks or water are the only options on the menu.

So I was pretty stoked when I got my hands on a box of Leilo’s Berry Kava Drink Mix. Just add water, with or without bubbles, give it a vigorous stir—you don’t want to leave any of the goods bits undisolved—and volia you have yourself a tasty Kava drink.

Each box comes comes with 10 drink sticks and in my mind makes for another perfect stocking-stuffer. It’s also a great way for you to dip your toes into the world of Kava. Give it a whirl!

Four years in the non-alc space feels like a lifetime, and countless non-alcoholic cocktail books have been published since Derek Brown’s 2022 Mindful Mixology: A Comprehensive Guide to No- and Low-Alcohol Cocktails.

Derek is a James Beard Award–nominated bar owner, founder of the highly celebrated Columbia Room in D.C., and is universally respected within the no- and low-alcohol industry.

Featuring 60 cocktail recipes, Mindful Mixology teaches the core principles of cocktail-making, offers historical perspective, and encourages the use of complex ingredients to elevate your non-alcoholic creations at home.

A lot has changed in the non-alcoholic drinks world since this book was first published, which only underscores how ahead of its time Mindful Mixology truly was. If cocktails are your thing then this should be in your library.

I was going to feature The NON Stopper because, let’s face it, it’s a super-cool design. Who doesn’t want a sleek, modern bubble protector that would be the envy of all your friends?

However as I was scrolling through the NON site looking for the Stopper link, I shot past The Everyday Set — and then rather rapidly scrambled back up to it.

Hold on, would I be excited about the Stopper for Christmas? Well, of course.

But would I be more ecstatic to receive a NON Everyday Set including NON 1, NON 3, and NON 7? Stopper, what now?

On the other hand, if you want both, there is always The Stopper Set.

There is perhaps no better place to start your non-alcoholic drink journey than The Pathfinder. It was spirit that changed everything for me.

You seriously can’t go wrong gifting this Amaro, chock full of botanical ingredients and mysterious yet wonderful flavors. I love it neat but I’m equally bowled over by all the cracking cocktails you can make with The Pathfinder.

There are so many wonderful spirits out there in the marketplace but if you have to start somewhere … start here.

I love Raising the Bar, a monthly cocktail kit that brings the fun of nonalcoholic mixology straight to your doorstep.

Each month Abbie and Devin Romaul create themed susbcription boxes complete with recipes, quality ingredients, and always something you weren’t expecting. The recipies are simple to execute, packed with great flavors, and designed to help you whip up multiple drinks in just minutes.

At its core, Raising the Bar encourages you to explore, experiment, and build your own growing library of nonalcoholic cocktails.

Okay, so this one feels like I might have run out of ideas! Seriously though, if you aren’t sure what to get someone—or you know they’re super picky—sometimes a gift card really is the best option.

There are plenty of brands out there offering gift cards, but I’m going to single out The Zero Proof. Why? Well, not only are they sponsoring this week’s newsletter again, they also stock some of my favorite NA drinks I’ve written about over the last couple of years.

You may remember me gushing about Lapos Negroni and Citrus, Saint Viviana’s Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, or Oddbird’s GSM. Tenneyson’s Black Ginger, or the Dr Zero Zero Amarno. Oh, and the Amaro Falso from St. Agrestis—just to name a few of the 400+ non-alcoholic drinks they stock.

Check them out!