NAN

Nonalcoholic News my Nan would approve of!

• 🍹 COCKTAILS: Exciting news of a new launch from Little Saints. Look out for their new Non-Alcoholic Old Fashioned Sparkling Cocktail!

• 🍺 BEER: Street Cred After Hours Porter is the new one from Go Brewing. (link)

• 🍹 COCKTAILS: Austin’s Waterloo Sparkling Water have launched three new limited-time flavors—Mojito, Pi-Ño Colada and an All-Day Rosé. (link)

• 🍺 BEER: Who doesn’t love free beer? (link)

• 🍺 BEER: Push the Little Daisies, a midwest IPA, is the latest from Self Care Brewing. (link)

• 🍹 COCKTAILS: After all the excitement around the launch of Lapo’s RTD canned Negroni, the Italian company has followed it up with an Aperitivo. (link)

ON THE BAR

In each edition of The Modern Substitute, ON THE BAR focuses on three drinks you should be on the look out for. We’ll give you a quick rundown of our thoughts on the drink, who makes it, where to buy it or, in the case of mocktails, how to make it.

Please note: due to popularity or limited runs, some drinks may be out of stock - please check with the beverage companies for updates.

HECK BREWING - SILVER LINING’S IPA

• Portland, OR

• Calories:

• Sugar: Unknown

• Serving: 12 fl.oz.

• ABV: 0.5%

• Buy: heckbrewing.com • store locator • check your local bottle shop

• Price: $15.00

The ModSub thoughts: In England, we have a football chant reserved for homegrown players. It's a simple song, as many football songs are, but it effectively lets a player know he has a special place in the fans' hearts. Unless he's rubbish, in which case, expect a different type of ditty.

My team has a player called Ryan Andrews who has been with the club since he was a young lad. So when he comes on as a substitute or scores a goal, we sing, “He’s one of our own, he’s one of our own, Ryan Andrews, he’s one of our own," to the tune of … well something. Anyway this chant pops into my head when I think of Heck Brewing Company.

Portland recently welcomed its second nonalcoholic brewing company. The idea had been brewing for a couple of years, ever since Andy McMillan, came up with the idea in the midst of running Suckerpunch, a warmly embraced nonalcoholic pop-up cocktail bar currently on hiatus. He kept the idea in his back pocket, running it past a few local breweries who couldn't see the opportunity he envisioned.

Eventually, his path crossed with former Hopworks brewer Justin Miller. Combining their talents, the pair are now on a mission for NA beer world domination, though getting a foothold in their home state of Oregon is first on the punch list. A bright spot in March's seemingly unending rainfall was Heck's debut release, Silver Lining IPA, clad in a gorgeous black can with a green bottle fly-colored Heck logo.

It’s a splendid IPA with a mature hoppy backbone, neither too aggressive nor too lackluster. The backend offers a hint of bitterness and perhaps just a touch of sweetness as it fades away. It's a very impressive first outing from Heck and on the evidence presented so far, maybe global conquest isn't as far fetched as it might seem. 

How does Heck describe Silver Lining’s IPA: Our signature west coast style non-alcoholic IPA; notes of pine and citrus.

Learn more about Heck at heckbrewing.com

TROPINK - PINEAPPLE YUZU LIME

• Portland, OR

• Calories: 20

• Sugar: 2g

• Serving: 12 fl.oz.

• ABV: 0%

• Buy: pinkcloudbeverages.com • store locator • online stores

• Price: $27.00 (6-pack)

The ModSub thoughts: Sometimes you meet someone, and the passion they exude for what they do is so powerful that you can’t help but want to cheer them on to success. Sierra Thomas, founder of Tropink, formerly Pink Cloud Beverage, is one such person. Her enthusiasm for her brand and the nonalcoholic drink space as a whole is inspirational.

Having spent a large part of her early career in music and advertising, she was no stranger to the excesses of both those worlds. To her credit, she realized in her late 20s that continuing a relationship with alcohol was not in her best interest. Having made the decision to cut it out of her life, she then had to work out how to deal with the consistent anxiety she was experiencing.

When her best friend asked her if she had tried CBD to help with her anxiety, her initial reaction was to reach for her old D.A.R.E. t-shirt. However, she started to educate herself about cannabinoids and their many benefits. The more she realized THC could be completely removed from the equation, the more it seemed like something that could help her anxiety without endangering her sobriety. Before she knew it, she was starting to see her future in broad spectrum hemp.

Thus, Pink Cloud Beverages was born—a beverage company producing tropical drinks inspired by the fruits introduced to her by the same best friend on the island of Oahu. After taking several years to perfect the recipes and the brand, she launched two drinks, Pineapple Yuzu Lime and Lilikoi Guava, in April 2022, and the company has been expanding ever since. A rebrand last year to Tropink, something Sierra felt aligned her drinks more to a tropical state of mind.

Both drinks indeed transport you straight to a sun-soaked beach, and while I loved both, I was particularly drawn to the Pineapple Yuzu Lime. This tropical cocktail is bursting with fruits flavors, flitting between tangy, sweet, and bitter, in a swirl of light carbonation. The fruits are beautifully balanced with pineapple centerstage but ably supported by the lemony grapefruit twist of the Yuzu and a light tartness from the lime. None of them hog the limelight, which makes this combination incredibly tasty.

Much like other CBD drinks I’ve tried, it's hard to tell if it had much effect, but as Thomas says about her drinks, it's more about what you don't feel than what you do. Which in essence means it's working! If you have any concerns about CBD, she has compiled a very impressive FAQ on her website. Go check it out, and while you are there, pick up some of her drinks. They are pretty darn special.

How does Tropink describe their Pineapple Yuzu Lime: Pining for Paradise? Kick back with a juicy and bright beverage. Tropical pineapple partnered with tart and fragrant Yuzu, and a hint of lime at the finish.

Learn more about Tropink at pinkcloudbeverages.com

2 TOWNS CIDERHOUSE - SIDEKICK COSMIC CRISP

• Corvalis, OR

• Calories: 50

• Sugar: Unknown

• Serving: 12 fl.oz.

• ABV: 0.5%

• Buy: 2townsciderhouse.com • store locator • widely available online

• Price: $12.99-$13.99 (6-pack)

The ModSub thoughts: It will not go unnoticed, if you have been reading these weekly recommendations, that I have a special place in my heart for ciders. Eight months ago, I wasn’t aware of any nonalcoholic ciders available in the U.S. market, and now I have three very good and very different options to choose from.

2 Towns Ciderhouse has been a prominent fixture in cider making in the Pacific Northwest for over a decade. Started in 2010 by Eugene resident Aaron Sarnoff-Wood and Lee Larsen, who was just up the road in Corvallis, 2 Towns has grown from a DIY garage homebrew project to a company that sells numerous cider variations across 15 states.

The news that 2 Towns was going to launch not one but two nonalcoholic ciders this past August was met with no small measure of excitement in this household.

Sidekick - Pacific Pineapple takes cider in a different direction, combining Costa Rican golden pineapples with PNW apples and delivering a full-flavored, fruity cider that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Sidekick - Cosmic Crisp is the nonalcoholic cousin to one of their flagship ciders, Cosmic Crisp, and this is the one that has me really excited. For all you cider drinkers out there, this is one you’ll want to stock up on next time you are at the supermarket.

Robust in flavor and carbonation, the drink leans gently toward the drier side of the spectrum and is every bit as crisp as its name would imply. If cider is your thing, this is going to be one of your go-to drinks for many years to come.

How 2 Towns Ciderhouse describes Sidekick - Cosmic Crisp: We’ve finally found a way to package the stars! With a bubbly visual profile that glistens and gleams like starlight and an .5% ABV, Cosmic Crisp® is sure to take you on an interstellar cider experience. Made with a resplendent blend of fresh-pressed Cosmic Crisp® and Northwest apples, this cider shines like starlight while bright, fruit-forward aromatics collide with a high-acid profile for a truly heavenly experience.

Learn more about 2 Towns Ciderhouse at 2townsciderhouse.com