What To Drink When You’re Not Drinking – Discoveries from the Global Mindful Drinking Festival
By Guest Contributor: Martha Wright
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Much like my early years in the wine business twenty years ago, my budding passion and career in the area of mindful drinking is first and foremost about the community, rather than the liquid itself.
This past weekend I joined my first Global Mindful Drinking Festival and made some exciting discoveries I wanted to share.
My biggest surprise? Compared to my former wine career, it’s a vulnerable space.
Devoid of certifications and scores, I found a space where it is more than acceptable to talk about crippling anxiety, or negative self-talk, or imposter syndrome. And it’s ok to shout when you feel on top of the world because you’ve realized that being content is more than happy. It was not about social media and marketing connection in order to drive business, but about starting a business in order to drive human connection.
I met energetic, entrepreneurial producers of a wide range of non-alcoholic spirits, beers, wines and botanical drinks. I was introduced to new products, and watched reputed bartenders create sophisticated cocktails. From trade sessions focused on “Integrating Low and No Alcohol Drinks in Your Venue,” to “Inclusive Sober Spaces” it was a refreshing way to meet and interact with this growing community.
I discovered a new frontier with new rules and refreshingly, new voices. So far, I’ve found the space to be supportive, collaborative, curious, experimental, inclusive, diverse, young and energetic.
So what have I discovered since I started exploring the non-alc / low alc space?
I’ve tasted more than 60 products over the last year, and here is a quick list of Top picks in each category that I’ve tasted, and re-purchased, and that have been well received when shared with drinkers and non-drinkers.
Wine:
Most alcohol-free wine is too sweet, but my Top choice is Buonafide 0.0. Their Italian Reds “Rosso” and “Rosso Superiore” are fully fermented and dealcoholized wines that smell and taste of wine and are very dry. The sparkling white drinks like a prosecco, and while it’s still sweeter than the bone-dry Champagne I favored, it’s a great option to satisfy the bubbles craving.
Keep an eye on the Sapiens Beverage Company– the young sister-preneurs behind this exciting new brand are producing their first dealcoholized Cabernet Sauvignon blend. They are a producer to watch.
Beer:
Athletic Brewing, Bravus Brewing and WellBeing Brewing are three excellent US dedicated non-alcoholic craft breweries. And craft brewers like Brooklyn Brewery are introducing outstanding AF options.
Spirits:
My Top spirit is Monday Gin (0 abv, 0 calories) . A gin with heavenly juniper and citrus aroma, it smells more like gin than gin! Paired with Q Tonic or Fevertree and a lime, no one will know it’s zero proof. Curious to explore more? Lyre’s has the largest range of bottlings – and awards. Choose from London Dry, American Malt, Italian Spritz, Amaretti and more.
Adult Sparklings: (all 0% abv and 0 calories)
Lagunitas Brewing’s Hoppy Refresher is my top pick. With citrusy hops with tiny hint of elderflower, it’s a refreshing drink. Try the range of HopLark Hop Teas -citrusy hops brewed with tea of varying levels of caffeine. Finally, Bitter Housewife Bitters & Soda won me over with their proprietary bitters blend.
Originals (spirits or botanicals that don’t fit an existing bev alcohol category):
My top choice is For Bitter For Worse – three formulations made with organic and foraged ingredients from the Pacific Northwest. I love Eva’s Spritz with flavors of rhubarb and a blend of 12 botanicals and Saskatoon which is reminiscent of bitter Italian aperitif, with a blend of berries, bitter botanicals including dandelion root, and Douglas Fir tips. Finally, Curious Elixirs and their four “shaken, not slurred” cocktail blends are made using organic juices, spices, herbs, roots, barks, and botanicals.
Curious to learn more?
You can watch the replay sessions from this weekend’s virtual “Mindful Drinking Festival” on YouTube and there are a number of helpful resources to find these new non-alcohol discoveries.
Zero Proof Nation has a ton of useful non-alcohol industry and product news, and NA Craft Beverages is a terrific resource for one-stop online shopping for some of these selections.
The mindful drinking world is an exciting community that recognizes the essential element of a ritual of gathering with a beautiful glass, and a thoughtfully constructed beverage, to toast to our bonds.
The community is an intersection of many genres; from authors writing books on quitting (known in circles as “Quit lit”), to wellness and sobriety coaches like me, or self-styled product reviewers and influencers, there’s space for everyone.
So if you’re curious, don’t be shy. The community is young, vibrant, diverse and welcoming. Something maybe that can be a lesson for many of us in the alcohol beverage world.
Martha Wright is the co-founder of Champagne and Burgundy importer Caveau Selections, and former owner of Scott Paul Wines. After regaining control of her own relationship with alcohol, she became certified as a mindful drinking/sobriety coach through “This Naked Mind” and established her practice, Clear Power Coaching, in 2019. Through her group courses and one-on-one coaching, she offers a path to regain control that focuses on understanding the neuroscience of habits, uncovering unconscious beliefs and honing resiliency and coping tools. Learn more about her approach at Clear Power Coaching or connect with her on Instagram @clearpowercoaching.
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
The Goopification of grapes: why 'clean wine' is a scam by Felicity Carter for The Guardian
“Out of nowhere has come Good Clean Wine, which ‘pairs with a healthy lifestyle’; the Wonderful Wine Company, which offers ‘wellness without deprivation’; and Scout & Cellar, a multi-level marketing company that boasts of its ‘clean-crafted wine’ and intends to ‘disrupt the wine industry and do better for the planet,’ among others.”
12 Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement: 2020 by Stephanie Domet for Mindful.org
Twelve women share how their deep practice has shaped the world they see—and the one they’re working toward.
How to Improve Liver Function by Amanda Filipowicz on Medium
One of things to keep in mind while eating and drinking for a healthy liver is to “go slow” on alcohol.
You’re Doomscrolling Again. Here’s How to Snap Out of It by Brian X. Chen for The New York Times
In a pandemic that forces us to stay home, bingeing on doom-and-gloom news feels irresistible. But we aren’t doomed just yet, and there are approaches to modifying our behavior.
Meet the Community!
Our community is only as strong as the company we keep, and here we meet some of the folks who make our profession so dynamic.
Wilfred Wong, Chief Storyteller, Wine.com (San Francisco, USA)
Years In Industry:
48 Years, 8 months in many areas - Retail (Ashbury Market, BevMo!, Wine.Com), media (I wrote for Bay Food, a Berkeley CA Publication), BIN Magazine, Wine Country Magazine, Tasting Panel, Robert Whitley online and a few other things.
My Biggest Challenge To Wellness:
Staying active and not being tied to the computer terminal all of the time. Keeping balanced in all aspects of life (family, friends, and community)
Tasting a lot of wines requires focus and stamina. Whenever I approach a wine tasting, I am aware of how many wines I might taste, what is the format and how long it may take. When I attend a trade tasting, I figure out the priority wines, put on my headphones, and go to it. In a wine judging, I know before we begin, how long the day will last. I always spit my wines in these scenarios, unless a wine is so spectacular; I might swallow a bit of that one.
To keep my palate fresh, I will drink a little water. Coffee? Only after I am done. Over the last six years, I have been averaging around 5,000 wines.” This year, with no trade events and only one or two judgings, the number looks like 4,000 wines.
How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:
I try to work smartly, do the things I have to do in the box and beyond, not take myself too seriously.
Since 2003, I have maintained a program to keep active by regular exercising (cardio and weights). I went to the gym two to three times a week and workout for 1-1/2 hours. This was effective as I lost weight and strengthened my muscles. I got away from the gym and weights in recent years, but I kept my cardio.
Just before all of us got shut down, I started attending hot yoga classes. My metabolism is pretty good. Last year I enrolled in a year-long health class because my numbers indicated I was pre-diabetic. Ironically, this number dropped after I joined the class. This was a major lifestyle changed and cause me to look closely at my total health picture including diet and stress.
While I still enjoy ribeye and roast chicken, I eat more veggies than I ever had. Since March, I have lost around 5-6 lbs. Our four-year old dog Kaili orders me take two to three walks with her a day. Alice joins me and relaxes on a bench while I take Kaili through the woods. I enjoy this walk because it is serene and peaceful with some of most spectacular ancient trees. On the hill across from our house, I avoid the path (where all the people walk) and trek over gopher holes, rocks and things.
In my daily routine, I do not set a minute by minute schedule; I have a bullet journal divided into sections: The plan; food; wine stuff; photography; exercise; deadlines; catch up with friends. I don’t have need to complete each section, but they help me remember what I should be doing. I have been writing a journal for years now and continue to revise it.
For decades, I wrote my notes in those black composition books, and they served me well. As I transitioned from Ashbury Market to BevMo to Wine.com, I have to adopt or I wouldn’t have succeeded. While I am not a techie, I am pretty up-to-date on the best technology to get it done. Since Wine.com has an incredible need for information as quickly as possible, I have had to figure the fastest way to get the wines properly tasted and posted on www.wine.com if they score high enough.
I started my photography career in 2002 (I did take some fun photos earlier, but this was the year that I decided to add it to my repertoire. While my old notebooks were great, my iPhone, iPad Professional, and cameras made my work flow much easier and satisfying. I am most happiest when I have my tools with me.
You can connect with Wilfred on Instagram @willieboysf @willieboy12, @willieboysf_wineguy on Twitter @willieboysf and Facebook WilfredWong
The Measure:
Spreading the love for those people who support A Balanced Glass in our endeavors in their own special way.
Woman-Owned Wineries elevates female wine entrepreneurs through storytelling, advocacy, and commerce. With a nationwide winery directory 600 wineries strong and a subscription wine club that delivers carefully curated selections every month, we invite you to get curious about the unsung heroines behind your favorite bottles.
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