These Healthier Alcohol Alternatives Are Perfect For A Dry Or Semidry January
If your interest has been piqued by healthier drink options, you're certainly not alone. For the past decade, better-for-you food, drink, and lifestyle options have been popping up across all categories: skipping happy hours with friends in favor of workout classes, subbing in herbal tea for coffee, prioritizing meditation and sleep above all else — and suddenly, nonalcoholic and less-alcoholic drinks are joining the mix in a major way.
Spiked seltzers have been dominating as the latest and greatest drinking trend, advertised as a tasty and healthier alternative to throwing back beers. Lately, though, we've been seeing other types of wellness-focused alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages — those with less sugar, cleaner ingredients, and even lower ABV (alcohol by volume) levels — popping up everywhere.
From Haus's low-ABV aperitifs and Bev's zero-sugar sparkling wine to Pulp Culture's hard-pressed juice and JuneShine's alcoholic kombucha, design-friendly brands are coming out of the woodwork to provide options for every type of social drinker, whether you're trying to avoid carbs, prevent a hangover, or decrease your alcohol intake entirely.
"Consumers are finally realizing their ambition to 'drink better,'" explains Mark McTavish, CEO of Pulp Culture. "The 'less bad for you' approach isn't cutting it anymore, and we're seeing a demand for functional ingredients that lead to positive outcomes."
From hard kombucha to adaptogen-packed drinks, check out a few of our favorite low-alcohol beverages and nonalcoholic alternatives to test out during Dry January.
The Best Low-Alcohol Drinks
1. Lunar Yuzu Hard Seltzer (16-pack), $47.99
Lunar
Created by Kevin Wong and Sean Ro, Lunar seltzer is made without artificial chemicals or flavors. Described as "Asian Americana in a can," the brand uses premium fruits from Asia. The bright packaging immediately draws you in; they'd look great on any bar cart.
2. Pulp Culture Relax (4-pack), $13.99
Pulp Culture
This inventive line of hard-pressed juice was created by wellness entrepreneurs Mark McTavish and Brendan Brazier using 100% raw, fresh juice that naturally ferments over three months in a method called wild fermentation. This process results in a zero-sugar beverage with six billion naturally occurring probiotics, B vitamins, and 4.9% ABV, which is then mixed with nutrient-dense superfruits, including guava and passionfruit, and performance-boosting botanical adaptogens, like ginseng.
Haus
After growing up around California winemakers and learning the inner workings of the industry, husband and wife founders Helena and Woody decided to craft low-ABV drinks that are naturally fermented and made with real fruits and botanicals rather than artificial flavors. With complex varieties like Grapefruit Jalapeño and Rose Rosé, as well as lighter alcohol content, the aperitifs are perfect for sipping throughout the evening on the rocks or adding to simple mixers, like soda and tonic, for an effervescent cocktail.
4. Bev Ladies Night Variety Pack (24-pack), $99
Bev
Established by two entrepreneurial women, Bev began in an apartment in Venice, California with the aim of disrupting the mostly male-driven alcohol industry by "building a brand centered around an inclusive, respectful drinking culture with an emphasis on creating female-friendly spaces." It started with a lower-alcohol canned rosé and now includes a sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio. Each can is made with all-natural fruits, zero added sugar, and a little bit of sparkling bubbles for a festive treat.
5. JuneShine Blood Orange Mint (6-pack), $14.99
JuneShine
Kombucha has been having a moment lately thanks to its gut-healing properties, so it makes sense that someone would add alcohol. The team at JuneShine wanted to invent a drink that was equally healthy for consumers and the environment. This hard kombucha is crafted with an initial brew of organic green tea, honey, and JuneShine's signature SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). Then, organic honey sugar cane, juices, and spices are mixed in for a variety of flavors. The result is a delicious refreshment with up to 6% ABV (in super-cute cans to boot).
6. Cupcakes LightHearted Pinot Grigio, $11
Cupcakes LightHearted
You're probably already familiar with Cupcake Vineyards' wine, but this subset of the brand is designed for those who like to lead a healthier lifestyle. "I'm an avid runner, and some days, I want something that's lower in calories and alcohol but doesn't sacrifice flavor," explains Jessica Tomei, the company's winemaker. That's why each serving of the new LightHearted bottles is just 80 calories, 8% ABV, and less than 1 gram of sugar. The four fruit-forward, aromatic varietals — chardonnay, pinot grigio, rosé, and pinot noir — will still allow for that ritual glass at the end of a hard day without any negative effects.
7. Zuzu Variety Pack (three 4-packs), $58.50
Zuzu
Transparently made with just sparkling water, organic agave spirit, fruit juice, fruit puree, organic agave syrup, and a pinch of sea salt, Zuzu is a clean sparkling cocktail engineered to replace the "too sweet, dubiously sourced" drinks on the market. The founders were tired of headaches and hangovers, synthetic flavors, and the absence of straightforward nutritional information, so they formulated a refreshing 5% ABV beverage with just six ingredients, 90 calories, and five grams of sugar. It's just that simple.
8. Ramona Organic Ruby Grapefruit Wine Spritz (4-pack), $24
Ramona
The glamorous Italian spritz meets the retro American wine cooler with Ramona, a vibrant line of wine spritz in cans that is made with organic ingredients, no chemical additives, minimal sulfites, and low alcohol content. The bubbly beverages are the brainchild of sommelier-turned-entrepreneur Jordan Salcito, who was the wine and beverage director for David Chang's Momofuku restaurants before she ventured off to innovate in portable, wine-based cocktails. With flavors like ruby grapefruit and blood orange, the award-winning cans are casual drinking at its best.
9. Canteen Spirits Vodka Soda Variety (8-pack), staring at $19.99
Canteen Spirits
Marketed toward sporty millennials who lead an active lifestyle, Canteen Spirits offers canned vodka sodas with 0 grams of sugar, 0 carbs, just 99 calories, and 5% ABV. Flavors like black cherry, cucumber mint, and watermelon are crafted with real vodka and are packaged in convenient 12-ounce cans so that hikers, skiers, and cyclists can tote them easily throughout their outdoor adventures and sip as they go.
10. Kyla Hard Kombucha Ginger Tangerine (6-pack), $10.99
Kyla Hard Kombucha
Brewed in Hood River, Oregon, Kyla Hard Kombucha is produced by fermenting tea and sugar with a living culture called a SCOBY. In addition to all the gut health benefits it boasts, the fizzy drink also has 4.5% ABV, 0 grams of sugar, and just 90 calories. That means getting tipsy might actually be good for you. We'll take it.
11. Allagash Little Grove Blackcurrant Sparkling Session Ale (6-pack), $13.99
Allagash Brewing Company
With a 3.8% ABV, this 100-calorie beer is described as light, bright, and slightly tart, with a touch of blackcurrant to add a fruity flavor.
The Best Nonalcoholic Drinks
1. Mocktail Club Variety Pack (4-pack), $16.96
Mocktail Club
Founded by Pauline Idogho in 2018, along with a team of BIPOC women, Mocktail Club features a line of non-alcoholic beverages inspired by global travel. Including antioxidants and superfruits, you can expect flavors like Manhattan Berry, Havana Twist, Bombay Fire, and Capri Spritz.
2. Sunwink Mocktail Tonic Pack (12-pack), $50
Sunwink
Sunwink is stocked with wellness powders and sparkling tonics perfect for drinking on their own or mixed with a cocktail. Each flavor is packed with superfoods and adaptogens that can help with releasing stress, stimulating digestion, and boosting your mood.
3. Optimist Botanicals Smokey Distilled Nonalcoholic Spirit, $35
Optimist Botanicals
Co-founded by mixologists, Optimist Botanicals offers nonalcoholic drinks made without sugar or additives. The brand offers three flavors — bright, fresh, and smokey — that are designed to taste like vodka, gin, and tequila, respectively. Not only are the drinks made with a variety of botanicals but they're also inspired by different landscapes in California, including Topanga Canyon, Venice Beach, and Yucca Valley.
4. Brooklyn Brewed Sorrel Non-Alcoholic Mocktail (3-pack), $72
Brooklyn Brewed Sorrel
The Brooklyn Brewed Sorrel Mocktail is concocted with the sorrel flower (a variety of hibiscus), along with ginger, Caribbean allspice, bay leaves, and orange peel. The beverage is made from a family recipe with a 400-year-old Caribbean heritage, courtesy of founder Nzinga Knight. According to the product description, some say the drink "tastes better than wine."
5. Ritual Bar Cart Bundle, $101.99
Amazon
Get your classic spirits without the alcohol when you buy the Ritual Zero Proof bundle. Ritual's gin, whiskey, and tequila are crafted with all the flavor but minus the calories. If you need some nonalcoholic cocktail inspo, the brand teamed up with V8 vegetable juice for mocktail bundles and recipes available exclusively on Amazon.
6. Hella Cocktail Co. Bitters & Soda Zero-Sugar Variety Pack (12-pack), $39.95
Hella Cocktail Co.
Hella Bitters & Soda is a sparkling non-alcoholic aperitif created with craft cocktail bitters. The drink is non-alcoholic, zero-sugar, and non-GMO, plus comes in flavors like grapefruit, lemon lime, ginger turmeric, and the classic dry aromatic.
Bonbuz
Bonbuz is a functional, alcohol-free spirit made with active ingredients like nootropics and adaptogens to boost your mood without a hangover. The brand recently launched Slowburn, its first spicy flavor with notes of blood orange, grapefruit, and jalapeño, all without sugar or gluten.
8. Monday Gin & Whiskey Duo, $69
Monday
Perfect for whiskey and gin lovers, Monday has the same richness without carbs, sugar, calories, or alcohol. Made in small batches with natural ingredients, they're the perfect addition to a nonalcoholic bar cart.
Ghia
Beautifully packaged, the nonalcoholic Ghia Apéritif is a vegan drink made without artificial flavors, added sugars, and caffeine. It's also created with extracts of natural nervines, aka herbs that help support the nervous system and offer soothing and relaxing benefits.
10. Recess Limited Edition Zero-Proof Margarita (8-pack), $39.99
Recess
Enjoy a healthy margarita alternative with Recess' new limited-edition flavor. Made with hemp and adaptogens, this sparkling mocktail is low in sugar, carbs, and calories and can help calm the body and mind.
11. Health-Ade Fan Favorite Variety Pack (3-pack), $49.95
Health-Ade
Health-Ade's kombucha has it all: It's vegan, organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, and contains living probiotics, detoxifying acids, and natural antioxidants. These drinks offer the perfect amount of fizziness for when the craving strikes, and as for the flavors, there are more than you might think. We're talking berry lemonade, bubbly rose, watermelon, and tropical punch, along with "glow up kombucha" in strawberry glow, citrus immune boost, and ginger pineapple belly reset.
12. Bingo-Bango Fresh Fruit Soda Co. Mixed Pack (12-pack), $45
Bingo-Bango Fresh Fruit Soda Co.
Named after a phrase used by his late grandfather, Michael Robinson II founded Bingo-Bango Fresh Fruit Soda Co. to bring craft soda to the masses. Made with no artificial preservatives, Bingo-Bango sodas are a perfect option for when you want a special, better-for-you, fizzy drink that isn't alcoholic or regular soda.
13. French Bloom Le Blanc Organic French Bubbly, $39
French Bloom
Get your wine without the alcohol, thanks to French Bloom's vegan, preservative-free Le Blanc. It's made of de-alcoholized organic French Chardonnay wine, organic grape juice, and natural flavors such as lemon, so it truly tastes just like the real thing.