Thoughts on non-alcoholic beer/wine
 

I'm wondering what your thoughts are on drinking non-alcoholic varieties of popular alcoholic drinks. Not necessarily the beer because I know O-Doulls and such has a small percentage of alcohol in it. But, I found a line of wines online called Ariel Wines that have less than a half of a percent of alcohol in them, which is literally less than toothpaste or listerine in some instances.

I have a few weddings coming up and I always feel like an outsides with a stupid diet coke and I am very sick of straight up cranberry juice, tonic water/limes and/or diet coke.

The weddings are at hotels and my friend getting married said I'm more than welcome to bring BYON-AW (bring my own non-alcoholic wine) :) Do you think this is flirting with the devil? I have never tried this, but in the past, my poison was always vodka. Never had a wine problem...but if it tastes the same, does anyone think complications can arise with my sobriety/recovery?

I was always told that those non-alcoholic type drinks as for non-alcoholics. In my opinion, it is a risk. OK, so we didn't drink beer or wine for the taste. But still, having that taste in your mouth could really trigger something.

Also, Listerine etc makes products with no alcohol now. That's what I use. I don't risk the possibility that I may just "decide" to swallow it for some destructive reason.

Avoid at all costs. I've tried this, and always ended up drinking proper booze again.

This comes up on a regular basis. For me this is a bad, bad idea.

IMO there are about a million and a half other beverage options out there. Why drink something that tastes like the stuff that could have killed you if you are an alcoholic?

I'm a recovering heroin addict.. I would never think to inject saline into my veins. That's just nonsense, but some addicts do it.. addicted to the ritual. I would not consider myself anywhere near recovery if I had thoughts like that.

I was a beer drinker.

I don't drink NA beer because it looks like beer, feels like a can of beer, smells like beer, it has that same condensation thing on the can like a beer, the same fizz and foam when you pop the can, tastes like beer (kinda)....

I'd drink it then I'd wonder why I'd go out everytime and get 'real' beer.
I was still knee deep in old behaviours, and didn't even realise it.

As a former beer drinker I know it ticks all the boxes for me, and opens the door to old behaviour and old thought paterns.

I don't recommend it.

I don't need to know - but I'd ask yourself...why choose NA wine when there's so many other yummy and totally non alcoholic things to drink?

D

I couldn't have even gone to a wedding my first couple months of sobriety. I hope you have a plan for staying sober through all the alcohol-fueled celebration.

I'd think about your intentions regarding this Niki. You want to drink non alcoholic wine, not because you like the taste but because you don't want to feel like an outsider not drinking...

It sounds to me like that is a pretty dangerous thought pattern. I understand it, because I was really worried at times how I would fit in at functions where everyone was drinking, but the fact was that it was something I just had to deal with. I couldn't drink, and even though I like the taste of beer I can't use that as an excuse to drink it, and I had already figured out that non alcoholic beers were going to make me crave the real thing.

There are loads of nice tasting drinks that aren't pretend booze (this just made me think of those pretend cigarette candies I used to get as a kid! There's a reason they don't sell them now...). Try mixing soda and fruit juice. I'm really demanding with bar staff that they get my drink right now, whereas in my earlier sober days I just wanted to hide and pretend I wasn't not drinking. Fact is very few people will care if you drink or not. It might be worth experimenting more with actual non alcoholic drinks before you head down the pretend drink line... x

I agree with Pipparina and Huey.

I don't want any part of low-alcohol or no-alcohol wine or beer.

When I go to functions where "everyone" is drinking and I am sipping a Diet Coke or seltzer water and lime, I feel pretty smart.

The easy way is to avoid these types of drinks.

The hard way is to drink them and hope that they don't trigger cravings or other stupid ideas.

I will stick with the easier softer way on this decision.

It's a great inquiry, though, one that almost all of us have considered since we got sober.

And I don't use mouthwash with alcohol.

Nothing with alcohol is going in my mouth.

I'll be honest, I bought a 6 pack of NA beer about a month ago. It was pleasant to finish everything I needed to do for the day and drink one of those each night before bed. I thought it was pretty enjoyable and planned to buy another 6 pack of NA beer after I ran out after 6 nights.

That was a month ago and I still haven't bought another pack, and don't have any intentions to. It cost $9 for 6 bottles. I liked it but I have to work for my money.... A box of 20 chamomile tea bags cost $2 and is a lot more enjoyable for me anyway.

Personally, when drinking, I would be more inclined to ignore someone with a diet coke than someone sucking on one of those wannabe beers. What's the point? Are you trying to pretend to others that you just like the taste?
That is really flirting with disaster IMHO.
No offense intended...I just don't understand who you are trying to impress.

All the best.

NA beer?? Gross. Club soda with cranberry for me.

"Flirting with the devil", you said. That devil is inside you, inside your brain. Down in the more primitive parts close to the base of the brain. So alcohol gave us a buzz. And the brain got conditioned to associate the taste of the stuff (actually it tastes awful at first doesn't it?), associate the taste with the buzz. So when we give up alcohol, the brain says, "Where's my booze? What have you done with it?" And then we toss the brain a teaser-that is we drink some "alcohol free beer, or wine or whatever". The brain tastes the stuff and- big surprise!- no buzz! So if that goes on the devil part of the brain realizes that it's been betrayed, teased, toyed with and it's mad as h... So one evening, when you're good and tired, you find yourself picking up some of the real stuff, saying to yourself, "Well one little real one won't do any harm. I can control it. I know I can."
And I think you know the rest, the way this story ends.

W.

NA beers came out when my grandfather was alive and he was recovered. He said he'd never let it pass his lips because he was afraid he'd open the door to disaster.

I would not bother with NA beer or wine for the same reasons he didn't. I'm only 60 days sober but I wouldn't want to risk it over something that tastes like crap anyway.

As a 2-3 times a week drinker I always wanted to moderate but once I start I can't stop until I am passed the heck out most of the time and have never stopped at 3 drinks even though thats what I had in mind when I popped the first can open by 3 beers I am in denial and I keep on ...with just 21days of sobriety here I know I am not even ready to try moderation, I know me too well I know 3 will lead to 8 and so on. Even though I have the urge to try and see if I can moderate I have to be honest with myself and say I can't even have one. If I didn't have the guilt and anxiety of just getting drunk 2-3 times a week I probably would of been drinking every single day so thank God for the crappy feeling of guilt and anxiety in a way I am not ready to moderate because I can't right now instead of thinking about how far along I am and asking myself when is a good time to try it out I just tell myself everyday, Today I am not going to drink. Good Luck I know this is hard but be honest with yourself even though it probably is one of the most difficult things we have to do in order to keep ourselves sober

NA Beer never triggered me... It is a rare event that I will drink one nowadays... They are expensive and they taste, well, maybe that's why I wasn't triggered, LOL...

NA Wine, oh jeez, that is some horrible swill.... good lord, I just don't get it... I mean, wow....

However...

Martinelli's sparkling cider is pretty awesome... no alcohol... Trader Joe's makes some sparkling fruit juices... whatever

There will come a time, at least it did for me, that I just don't care what I am drinking anymore, though I do prefer Diet Coke, LOL... And this whole "standing out" thing... That was just in my mind, no one cares... really.

This is the post I made in reply to someone else asking about non alcoholic beer/wine that I meant to copy here sorry bout that :)

I never looked it up or read about alcoholics drinking non alcoholic beer etc. the thought of non alcoholic beer crossed my mind but me personally??? well I know me and I know I will get the taste and wont be satisfied without the buzz so I know I will not be able to take the non alcohol beer because of just who I am. I am a 2-3 x's a week binge drinker beer without alcohol in it aint gonna fly with me so I am drinking green tea right now instead

I don't drink the stuff...not because it triggers me but because it tastes awful.

There are so many good-tasting drinks in this world! I prefer those. Give me a nice italian soda or even an ice-cold glass of coke, and I'm fine.

I don't have no opinion either way on drinking NA beverages but I don't bother b/c there's no buzz and wine stains my teeth.

I'm sure there will be others at the wedding not drinking. Designated drivers, pregnant women, plain non-drinkers, etc. I think the feeling like an outsider part is being new to sobriety.
The only time I ever have anyone question me about why I'm not drinking, it's usually because they themselves have a problem. My aunt is a good example. I'll see her tonight at a dinner and nobody will notice that I'm not drinking, my cousin will probably have one or none and, my aunt will quiz us on why. Later on she'll have me help her to the bathroom b/c she's afraid she'll fall (probably true for a 75 yr old drunk lady) and tell me how she knows she drinks too much but she's too old to change and she doesn't want to go to those meetings. All this from a woman who KNOWS that I went to rehab and knows that I actively work on sobriety.

My point is, the only ones that notice are the ones that are already self conscious of themselves and their drinking. Everyone else couldn't care less about what you drink I can promise you that. So, before you run off and order expensive NA wine online, consider if it's worth the money and/or the cost to your sobriety should it affect you negatively. You don't even know if it will taste good! If it were me, I'd take that money, spend it on the happy couple and stick with that boring old diet coke. Or spice it up a bit with a lime :-)