If a no-alcohol lifestyle is something you’re thinking about for 2023, you’re in luck. There are plenty of affordable options and interesting ingredients available thanks to new retailers as well as restaurants and bars, including California Pizza Kitchen, A.O.C., Big Bar and All Day Baby, that have offered creative NA cocktails in recent years.
A life without alcohol is something Jennifer Dalton, a 41-year-old Beachwood Canyon lifestyle publicist, knows about. She eschewed alcohol earlier in 2022 after originally toying with the idea in 2020 following a Dry January (in which people skip or cut down on booze as a way of starting off the year). “At the end of the month, I felt so good. I just kept going,” Dalton says. “But then the pandemic happened, and I returned to wine.”
Today her rule is: “Weed and psychedelics are fine but no alcohol,” she says. But it turns out Dalton, who considers herself to be “California sober,” didn’t just eliminate alcohol. She has replaced the ritual surrounding drinking with tea ceremonies, adaptogen-infused drinks that use herbal and plant-based ingredients and local gatherings that de-center alcohol by focusing on art, music and healing modalities, including sound baths and meditation.
“We’re looking for a deep connection rather than coming into a bar and numbing ourselves,” says Dalton, who now prefers seasonal teas from Moon Canyon Healing, Cann cannabis-infused Social Tonics or a Ghia alcohol-free aperitif if she’s choosing to imbibe without an alcohol-induced buzz.
A 2021 NielsenIQ survey showed that 22% of consumers reported they planned to cut back on consuming alcohol, with health and wellness cited as the top reason for the shift. For some, the Dry January movement has evolved into a yearlong way of living with more intention around if, when and how to consume alcohol.
As Patti Kim, a West Hollywood-based naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist, sees it: “Someone who is sober-curious may not have a physiological addiction but is looking to actively and consciously make changes in their relationship to alcohol.”
Cait Madry, host of the Clear Headed podcast and co-founder of Clearheaded.co, is keen on helping her audience build their “sober-care” routines. “You hear people ask about a skin-care or self-care routine. There should be a sober-care routine,” says Madry. “L.A. is full of creatives and people looking to be better in terms of health. … It’s creating more space for people to feel they can entertain a fun, exciting life without alcohol and without feeling judged or labeled.”
Valerie Gordon, chef and founder of Valerie Confections in Echo Park, often is faced with work-related opportunities to imbibe, and like many adults, she found the COVID-19 pandemic to be a time when her wine intake increased. But she has made some major changes. After regular wine drinking disrupted her sleep, Gordon began moderating her alcohol intake and imbibing with more intention.
“I am drinking 50% less than at the top of the pandemic,” says Gordon, 52. “Wine and cocktails are such an important part of the food community, and I have as much love and respect for mixologists and winemakers as I do for the food.”
She turns to cocktails of her own creation using Seedlip nonalcoholic mixers or Pellegrino’s Essenza flavored mineral water with an extra squeeze of Meyer lemon or blood orange. “If I’m doing alcohol-free, then this provides that transition, and it still feels like a treat and that I’m taking care of myself,” she says.
Megan Klein, founder of CBD and adaptogen-infused drink brand Little Saints, agrees that intention and having interesting NA options are important. “Drinking is in our culture,” Klein says. “This is about options and being able to choose what you want to do with your health. … We eat organic food, use infrared saunas and are by far the capital of health and wellness, and then alcohol cuts all of that out.”
If you want to cut back on or eliminate alcohol in January or anytime, we’ve created a starting point for you. Check out the list of L.A.-based non-alcoholic drink brands below. (Keep in mind that some nonalcoholic beverages, including those containing adaptogens or nootropics, may interact with some prescribed medications and shouldn’t be consumed by people who are pregnant.)
We’ve also included eight mostly new or newish local spots offering zero-proof cocktails or the ingredients for making NA drinks that won’t have you missing the spirits. Pro tip: Many bars and restaurants can make nonalcoholic alternatives to popular alcoholic cocktails. Just ask your server.
Droplet
Co-founded by Celeste Perez, the drink includes antioxidants, superfoods and adaptogens. Ingredients such as yuzu, calamansi, ginger and white peach create a refreshing alternative to alcohol. drinkdroplet.com
Optimist Botanicals
Made in downtown L.A., Optimist Botanicals takes the nonalcoholic craft cocktail to new levels. There are three taste profiles, all said to be inspired by L.A. Bright tastes like a citrus-forward vodka. Smokey mimics the experience of drinking tequila, and Fresh is infused with herbs and licorice and is similar to the botanical palette of gin. optimistdrinks.com
De Soi
Co-founded by Katy Perry, this range of nonalcoholic aperitifs is also gluten-free and vegan, with flavors ranging from bright lemongrass to vanilla oak and rose petals. Adaptogens such as maca, tulsi and ashwagandha are infused into the drinks, which have a light carbonation that makes them ideal for sipping while socializing. drinkdesoi.com
Amass
The popular L.A.-based brand produces well-known spirits but has also introduced a nonalcoholic option into its assortment. Riverine is a zero-proof drink containing 14 botanicals, including juniper and coriander, and can be sipped sans any additions. amass.com