Why Isn't This Wine in Every U.S. Restaurant?

MODSUB#96

Wotcha!

A whopping 17 new drinks in the news section this week—I think that might be a record. I managed to be in the right place at the right time for one of them.

Enjoy some great drinks this week.

Cheers, Myles

P.S. Thank you for your kind words over what has been a very tough couple of weeks for me. I do appreciate it.

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

WINE
Buzzkill - Sauvignon Blanc

BEER
Mediterranean Beers
Estrella Damm 0.0%, Birra Moretti Zero

Read time: 4 minutes 51 seconds

NAN
New Non-Alcoholic Drink News

NORTH AMERICA

• BEER: Colorado’s newest brewery, Comma Brewing, has come out of the traps with two beers, Summer Pale and Citrus Berry Refresher, each infused with low-dose THC, CBD and Lion’s Mane. (Link)

• BEER: Professional skater, Erik Ellington launches Easy Does It non-alcoholic beer. (Link)

• BEER: Philly’s Yards Brewing Company will soon be debuting Philthy Zero Hazy IPA. (Link)

• SPIRITS: Pre-orders have opened for León Y Sol’s NeQuila, the world’s first non-alcoholic tequila made from real tequila. (Link)

• BEER: Rolling out across America—Sapporo Premium Non-Alcoholic. (Link)

• WINE: Lastly from the U.S. this week, I’m personally super excited that local wine producers, Underwood, have launched their first non-alcoholic offering—Non-Alcoholic Rosé Bubbles. (Link)

WORLDWIDE

• BEER: The UK’s Days Brewing Company announced a limited-release Peach Lager. (Link)

• FUNCTIONAL BEER: Staying in the UK, Sentia Spirits has launched two GABYR beers, Pale Ale and Stout. (Link)

• SPIRITS: More news from Sentia Spirits who have added CASK, a whiskey alternative, to their line of spirits. (Link)

• WINE ALTS: Two new wine alternatives from Gnista: Crisp and Funky. (Link)

• BEER: Spain’s Damm now has a 0.0% version of their flagship Estrella lager in the UK. I had it last week! (Link)

• BEER: One more from the UK, Prime Time Brewing has launched Prime Time Zero infused with magnesium and vitamin B12. (Link)

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WINE

ModSub’s thoughts: When I started filling my basket with drinks during a visit to Monday Morning AF in San Diego last month, one of the first cans I grabbed was Buzzkill’s Sauvignon Blanc. I’d heard so many good reviews of this wine but could never get my hands on any—only one store in the PNW carries it, according to Buzzkill’s store locator.

Marketing whiz Molly Fedick began work on Buzzkill Wines in 2020, with zero experience in the beverage industry. She did, however, have a wealth of knowledge in start-ups. Leaning on an old college friend who had started producing her own California Rosé, Fedick got a fast-track education in CPG. More crucially, she was introduced to the winemaker who would go on to craft all three of Buzzkill’s varietals. The first to be released—in the summer of 2022—was the Sauvignon Blanc.

So, does the wine live up to all the hype I’d heard? You bet it does. Still, not carbonated, and made with grapes from Northern California, it enlivens the palate with green apple and lemongrass, hints of citrus, and a healthy dose of acidity to round out the experience. It’s a winner whether you’re pairing it with a meal or enjoying a glass while you cook.

Buzzkill’s Sauvignon Blanc is exactly the kind of single-serve option I’d love to see on every restaurant menu across the country. It’s a low-risk choice for both businesses and their customers—no need for restaurants to commit to costly inventory, and no need for diners to commit to a full bottle when all they want is a single glass of quality non-alcoholic wine. We talk a lot about inclusion in this industry, and it’s high time the hospitality sector woke up to the demand. Buzzkill Wines can be found in over 20 states, but they should be in all 50.

So buy some Buzzkill. Spread the word. Ask your local restaurants why they aren’t serving non-alcoholic wines like this one. Let’s get better options on the table—both at home and when you’re out on the town.

How does Buzzkill describe their Sauvignon Blanc: Ever wanted to sip like a sommelier and wake up like a CEO? Now you can. Alcohol-removed (0.5% ABV) still (no bubbles) wine with classic Northern California Sauvignon Blanc characteristics. Dry & juicy with vibrant acidity and thirst-quenching properties. Crafted by our renowned in-house winemaker.

BEER

ModSub’s thoughts: While there was little to be excited about on my recent return to the UK, I did at least uncover a couple of great supermarket finds.

I was super stoked to see that Barcelona’s S.A. Damm has released a 0.0% version of their flagship lager, Estrella Damm. As you’ll have read above, this new launch by the Spanish brewery is initially only available at Sainsbury’s—and while wandering up down the supermarket aisles, I happily stumbled across what was propbably one of their first shipments.

I’ve long been a fan of the alcoholic version of this lager, first coming across it about a decade ago when I was looking for gluten-free beers. From what I remember of the original, this 0.0% version holds true: lightly carbonated, with a beautiful golden pour and a frothy head that lingers. There’s a gentle hint of sweet, bready malts right from the start, and a touch of bitterness on the finish. Essentially, everything you want from a refreshing Southern European lager—leaving some of its blander peers in the dust.

I’m genuinely excited to have found this and will be keeping my fingers crossed that Estrella Damm 0.0%, like Estrella Galicia 0.0 before it, makes its way to the U.S. sooner than later.

Later in the visit, my stepsister brought over a couple of 4-packs of Birra Moretti Zero. Unlike Estrella Damm 0.0%, the zero-alcohol version of this Italian beer from Udine has been around for almost 20 years, but only hit supermarket shelves in the UK in 2019. I’ve yet to find it in the U.S., though it might be available at specialty Italian food stores. In fact, I’d only had it once before, at a pizza restaurant in Santa Margherita, Liguria.

I have no recollection of drinking the original version of Moretti, but I found Zero to be exactly what you’d expect—a quality Italian lager: light, crisp, and perfect for those times when you want a beer to just be a refreshing beer and nothing more complex.

The malts are more prominent than in the Estrella, bringing a little extra sweetness, and there’s a subtle note of lemon playing about in the background. It lacks the bitterness of the Spanish beer to balance out the sweetness, making it perhaps better suited to a cooling evening than the heat of the afternoon.

Still, as my family sat around picking through leftovers that evening, there was just a solitary bottle left in the fridge when the night wrapped up. That can’t be a bad sign.

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