Men's Health March 2, 2026 0 Comments

How a 16-Year Sobriety Chef Transforms Your Drink Game with Irresistible N/A Recipes You’ve Never Tried

Ever wondered why skipping booze these days doesn’t come with the raised eyebrows it used to? Believe me, after nearly 17 years off the sauce myself, I can tell you—it’s not just a fad. Across generations, folks are collectively dialing back on drinking, but this isn’t some one-size-fits-all kind of shift; it’s a complex cocktail of culture, health, and lifestyle awakening shaking things up all over. From an octogenarian deciding alcohol just isn’t worth it anymore to those of us who never really had the choice, there’s a broad, buzzing middle ground emerging. What’s driving this? Wellness is going mainstream and, frankly, the zero-proof scene has become unignorable—offering flavors and social vibes without the hit of ethanol. So whether you’re curious about embracing sobriety or just cutting down, the options have never looked better. Curious to see what I’m sipping these days?

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AS SOMEONE WHO hasn’t had a drink in nearly 17 years, I’ve been part of the zero-proof world long before it was cool—or even visible. Today, the data confirms what many of us already feel: People are drinking less, across nearly every age group. But this isn’t a single trend. It’s a convergence of cultural, economic, and health shifts that are affecting generations in very different ways.

Even my 80-year-old father recently stopped drinking altogether. He never had a problem and rarely drank much to begin with, but he decided it simply no longer added anything to his life. On the other end of the spectrum, as a longtime member of Alcoholics Anonymous, I’ve seen people young and old for whom alcohol was never an option—it simply didn’t work for us. Between those two poles lies a growing middle: people who are choosing to drink less, or not at all, because they feel better without it.

Not drinking used to require an explanation. Now, drinking heavily often does. Alcohol was once the default social lubricant; today it’s just one option among many. Wellness has gone mainstream, and even casual drinkers think in terms of balance. Global moments like Dry January have helped normalize abstaining—temporarily or permanently. I’ve met plenty of people who started with one dry month and turned it into several because of how good and productive they felt off alcohol.

Ritual, flavor, and social connection still matter—ethanol just isn’t mandatory. Fortunately, beverage companies have moved quickly to meet the moment.

Here are some of my favorites.

Courtesy of Heck

Best N/A Beer:

Heck Brewing’s Silver Lining IPA

I know Athletic Brewing has become the most recognizable name in the space and is currently the largest non-alcoholic brewery in the world. (Their Hazy IPA—hoppy, citrus-forward, with a sturdy malt backbone—is always in my fridge.) But my personal favorite N/A beer is Heck Brewing’s Silver Lining IPA.

Heck Brewing is an independent brewery using ingredients sourced from the Pacific Northwest, and the beer is remarkably smooth and session-able. Expect balanced bitterness with notes of citrus, spruce, and pineapple.

Honorable mention: Guinness Draught 0.0, which is one of the closest non-alcoholic replicas of a legacy beer on the market and surprises even longtime stout drinkers.

Courtesy of Kolonne

Best Zero-Proof Wine:

Kolonne Null Riesling

Zero-proof wine has improved dramatically, with Europe leading the charge. German, Danish, and French producers are focusing on acidity, structure, and dryness rather than sugary substitutes. My favorite still comes from Germany: Kolonne Null Riesling. It’s bursting with crisp apple and pear while retaining real minerality and balance.

Leitz Eins-Zwei-Zero Riesling is another standout and one of the most accessible bottles to start with. Clean and food-friendly, it offers notes of orange peel, rhubarb, and fresh herbs with a dry finish.

And if you’re looking for a premium zero-proof, Champagne-style sparkling wine, French Bloom from the Taittinger family is made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes from southern France. It’s crisp, dry, and polished—ideal for celebrations or weeknight dinners.

Courtesy of Wilderton

Best N/A Spirit:

Wilderton Bittersweet Aperitivo

The non-alcoholic spirits category took longer to mature than beer or wine. Early versions often tasted thin, overly herbal, or loaded with preservatives—more novelty than function. That’s changed.

Aplós Calme stands out because it doesn’t try to mimic a spirit and feels like something new. Yuzu, basil, shiso, and dandelion give it a layered, savory-green profile that drinks like a composed cocktail base. The hemp infusion adds a subtle body and a soft, grounding finish.

Complex and restrained, it’s herbaceous, citrusy, and structured enough to hold up in serious cocktail builds just as well as mixed with tonic and a citrus twist. This is the bottle you reach for when you want something adult, structured, and genuinely calming.

And finally there’s Manufaktur Jörg Geiger 1797 C.-Bratbirne, one of the most compelling zero-proof bottles I’ve tasted. Made from rare heritage pears, it drinks with real structure—dry, bright, and layered with fresh pear, quince, citrus zest, and a subtle savory edge. This isn’t flavored juice. It’s built like wine.

The takeaway is simple: consume with intention, no matter what’s in your glass. Whether you’re taking a break for a month or choosing not to drink at all, we now have more options than ever for celebration, ceremony, and relaxation.

Gregory Gourdet is the author of the cookbook Everyone’s Table, and the chef and owner of Kann, a wood-fired Haitian restaurant in Portland, Oregon.