To start here, nothing particularly earth-shattering, but a couple fun sips I’ve come across.
A sommelier by trade, most of my career absolutely revolves around wine, sure. In saying that, I’m not always drinking wine - and when I’m not imbibing at all, I’m still looking for interesting things to drink, even aside from my consistent penchant for sparkling water. (Seriously, we have a SodaStream at home and FOUR tanks of gas in rotation to ensure we never run out.)
In saying that, the non-alc (zero-proof, booze-free, etc) category has exploded in recent years, meaning there are more fascinating options in that arena than ever. I’ve shifted around 25% of my career to events and writing around those parts, and have been finding it both enjoyable and fulfilling.
A term I’ve learned over this arc of my career is zebra-striping. Basically, for those of us who drink alcohol, but want to be measured over the course of an event or evening, the idea of that is to flip back and forth: one boozy drink, one non-alc, and so on.
Sure, you can mix it up style-wise, but I’ve recently enjoyed a duo of craft beer that, if you’re doing the zebra thing, can make you feel like you’re barely skipping a beat.
Here in Vancouver, Main Street Brewing’s Sundried Lime Lager is a refreshing, summery beer. Lager-forward, the lime hits you at the finish, keeping it lifted all the way through. Rather crushable, and it certainly won’t weigh you down.
On the flipside, Moody Ales Salted Lime Lager Non-Alcoholic Beer comes outta the gates with all that salty, citrusy goodness, with the lager-y component soming up on the back end. I’m more a hoppy/hazy guy when it comes to non-alc beers, I find lagers and pilsners can be a little to simple. Not here. That salted lime note hits everything so well.
Plenty of summer left. Get on ‘em.