2019-11-01 Outside

62 OUTSIDE MAGAZINE

11.19

Dispatches Downtime

PHOTOGRAPH BY Hannah McCaughey

No Proof
BOOZE ISN’T OPTIMAL FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE.
THANKFULLY, A NEW CROP OF
ALCOHOL-FREE COCKTAILS
TASTE JUST AS GOOD AS THE
REAL THING.
BY GRAHAM AVERILL

THE NEXT BEVERAGE trend might be
moderation. With millennials leading the
charge, America’s overall alcohol con-
sumption took a slight dip for the third
year in a row in 2018, representing mil-
lions of gallons of unsold liquor, accord-
ing to data from industry tracker IWSR
Drinks Market Analysis. It’s hard to argue
with the health benefits of teetotaling,
particularly if you’re an athlete: various
studies have suggested that drinking
can have a negative impact on sleep,
aerobic performance, muscle recovery,
and reaction time. Fortunately, you don’t
have to forgo the cocktail ritual in order
to cut back. This new crop of nonalco-
holic drinks and “spirits”—featuring fresh
ingredients and surprising flavors—make
it easier than ever to skip the booze.

Bar None Bellini Spritz

Bar None’s portfolio of

single-serve bottled

mocktails use kombu-

cha or vinegar for a

pleasantly puckering

effect. The Bellini Spritz

is made with peach

puree, white-wine vin-

egar, and cane sugar

for a balance of sweet

and tart. $11 for four

Seedlip Garden 108

A gin and tonic without

the gin can be, well,

disappointing. Enter

Seedlip’s line of nonal-

coholic distilled spirits,

designed to provide

a flavorful punch for

a convincing cocktail

experience. Garden

is a gin substitute

made from spearmint,

rosemary, and hay that

adds an herbal element

to whatever concoction

you whip up. $36

Curious Elixirs No. 2

This is the most com-

plex virgin cocktail of

the bunch. Many of

Curious Elixirs’ offerings

mimic popular drinks,

like a Negroni or an

Aperol spritz. But the

No. 2 is less straightfor-

ward: it’s a mashup of a

pineapple margarita and

a dark and stormy, with

citrus and ginger notes

that add a sweet and

spicy one-two punch.

$35 for four

Kin Euphorics High

Rhode

Like Seedlip’s Garden

108, this nonalcoholic

spirit is meant to be

used in lieu of your

standard gin or vodka.

Kin Euphorics also

adds adaptogens and

nootropics, which the

company claims will

help elevate your mood.

The jury’s still out on

that one, but the drink

is delicious either way.

Try two ounces of High

Rhode in your next

Moscow Mule. $39

Be Mixed

Cucumber Mint

Even without alcohol,

cocktails can be calorie

and sugar bombs.

Be Mixed offers an

alternative by blending

all-natural sugar-free

sweeteners like monk

fruit and stevia to make

zero-calorie mixers.

Although they can be

combined with alcohol,

they’re smooth enough

to enjoy without—the

Cucumber Mint com-

bined with lime juice and

club soda might even

have you forgetting how

much you love mojitos.

$33 for 12