The Noticeboard

MODSUB#78

Wotcha!

I’m nearly half way through my trip back in England and it’s been fun to come across non-alc drinks I’ve reported on in the NAN section in the last few months. I’ll be sure to share them when I return back to the States.

Tomorrrow I’m off for a couple of pints at The Lucky Saint in London—the first traditional English pub primarily serving non-alcoholic drinks.

Enjoy some great drinks this week.

Cheers,

Myles

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

BEER
Ceria - Grainwave

COCKTAIL
The Pathfinder - Negroni

Read time: 4 minutes 52 seconds

NAN
New NA Drink News

NORTH AMERICA

• BEER: Celebrating their 10th anniversary, Curious Elixirs are releasing Curious Zero, a first-of-its-kind Lion’s Mane Lager featuring a variety of ingredients, including Maca root. (Link)

• BEER: Hop lovers need to get over to GO Brewing’s website to check out their new flagship brew, Disarm Hazy IPA. The first batch is out now. (Link)

• WINE: This month sees the release of Cupcake Vineyard’s alcohol free Sauvignon Blanc, the winery’s first NA wine. (Link)

• BEER: Asheville’s Green Man Brewery has NAvigator Non Alcoholic Light Lager out now on draught in their taprooms and in cans as of next month. (Link)

WORLDWIDE

• BEER: Ben Branson of Seedlip, Sylva and Seasn teased a new project that doesn’t begin with the letter ’S’. No word yet when Daystar Shandy will be launched but you can have your say on the can art if you click on the ➡️ (Link)

• APERITIVO: Germany and Austria will be the first two countries to see the launch of Pernod Ricard’s new non-alcoholic aperitivo—Ramazzotti Aperitivo Arancia 0.0%. (Link)

• WINE: Kolonne Null have launched a new sister brand—Studio Italiano. The new project debuts with a non-alcoholic Pinot Grigio followed by a Rosato. (Link)

• WINE: Kolonne Null have exciting news of their own with a collaboration with historic Riesling producer, Schloss Johannisberg, with the pair launching the first alcohol free version of Grünlack Spätlese. (Link)

BEER

ModSub: Remember Gwyneth Paltrow's 1998 movie, Sliding Doors, where the film follows her life unfolding in two different storylines? One where she makes it through the doors of a train just as they are closing, and the other where she misses it by seconds and has to wait for the next one. It's a story of life's “what ifs” and the consequences and outcomes you have no control over.

What if Keith Villa had walked past the notice board that hung in the laboratory at his college, instead of stopping? He wouldn’t have seen a job advertisement for a molecular biologist researching brewing and fermenting at Coors Brewery. He wouldn't have beaten 75 other students to get the job, or two years later, be offered the chance to study at the University of Brussels in Belgium. He wouldn’t have pursued his doctorate in brewing, nor would he have had a hand in many of Coors' most successful beers.

Most importantly, he wouldn't have created a recipe based on his time in Belgium, turning the beer into one of the best-selling craft beers in U.S. brewing history. Which would mean we wouldn’t have had Blue Moon Belgian White.

He also wouldn't have retired from Coors after 32 years and almost immediately opened his own small nonalcoholic brewery, Ceria Brewing, with his wife and daughter.

That would mean when I went to Total Wine last week and scoured the beer section for something I hadn’t had before, I wouldn’t have grabbed a can of Ceria Grainwave off the shelf.

I also wouldn’t have cracked it open an hour ago and enjoyed the cloudy muddy golden pour with a generous head. I would have missed out on a tremendous Witbier, with hints of spice and a generous serving of orange embracing a bready maltiness.

Instead, Dr. Keith Villa would have spent 30+ years in the medical profession, not brewing world-famous beer. I wouldn’t be typing on this laptop at this very moment in time, telling you not to miss out on this lovely beer.

Sliding doors. Walking past notice boards. What ifs.

How does Ceria describe their Grainwave: Grainwave is our unfiltered, alcohol-free Belgian-style white ale brewed with blood orange peel, coriander, and Hallertau Tradition hops for medium body and bright, refreshing flavors.

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COCKTAIL

ModSub: Arrghh.

I’ve been so excited to try the new single-serve Negroni from The Pathfinder and scribble down my thoughts for you, but now I find myself staring at a blank screen, not entirely sure what to say.

God, writer’s block—just when I wanted to wax lyrical about the beverage company that, to a large degree, started this whole journey—a change in lifestyle and the newsletter that followed. It was, after all, the mysterious amaro-like spirit from Seattle that was my very first “substitute.”

Perhaps it’s the fear of getting too carried away. Of gushing so profusely that it renders an overly enthusiastic recommendation illegitimate. Finding a balance between unbridled excitement and tempered impartiality, it seems, is not easy.

Still, in a world that throws all kinds of uncertainty our way on an hourly basis, perhaps getting ludicrously excited about a drink is forgivable.

This is The Pathfinder we’re talking about, afterall. Any new product from them has a lot to live up to. It could never be anything but perfect. There was never room for a sophomore slump.

The good news? It is. Perfect, that is. While most—if not all—RTD non-alc Negronis on the market are carbonated, The Pathfinder Negroni instantly impresses because it isn’t. The mouthfeel has authenticity and while the sugar content aids the viscosity, it doesn’t venture into uncomfortable territory at 10mg. Flavor-wise, the drink checks all the Negroni boxes: strong fresh juniper notes, an intense orange bitterness that gives way to grapefruit, and a lingering delicate sweetness quietly making itself known but with little fuss. The only thing it’s missing is the bite from the ethanol—but we knew that going in. Otherwise, it is perfect.

Each can contains two servings, allowing you to share this little beverage masterpiece or, more likely, keep it all for yourself and indulge. Believe me, once you’ve had your first sip of The Pathfinder Negroni, you might just find yourself a little less generous than you were mere seconds before. Sharing be damned.

I guess I did find something to say after all. I’ll close with this: if a Negroni is your tipple, you’ve just won the lottery.

How does The Pathfinder describe their Negroni: The Pathfinder Negroni is non-carbonated and made with our very own bespoke non-alcoholic red bitter and gin, each crafted and curated to perfectly complement our original Pathfinder liquid The Pathfinder Hemp and Root. This ready-to-drink cocktail delivers the same superb quality and bad-vibe-destroying properties as our original patented elixir, perfectly created for a consistently delicious libation every time.

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