Rep Dry January all year long with these alcohol-free drinks
By: Daniella Lopez
(Kaizen Nguyễn/Unsplash)
Whether Dry January has cemented your sobriety, led you to become sober-curious, or you’re looking to enjoy an alcohol-like beverage without the hangover, here are eight alcohol substitutes made locally in Canada to add to your cart all year round.
Libra Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer
Made in Charlottetown by Upstreet Craft Brewing, this non-alcoholic craft beer looks and tastes like the real thing. Currently, the brand offers four varieties of beer: pale ale, stout, pilsner and hazy IPA. Since launching in 2020, Libra has already won two World Beer Awards and recruited Canadian singer-songwriter Serena Ryder as its balance ambassador promoting wellness. Here’s a bonus: one per cent of sales support ArtHaus, whose mentorship program bridges the gap between amateur and professional musicians.
Sobrii 0-Gin
Based out of Stratford, Ont., Sobrii is Canada’s first distilled non-alcoholic gin. This particular drink uses Canadian ginseng grown in Ontario, and is distilled using juniper berries, coriander, all spice and star anise. When you purchase from Sobrii, you’re contributing to a local cause: since the pandemic, one dollar from each bottle bought on its website has been donated to Food Banks Canada. Furthermore, the company has been donating its removed alcohol to produce hand sanitizers.
Opus Cocktails
Christos Kalaitzis noticed the number of people asking for non-alcoholic drinks disguised as alcohol in his 16-year bartender career — so he decided to found Opus in Vancouver to create his own mixes. In fact, Opus features alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of all its drinks. Currently, the company offers two alcohol-free flavours: gin and tonic and aperitivo spritz. Opus won a silver medal for its cocktails at the 2021 San Diego Spirits Festival.
Silver Swallow Luxury Kombucha
Currently servicing Ontario and Quebec, Silver Swallow is a champagne-inspired kombucha that uses the namesake rare white tea, silver swallow. This tea is only picked once a year in China. The company finishes off its product with a traditional cork and cage so that classic champagne “pop” is still there.
Bière Sans Alcool (BSA) Craft Beer
BSA is a Quebec-based brand dedicated to brewing non-alcoholic craft beer. The company offers numerous varieties, including pilsner, IPA and a handful of flavoured sour beers. It even sells trendy beer-themed merchandise ranging from T-shirts to tote bags.
Sexy AF Spirits
When Jo-Anne Reynolds, the founder of Sexy AF, realized that not all of her female friends were drinking on their girl's trip, she wanted to create an alcohol-free drink for them to enjoy. Sexy AF is 100 per cent alcohol-free and friendly in many ways: allergen-free, vegan and kosher, just to name a few. The company has won numerous awards for all its six spirits, from silver and double gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition to being best in class at the Alberta Beverage Awards.
Split Tree Cordials
Based out of Ottawa, Split Tree offers cordial mixes ranging in flavours, such as cold brewed coffee, grapefruit, tonic and much more. The company gets its name from an actual split tree that president Steve Morrier would sometimes drive by and initially thought was dead — until spring came and he realized it was still full of life, sending a message of resilience.
One For The Road Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer
This Calgary company was born out of the owners' love for beer and beer culture, as well as the desire to find a non-alcoholic beer that tasted just as good. One For The Road offers kolsch, espresso stout, marzen, amber, blonde ale and IPA, and retails at over 400 stores across Canada, mostly in the West.