Dry January is working! Why'd I wait?

mtaratoot

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

@AnnPT77 : I ordered a sampler of bitters from that Bezos place. Sounds interesting!

I went to dinner last night with a fun crew. Most of us we AF.

I poked around on Jeff's website, and I saw a few samplers I considered, but did not pull the trigger.

I did decide that Peychards is a reasonable addition to grapefruit-flavored fizzy water. I do NOT like it in my tonic with lime. For that Angostura is the winner. I will be going to a grocery, probably on Tuesday or Wednesday, that has a large selection of Fee Brothers bitters; I might splurge on one or two regular sized bottles. I noticed the prices over on Jeff's place seemed a lot higher even than the scary price I saw on the grocery shelves over the months I've kept looking at them.

Angustora is also good in straight up soda water. I bet some of the other bitters will be too. If I get some, I'll report back too.

Sinisterbarbie1

I have been using lots of different bitters in NA drinks for a while now, just like you would in an alcoholic cocktail. They pull everything together and balance a drink. The ones I like best in sparkling water or tonic alone tend to be either citrusy or herbal or both combined. Dram makes very good ones - a black tea herbal bitter, a juniper bitter (add to tonic for a g&t taste), I’ve also enjoyed a star anise and a cardamom bitter from another company - can’t remember the name but it comes in old timey rectangular bottles with eyedroppers. I occasionally also get a rhubarb and sea salt bitter. That one needs citrus to bring out the taste. I also have a turmeric ginger. Finally there is a company called Hellfire bitters which makes a variety of habanero and other very spicy bitters. I like to use them in any type of NA drink to give a “burn/kick” similar to alcohol taste. Another good option for that effect is a super strong ginger beer like goya or goslings.

On a separate note I was just reading a couple of different articles in NYT related to dry January and also the Canadian decision to issue new health standards regarding alcohol consumption confirming that no amount of drinking is safe, and instead issuing guidelines to allow people to judge increased risk profiles and make decisions accordingly. I was disappointed to read the comments sections which consisted mostly of people who choose to drink shouting down those who abstain and vice versa as if sobercurious experimentation was a one way ticket to prohibition for all. I’ve mostly had positive experiences when I order mocktails in bars or otherwise don’t partake, but I guess the anonymity of internet comments allows people to be more animated!

AnnPT77

As aside to folks here who are curious but haven't tried bitters: Yes, you'll probably see that fairly small bottles have a fairly high price tag. As context, literally a few drops of some is enough to flavor 12 ounces (= about 355 ml) of sparkling water. Even some of the ones I consider underpowered only require about one standard eyedropper full of bitters in that amount of sparkling water.

@Sinisterbarbie1, is that rhubarb and sea salt all one combined flavor? That sounds intriguing.

Sinisterbarbie1

@AnnPT77 yes the rhubarb and sea salt is one flavor here is a link to one place I have seen it (which also has great leads on other interesting bitters) but I buy it from a little local shop https://thecocktailery.com/products/bitters-lab-rhubarb-sea-salt-seasonal-new
It is not super potent and I find it loses its potency fairly quickly when opened so if it is in your fridge for a while you may want to use it with complementary flavors and draw out the taste with a few flakes of additional sea salt.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

The group that hates non-drinkers the most appears to be waiters. When I told a waiter recently that we were an AF table, he shouted "you guys are no fun!" We should have left.

mtaratoot

You should have told a great joke.

"A priest, a rabbi, and a minister walk into a bar. The bartender say, "What; is this some kind of a joke?"

cmriverside

.

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

The group that hates non-drinkers the most appears to be waiters. When I told a waiter recently that we were an AF table, he shouted "you guys are no fun!" We should have left.

Ha, I worked in hospitality for a long time. 1.) The overwhelming majority of restaurant workers are young and a good percentage of them have serious substance issues...and 2.) By "no fun" I think he probably meant your per head check average was going to be low and therefore he wouldn't make as much in tips.

Ya can't please everyone.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

I've been paying $10-20 for fancy cocktails in restaurants since the end of the pandemic.

High prices at restaurants (and everywhere else) is the new pandemic!

AnnPT77

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

I've been paying $10-20 for fancy cocktails in restaurants since the end of the pandemic.

High prices at restaurants (and everywhere else) is the new pandemic!

The size of some of those, though . . . once delivered, basically looks like I've bought waterfront property! (Alcohol front?)

I had a mango margarita at lunch today (not doing totally dry January obviously) . . . for a li'l ol' lady like me, the size of that heavy, fancy glass plus ice and drink, I almost could've logged it as strength training. Wide and shallow, though, not deep enough to swim in. (I think it was $9, so I see your point.)

PAV8888

Now we know how to prevent bingo wings!

Vette8828

Where I work booze is only available on the black market and prices were hiked for Christmas and still not come down. I cut down on my nightly whisky consumption and feel like cr@p in the mornings. Guess my body is missing something!

Jthanmyfitnesspal

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

I've been paying $10-20 for fancy cocktails in restaurants since the end of the pandemic.

The size of some of those, though . . . once delivered, basically looks like I've bought waterfront property! (Alcohol front?)

Even worse (or is it better, I don't know anymore) is when they're not! Clearly, fancy drinks are a good money-maker. Hey, no harm, no foul, we all have to make a buck somehow. Dry January doesn't mean dry forever!

mtaratoot

I finally got around to trying some other non-alcoholic beer. Years ago I tried the only ones available. They weren't anything to write home about. This summer I tried Athletic IPA. I wasn't all that impressed. So now that there are more offerings, it's time for a taste test.

I picked up a six-pack of 10-Barrel N/A IPA. 10-Barrel is in Bend Oregon like so many breweries. Good water up there. I wish I had just bought a single, but the store I was in doesn't sell singles. It reminds me of iced tea a little bit, kind of like Athletic. It's too sweet. I can't find any documentation anywhere how many calories it has. I'll assume it's 90, but it could be fewer.

I got two singles of Deschutes Black Butte Porter non-alcoholic. Deschutes is also based out of Bend Oregon. This actually tastes like a porter. I will buy this again. 100 calories per 12 ounce can.

I picked up one single of Sober Carpenter IPA; I will try that tomorrow. It's from Montréal up there in Quebec. Allegedly has 65 calories for a 20-ounce can.

Soon I'll pick up some Crux NØ MØ IPA next time I see it. Only 30 calories per 30 ounce can, so I'm not too optimistic about lots of flavor. Another beer from Bend Oregon.

Any others you think I should seek out?

What I would really like to find is a way to make a mocktail that actually tastes like a really good martini with no ethanol.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

@mtaratoot : I like the Athletic IPA. Maybe you tried that. I wouldn't personally classify it as "sweet."

I just bought (on the recommendation of @AnnPT77 ) an assortment of bitters, which I plan to put in home made seltser water (Sodastream). I have not tried them yet.

https://a.co/d/2WzeYKn

I routinely drink still water with a Nuun tab in it. Usually right before jogging or spinning, but sometimes afterward.

https://a.co/d/iOnmY3J

Finally, in winter, I make strong herbal teas. Ingredients vary, but include chamomile, sage, bay leaf, chopped fresh ginger, crushed (fresh) turmeric root, cinnamon stick, and/or peppercorns. My wife will put in lemon, rosemary, and/or oregano (not my preference). We put our preferred brew in a tall mason jar with hot water and sip on it all evening.

Best of luck to you and everyone else!

mtaratoot

@Jthanmyfitnesspal

For water, I just like water. I drink plenty, and I have for a while. I am fortunate we have high-quality tap water in my city. Not only does it surpass all federal and state requirements for safe water, it tastes pretty good. I use a carbon block filter to remove the chlorine, but just leaving it in a loosely capped bottle also works. I'm generally not a fan of adding flavors to water.

I drink some flavored and unflavored "fizzy waters," and that's about as close as I get to soda. I haven't really enjoyed soda for years. Every now and then, like at a picnic, maybe I'll have one. Well, that isn't completely true. I am still enjoying a tonic water with bitters and a squeeze of lime a couple times per week.

Mostly I'm exploring some of the latest offerings in actual real beer that has had the ethanol removed. It's a worthy search. That reminds me; there's yet ANOTHER brewery in Bend (probably several more I don't know about) called "Worthy" that is making a hopped sparkling water. I saw it was "on sale" this week at one of the local grocery "chains," but when I went yesterday, they had none in stock. I'll keep looking. The one that Lagunitas makes is fine; sort of reminds me of Fresca with less sweet and some of those floral flavors are hops not grapefruit. Funny how some hops taste like grapefruit.

AnnPT77

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

(snippy)

I just bought (on the recommendation of @AnnPT77 ) an assortment of bitters, which I plan to put in home made seltser water (Sodastream). I have not tried them yet.

https://a.co/d/2WzeYKn

(snip)

Now I'm especially interested in what you think, once you give them a fair try. I haven't tried that brand. Since they're not cheap, I hope you like at least some of them, since you've acted on my enthusiasm for them!

I have a Bitter Truth sampler (Tonic, Peach, Olive, Cucumber, Chocolate), plus have bought individuals of their Cucumber; Fee Brothers Grapefruit; Cocktail Punk Smoked Orange.

I can't recall whether I've tried the Tonic one (not a huge tonic fan), like the olive and cucumber a lot (especially the cucumber, but I've loved cucumbers from early childhood), am a big fan of the grapefruit (on my 2nd bottle), found smoked orange reasonably good (but not as good as the smoked apple chickory that isn't made anymore), found peach rather feeble, and am OK with the chocolate but not bowled over.

Some of the ones I don't love would probably be great in the right cocktail/mocktail, but I'm a simplistic mixologist.

That shop @Sinisterbarbie1 linked has some very interesting looking things, and I may order from them once I drain down current stock a little. I do like variety, with some standbys in that mix. (You can probably tell, current standbys are the Bitter Truth Cucumber and Fee Brothers Grapefruit.)

There seems to be a "mocktail" boom recently, lots of recipes on the web, some new books, etc. I'm mostly too lazy to get that structured, but do like the dash of bitters and maybe a lemon/lime wedge in my sparkling water.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

@AnnPT77 : The mocktail boom is lots of fun, mostly from watching someone make them with lots of mulling, shaking and other rituals. But, in the end, they're usually pretty sweet, so you have to be up for that. And, at a restaurant, they sell them for real bucks. So you have to be up for that, too!

AnnPT77

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

@AnnPT77 : The mocktail boom is lots of fun, mostly from watching someone make them with lots of mulling, shaking and other rituals. But, in the end, they're usually pretty sweet, so you have to be up for that. And, at a restaurant, they sell them for real bucks. So you have to be up for that, too!

I hear what you're saying, and share your concerns, as we used to say back in the sensitive 1960s-70s.

In general, cocktails have moved much more in a "sweetSweetSWEET" direction since my youth, not just more of sweet drinks on the menu, but more people seemingly ordering them, and even classic drinks (martini, I'm lookin' at you) branching out in stupid-sweet directions.

We used to laugh, in my young womanhood, about people who always ordered things like Grasshoppers. (Not that a sweet drink isn't nice occasionally.) That sort of thing was a smaller subset of what was typically on offer, and commonly drunk, at least among my friends. Now, it seems like sweet cocktails seem to predominate. (Not that there aren't a few that are less so, of course.)

No surprise that mocktails follow the pattern.

Can you tell I'm not a huge fan of sweet drinks? If I have a mainstream sweet soda/pop 3 times a year, it'd be a surprise, and I totally don't normally enjoy those things with food. If I'm drinking one at all, it will be a sugared one, because all the diet types with artificial sweeteners (including the natural ones like monkfruit or stevia) seem to taste off, to me.

mtaratoot

Today's trial:

Sober Carpenter West Coast IPA. It's a whole bunch better than the 10-Barrel I had yesterday. It tastes less sweet (more bitter) and reminds me of... an IPA! This one will go back on the list. I guess I'm a hop-head. No surprise there.

Only 66 calories per 16-ounce pint can. The can is sort of misleading. It says 50 calories in a little box on the back that also lists 11 grams carbs. But at the top of the box it says, "Average analysis per 12-ounce serving." So, this brewery is telling me that one can is actually 1.33 servings? NOT! The MFP database has the correct calorie count.

I should have bought two of them.

Sinisterbarbie1

I think sweet mocktails only dominate where people are too lazy or uninventive to spend the time making up real mocktails with the elements behind the bar and just dump a bunch of juices and fruit in a glass instead of giving you soda. When I have asked for mocktails I have usually looked at things on a normal drink list that sound appealing and pointed the bartender to that flavor profile and they usually do a great job. If you also ask them to put it in a nice glass like a coupe you might luck out and get a fun garnish or some egg foam!