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OT: Non Alcoholic beer and spirits. Why?

Bulldog Bruce

Bulldog Bruce

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There are so many commercials about non-alcoholic spirits nowadays. I truly don't get non-alcoholic beer and non-alcoholic hard liquor, especially the ones that "keep the burn". I drink alcohol to get the buzz when I drink. I basically tolerate the overall taste of any of it. I do like some more than others, but I would not drink Bourbon or Beer if I didn't end up getting a buzz when I do it.
 
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dorndawg

dorndawg

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They're pretty popular with some recovering alcoholics. There seems to be some component of ritual when it comes to addictions. So people can get the feels from a cold beer after a hard day or while out on a patio, without it potentially ruing their lives.

Also, young folks are less likely to drink alcohol than older generations, but still love to spend money on drinks (see generally the 7 Brew thread). the ones I've seen are about as expensive as normal beer, THAT'S the part I don't really get.
 
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Seinfeld

Seinfeld

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Never really understood it either. I've cut back significantly on the amount of alcohol that I drink during a given weekend, and when the day eventually comes when I need to give it up completely, I can see myself replacing it with one of those fizzy THC drinks or maybe even just a Coke. I just can't see the need for an Odoul's, though. Like you said, I sure don't drink any of that stuff for the delicious taste.
 
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Drebin

Drebin

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dorndawg said:
They're pretty popular with some recovering alcoholics. There seems to be some component of ritual when it comes to addictions. So people can get the feels from a cold beer after a hard day or while out on a patio, without it potentially ruing their lives.

Also, young folks are less likely to drink alcohol than older generations, but still love to spend money on drinks (see generally the 7 Brew thread). the ones I've seen are about as expensive as normal beer, THAT'S the part I don't really get.
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I think the ritual thing is a big part of it. I used to chew back in the day and it wasn't an addiction. I only craved it during certain activities and if I wasn't doing that, I didn't even think about it. A good bourbon pour for me is the same - I only have one on occasion during certain circumstances and don't miss it otherwise. Not minimizing addiction, just saying the ritualistic component is real in my experience.
 
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johnson86-1

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Bulldog Bruce said:
There are so many commercials about non-alcoholic spirits nowadays. I truly don't get non-alcoholic beer and non-alcoholic hard liquor, especially the ones that "keep the burn". I drink alcohol to get the buzz when I drink. I basically tolerate the overall taste of any of it. I do like some more than others, but I would not drink Bourbon or Beer if I didn't end up getting a buzz when I do it.
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dorndawg said:
They're pretty popular with some recovering alcoholics. There seems to be some component of ritual when it comes to addictions. So people can get the feels from a cold beer after a hard day or while out on a patio, without it potentially ruing their lives.

Also, young folks are less likely to drink alcohol than older generations, but still love to spend money on drinks (see generally the 7 Brew thread). the ones I've seen are about as expensive as normal beer, THAT'S the part I don't really get.
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There are definitely drinks I have where the ritual is part of it. I don't drink much beer, but I can get the appeal of cracking open a cold non-alcoholic beer after mowing the lawn or whatever. Not sure I get the sitting around drinking it part.

But sitting down at the end of the night, or maybe the beginning of the night depending on how the day went, with a liquor drink on the rocks definitely has a ritualistic aspect for me, and the burn is part of it sometimes. I have some higher proof liquors I pretty much only drink on the rocks for the first drink of the night. Often times the only drink of hte night. Never get to a buzzed stage, but I do get relaxed, and I don't know how much, if any, the alcohol has to do with that. I think if soembody gave me a non-alcoholic liquor (had not seen that those exist), and I did not know about it, it would probably work very similarly through a placebo effect. I think if I knew it was nonalcoholic, my mind probably wouldn't let it work even though I recognize that the alcohol in one drink probably isn't doing that much.
 
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dorndawg

dorndawg

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Drebin said:
I think the ritual thing is a big part of it. I used to chew back in the day and it wasn't an addiction. I only craved it during certain activities and if I wasn't doing that, I didn't even think about it. A good bourbon pour for me is the same - I only have one on occasion during certain circumstances and don't miss it otherwise. Not minimizing addiction, just saying the ritualistic component is real in my experience.
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I've never been much on tobacco, but a big ol dip on a long drive just hit the spot.
 
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Villagedawg

Villagedawg

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Beer. I get it. Flavor of beer is part of it. Spirits? I guess the flavor could also be a factor for those of us who enjoy great cocktails and or neat spirits. I don't know that I would sip a neat non-alcoholic Scotch though. I mean why drink Coke, Sprite, or Seltzer? Flavor has to be a factor, otherwise we would just all drink water all the time.
 
dorndawg

dorndawg

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Fancy-pants liquor stores now routinely have a selection of NA "liquors". A lot of them are $30 or more a bottle
 
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columbiadawg2

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I drink a lot of NA beers. I've cut out alcohol completely and NA beers are my solution. I was the type of drinker where one beer turned into 10 quickly. There was no such thing as "having one or two beers." But during a game I'm watching on TV, I'll have a couple NA beers. While grilling, I'm having a few NA beers. This way I can have the habits with having a beer and still be a good husband/father/friend/etc.

For those that don't struggle with alcohol issues, I get why it seems ridiculous to drink beer with no alcohol but it's saved my life/marriage etc., etc.
 
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dorndawg

dorndawg

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columbiadawg2 said:
I drink a lot of NA beers. I've cut out alcohol completely and NA beers are my solution. I was the type of drinker where one beer turned into 10 quickly. There was no such thing as "having one or two beers." But during a game I'm watching on TV, I'll have a couple NA beers. While grilling, I'm having a few NA beers. This way I can have the habits with having a beer and still be a good husband/father/friend/etc.

For those that don't struggle with alcohol issues, I get why it seems ridiculous to drink beer with no alcohol but it's saved my life/marriage etc., etc.
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Good job, dawg
 
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Beretta.sixpack

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columbiadawg2 said:
I drink a lot of NA beers. I've cut out alcohol completely and NA beers are my solution. I was the type of drinker where one beer turned into 10 quickly. There was no such thing as "having one or two beers." But during a game I'm watching on TV, I'll have a couple NA beers. While grilling, I'm having a few NA beers. This way I can have the habits with having a beer and still be a good husband/father/friend/etc.

For those that don't struggle with alcohol issues, I get why it seems ridiculous to drink beer with no alcohol but it's saved my life/marriage etc., etc.
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Ive quit alcohol all together....this is the same story with me....I have just recently discovered NA beer.....I thought it was going to be nasty like the first time i tasted one 20 years ago....I was wrong....holy cow they are good...they have really perfected the taste....you literally cannot tell the taste difference in the beer with alcohol......corona, blue moon, Heineken, budweiser.....they are all fantastic....i now enjoy these cooking out or after mowing....
 
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The Cooterpoot

The Cooterpoot

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columbiadawg2 said:
I drink a lot of NA beers. I've cut out alcohol completely and NA beers are my solution. I was the type of drinker where one beer turned into 10 quickly. There was no such thing as "having one or two beers." But during a game I'm watching on TV, I'll have a couple NA beers. While grilling, I'm having a few NA beers. This way I can have the habits with having a beer and still be a good husband/father/friend/etc.

For those that don't struggle with alcohol issues, I get why it seems ridiculous to drink beer with no alcohol but it's saved my life/marriage etc., etc.
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Curious, what NA do you drink? I know nothing about them
 
Dawgbite

Dawgbite

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If I’m doing something where I know I’m going to be drinking beer all day I’ll buy a sixpack of NA beer and mix one in every third beer or so. I like beer and if I start too early I’m going to drink too much sometimes . Had a good friend for years who died a few years ago from pancreatic cancer. She might have weighed 110 lbs soaking wet. She drank two beers and a Diet Coke in a constant rotation. She could start a 8 am at a tailgate and drink all day. I never saw her sloppy drunk and never saw her with a hangover. She never varied from that rotation.
 
Puppers

Puppers

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Nothing is better to me after work on a hot day than an ice cold beer or 2 but if I drink alcohol I can have a hard time sleeping. I also like them if I'm on the boat or swimming with the kids when I feel like I need to be completely sober.
 
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Beretta.sixpack

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columbiadawg2 said:
Mostly Athletic as I've found they are my favorites. Best Day Brewing also does some really good ones.
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Those Mostly Athletic NA beers are great....tastes just like a regular heavy craft beer....i really havent found a terrible NA beer since started buying a few here and there a couple of months ago....my favs are Mostly Athletic, Cornona, and Blue Moon....can't tell the difference between the A and NA ones...
 
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woozman

woozman

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columbiadawg2 said:
Mostly Athletic as I've found they are my favorites. Best Day Brewing also does some really good ones.
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I don’t drink anymore either and always keep NA beer around now. Honestly if I would have known how much better I’d sleep without drinking beer every night, I would have stopped drinking much sooner than I did…

These are the ones I have on hand now not including the Bud Zero that I keep in the garage fridge for after yard work. The Sober Carpenter Irish Red and the Freemont Dark are my favorites so far of the ones I’ve been able to find. I do agree about the Athletic a they are all super good.

IMG_8917.jpeg
 
The Peeper

The Peeper

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I've been drinking beer since I was 15 years old. Never been a liquor or wine drinker at all, just like my beer. For me its a routine more than a craving habit and I think its because I've done it so long. Smokers will tell you it drives them crazy when they try to quit because they don't have a cigarette in their hand, for me its the same w/ a beer in the afternoon. I've got a beer fridge in the garage and every day I get out of my vehicle when I get home walk about 3 steps and grab a couple beers. On weekends its more than a couple, sometimes lots more than a couple. I've noticed my sleep is way worse when I drink regular beer, never seem to be totally asleep and feel like I'm dreaming all night. I started buying some of the N/A beers and now I sleep so much better and don't have to get up and pee at night and I think that's because now I seldom drink more than 2 or 3 of the N/A's. I still keep regular beer in the fridge but don't drink nearly as much as I did. N/A is like regular beers, some are good some aren't you just have to try some and see what you like. Personally I think Amstel Light is the best one I've had when I can find it. Sam Adams has a good one, even Busch N/A isn't bad. Heineken is the worst.
 
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Baddog11

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Because I want the taste of a strawberry daiquiri without having to worry about a dui on the way home.
 
Colonel Angus.sixpack

Colonel Angus.sixpack

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The closest I will ever come to that is drinking half sweet/half unsweetened tea. I typically only drink beer/booze on the weekends and if I’m gonna drink it, I’m drinking the stuff that will get my schwerve on.
 
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JackReacherDawg

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Bulldog Bruce said:
There are so many commercials about non-alcoholic spirits nowadays. I truly don't get non-alcoholic beer and non-alcoholic hard liquor, especially the ones that "keep the burn". I drink alcohol to get the buzz when I drink. I basically tolerate the overall taste of any of it. I do like some more than others, but I would not drink Bourbon or Beer if I didn't end up getting a buzz when I do it.
Click to expand...
I drank like a fish from 18 to 40. Somewhere between passing mid 40s, severe Covid, and not being in as good of shape as my 20s, I lost the ability to process alcohol. I barely get a buzz, and I get a severe hangover after only 2 drinks sometimes. I cant afford to lose a day to a hangover anymore. I still do it for the taste and experience on occasion, but have been forced to mostly cut out drinking. I haven't tried a single NA product in my life, but I may give some a try.
 
ETK99

ETK99

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My body stopped handling beer a few years ago. I can't touch it anymore, so I'm considering NA. I drink bourbon now because my body can handle it but miss a cold beer at the pool. Not sure I could handle an NA either but I'm looking to find out.
 
57stratdawg

57stratdawg

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I like starting my nights with a mocktail. Sometimes I feel like I’m paying $10 bucks for a fancy Sprite, but they’re usually pretty creative.

Im also the opposite of OP. I like the burn and taste of alcohol and can take or leave the buzz.
 
horshack.sixpack

horshack.sixpack

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Bulldog Bruce said:
There are so many commercials about non-alcoholic spirits nowadays. I truly don't get non-alcoholic beer and non-alcoholic hard liquor, especially the ones that "keep the burn". I drink alcohol to get the buzz when I drink. I basically tolerate the overall taste of any of it. I do like some more than others, but I would not drink Bourbon or Beer if I didn't end up getting a buzz when I do it.
Click to expand...
I like beer. I recognize that alcohol has really no health benefits and some social benefit. So I keep Athletic in my fridge for when I want a beer with a meal, or just feel like a beer and don't want the calories or negative health impact of the alcohol. Typically try to keep my alcohol intake low and on weekends. Sometimes I define my weekend as Thu to Sun, however...
 
horshack.sixpack

horshack.sixpack

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Seinfeld said:
Never really understood it either. I've cut back significantly on the amount of alcohol that I drink during a given weekend, and when the day eventually comes when I need to give it up completely, I can see myself replacing it with one of those fizzy THC drinks or maybe even just a Coke. I just can't see the need for an Odoul's, though. Like you said, I sure don't drink any of that stuff for the delicious taste.
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If my choice for no alcohol was Odoul's, I'd pass. That stuff was terrible when I tried it about 3 lifetimes ago.
 
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MaxwellSmart

MaxwellSmart

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I have never liked beer but loved bourbon from the first sip. I don't drink a lot but anytime someone mentions quitting, I remember the advice of one of my doctors. "A bourbon and cigar on the weekend will do you far more good than harm." I've tried to live by that.
 
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