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TRAVEL TIPS
Keep it Simple
It might be tempting to bring a wide variety of beverages to enjoy, but try to be realistic about how much you’ll actually consume and how mu
Whether you’re out on the town, headed to a party, traveling for business, or embarking on a much needed vacation, having access to tasty alcohol-free beverages can make outings and travel feel more special—as they should be—and can ease the social tensions that many non-drinkers can feel when everyone else is imbibing.
It’s far easier to find alcohol-free alternatives today than it was a few years ago, but it’s not always guaranteed and can vary widely depending on location. We find that having a plan prior to showing up at an event helps to make being alcohol-free easier and keeps you in control of situations. Here we offer some tips for stress-free alcohol-free travel including key strategies, travel tips, and delicious product recommendations. Cheers to some happy travel!
Depending on your mode of travel and planned activities, sometimes the easiest way to enjoy the things you like is to bring them with you. These sets will help you do it in style:
Vintage Travel Bar by The Happy Traveler
Lovingly created from vintage pieces by Kim Parsley, each one-of-a-kind set is uniquely glamorous.
Insulated two-bottle tote
Available in a variety of colors, these totes can hold bottles, glassware and napkins.
Leather Bar Set
This complete mixology tool kit rolls up into a neat package in its leather case.
Have a favorite NA beverage you’d like to enjoy on your 2. trip? One clever way to bring some along is to decant it into two- or three-ounce bottles to pack in your suitcase. This way, for example, if you want a nonalcoholic gin and tonic, you can order tonic over ice and add your own NA gin.
If you are flying, check airline and TSA rules and make sure all of your liquids can fit in one gallon-sized bag.
2-Ounce Glass Bottles 12 Pack
There are many options for small glass bottles online. Most come with small funnels and labels.
Sometimes the easiest way to feel like you’re part of the celebration is just to add a little something festive to your water or sparkling water. These options help you to do so while taking up minimal space.
Apothekary Free Spirit Minis
Apothekary’s Free Spirit Minis are reminiscent of mild versions of red, white, and rosé wines and contain soothing herbal formulas to help combat stress and relieve tension.
Sayso Ready-to-Make Cocktail Sachets
Available in four flavors— Cardamom Paloma, Spicy Margarita, Old Fashioned, and Moscow Mule—these sachets dissolve easily in cold water for an instant mocktail (sparkling or still).
The Cocktail Box Co. Cocktail Tins
These adorable kits come in a variety of classic cocktail flavors. Each kit contains syrups and ingredients for three mocktails— including a tiny bar spoon and swizzle sticks. Just add your fav AF spirit or a spritz.
True Citrus Packets
Looking for a little zip? Unsweetened crystallized citrus packets from True Citrus are available in lemon, lime, grapefruit, and orange. The size of a packet of sugar, they’re truly portable wherever you go.
Jukes Cordialities
Jukes offers one ounce concentrated bottles of their products ready to mix with water for your enjoyment. This wine-adjacent product is available in classic white, dark red, and rosé.
Gather
Gather Beverage Company offers two-ounce bottles of their elixirs and handy sample packs in both CBD and non-CBD versions. With flavors like lemon-lavender, spiced
hibiscus, hopped citrus, and sweet smoked oak, there is something for everyone. Their website has tasty mixing suggestions.
You never know when it will come in handy to have a small bottle of bitters in your bag. Bitters—with their complex flavor profiles—can be easily added to a glass of sparkling water and can add depth to a nonalcoholic wine or beer. Bitters are available at almost all bars and restaurants and a glass of sparkling water with a dash of bitters is an easy request. Please note: most bitters available in restaurants contain a small amount of alcohol. For 100% alcohol-free bitters we recommend All the Bitter’s flavorful options.
All The Bitter Classic Bitters Sample Pack
Perennial fan-favorite All The Bitter makes a thoughtfully crafted line of 100% alcohol-free bitters with complex and delicious flavor-profiles.
A mainstay for arming yourself at parties, work events, and other social gatherings, many ready-to- drink alcohol-free brands offer take-with-you sized cans. These are a few we find the most manageable to include in a small bag for the evening.
Curious Elixirs
Curious Elixirs has a series of nine flavor-forward varieties of alcohol-free cocktails. Several of them are now available in cans
Blind Tiger
This 20s inspired brand offers twists on classic cocktails in dainty take- with-you cans.
Kin Euphorics
ne of our favorite adaptogen- centric beverages, the Kin Spritz is a social tonic that soothes stress and elevates your mood
Lyre’s RTD Mixed Mocktails
Lyre’s RTD G&T is the drink of the summer.
Create a list of a few NA drinks you enjoy and can easily explain to a bartender. One of my favorites is a virgin margarita using fresh citrus
and a spritz, sometimes with a muddled jalapeno for heat, and always with a salt rim. A good bartender will listen to your preferences and try to create something you’ll enjoy using fresh ingredients—no NA spirits required. You can use words like not-too-sweet, citrus-forward, herbaceous, or spicy to describe what you’re looking for. A glance at the menu can give you some clues about what kinds of ingredients the bar has on hand. If I see a shrub in a cocktail, I ask for a shrub soda. If I see an interesting syrup, I ask if it can be incorporated into a non-alcoholic cocktail. If I see a cocktail that includes all non-alcoholic ingredients with the exception of a single spirit, I’ll usually order that without the alcohol.
Wherever your travels take you, we hope these tips
help you sip deliciously.
TRAVEL TIPS
Look At Menus
Lining up a list of sober friendly restaurants before a trip or night out can go a long way towards feeling good about your outings. Many restaurants post their drink menus on their websites. If you’re
unsure you can call and ask what their alcohol-free options are. Most importantly keep an open mind and remember: No matter what’s in your glass.
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OUR MOST FLEXIBLE
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renews monthly until canceled
Quarterly digital magazine
Access to the digital magazine and all web archives/articles.
Subscriber perks and discounts
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SAVE 15% ON FULL DIGITAL ACCESS
(VS. MONTHLY)
renews annually until canceled
Quarterly digital magazine
Access to the digital magazine and all web archives/articles.
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(U.S. ONLY)
BEST FOR PRINT LOVERS!
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