This Beer is No Joke

Wotcha!

Any Canadian readers out there? The ModSub fam is heading up to Toronto and Montreal at the end of the month. Any suggestions of things to see, places to eat and most importantly, non-alcoholic drinks I should find?

Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to hear your 🇨🇦 suggestions.

Enjoy some great drinks this week.

Myles

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

BEER
Years - Original Pils

SPIRIT
Dr Zero Zero - AmarNo

Read time: 5 minutes 34 seconds

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WINE ALTERNATIVE: From a month or two back—Susurrus Sparkling Teas opens its doors with two offerings: Magnolia Oolong and Osmanthus Golden Tip. (Link)

BEER: George Clooney and his pals—the team behind Casamigos tequila—have jumped into the NA beer world with Crazy Mountain, kicking things off with two beers. (Link)

WINE: Playing catch-up on this January release from FitVine with their new Free lineup, featuring Power Red, Sparkling White and Sparkling Rosé. (Link)

SPIRIT: If rum is your thing, Polite Society have a debut release: Dry Rhum. (Link)

BEER: Heineken are rolling out 0.0 Ultimate—no alcohol, no calories and no sugar. (Link)

APERITIF: Super stoked to hear the news that Pernod Ricard will be launching Lillet Blanc 0%, initially in Germany and Austria from April! (Link)

BEER

ModSub’s thoughts: With the news that George Clooney is partnering in the launch of a new non-alcoholic beer, the chatter about celebrity-backed non-alc drinks has come back to the fore.

Does having a celebrity involved help or harm the industry? Does the celebrity backing the product come to market with a legitimate reason? Or are they just jumping on the bandwagon of a blossoming industry? We could chase our tails on that argument until the cows come home. So let’s not.

For me—and this newsletter—it’s merely about the quality of the product. The news that John Mulaney had joined Years last October felt like a different proposition. Years was actually producing non-alcoholic beer more than a year before Mulaney’s involvement. Founded by Patrick Corcoran, Dan Abel, and Noah Armstrong—who partnered with the popular beverage incubator Pilot Project Brewing to bring the beers to life—Years’ popularity had already taken off, with distribution throughout the Midwest and West Coast.

Mulaney came to Years as a fan, reportedly taking cans of the beer on stage with him while he was touring. The comedian eventually connected with the NA beer brand, which led to him becoming a co-owner and creative director.

Years currently has three beers out—Original Pils, Classic Pale, and Belgian Wit. Of the three, Original Pils stood out for me. It’s a lovely golden pour with a slight haze and a gorgeous frothy head. The malts are light and bready and the Zuper Saazer hops—presumably the Midwest variety—give the beer a floral lift with an earthy undertone and maybe a hint of tangerine. The finish is mildly bitter with a faint black tea aftertaste. It’s a really smooth, flavourful Pilsner and, let me tell you, very easy to drink.

I mean, basically, they nailed it. End of story.

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How Years describes Original Pils: Clean and easy. Years Pilsner brings a golden pour, lean malt, and a gentle hit of Zuper Saazer noble hops. Floral, lightly herbal, a touch of spice, then a dry finish that makes you want another sip. It’s the classic you reach for any time of day, minus the alcohol.

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SPIRIT

ModSub: I’m always filled with a deep sense of excitement when I head back to my native England. Seeing family and friends, catching a few football matches, savoring a Cornish pasty from the local bakery and walking in the Somerset countryside—it’s a checklist I go through with every visit. These rituals help ground me as an Englishman who has spent decades in America.

In recent years, as I’ve embarked on this sober journey and discovered a world of non-alcoholic drinks, I’ve added new items to that list. Now, when I hop on a plane back across the pond, my mind is filled with all the fabulous drinks I might find. 

When I planned my visit to Club Soda in London this past May, I made sure to leave a bottle-sized space in my luggage for something special I couldn’t easily find back in the Pacific Northwest. I expected it to be tricky to choose, given the abundance of quality drinks available in the UK.

As I browsed the shelves at the Drury Lane store, it took me all of 30 seconds to make up my mind. You may recall that I was just getting into the world of Italian cocktails and aperitifs—especially those on the bitter end of the spectrum—when I decided to give up alcohol. So, when I came across Dr. Zero Zero’s AmarNo, it instantly caught my attention.

The bottle itself will likely grab your attention too. It is, quite honestly, gorgeous. The drink is pretty stunning too. Let’s pause for a second, though. If you’re not too familiar with what an Amaro is, I won’t go into lengthy explanations. Just watch Coach Vino give his take, though note that he discusses alcoholic brands.

AmarNo is made in Trieste, Italy though the founder and the original concept to make it, comes from Alessandro Cozzi and his family in Brooklyn, New York. While other Amaro spirits like The Pathfinder lean slightly more to the sweeter side of the palate, Dr. Zero Zero heads the other way toward bitterness. Warm, earthy and herbal, the orange and rhubarb embracing in their roles of opposites attracting, the wormwood taking the baton and running for the finish line. It is ... perfect. 

As I type away at this, I’ve been digging into the handful of cocktail recipes on Dr. Zero Zero’s site. The Fixer Upper is a Amaro-ginger beer-coffee treat which is both easy to make and extremely hard to not guzzle. While slightly more involved, The Stresa Sour was a cocktail worthy of inclusion on any quality drinks menu and while I didn’t get to the somewhat unusual Buongiorno recipe, my imagination has already given the cocktail full approval. Bello.

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How does Dr. Zero Zero describe their AmarNo: Award-winning and Made in Italy, Dr Zero Zero AmarNo is the non-alcoholic evolution of Amaro, honoring tradition and crafted with bold digestive botanicals like sage, wormwood, quassia, rhubarb root, quinine, and orange. A bitter cocktail drink with depth & complexity, AmarNo delivers the full Italian experience, without the alcohol.

This recommendation was first published on November 2, 2024

EXTRA READS

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• Blog thumbnail photo credit: Leonardo Delsabio