Sunday Edition: How to Stock Your Bar Cart for Dry January (and Always)

My 33 (!) favorite nonalcoholic alternatives, and a mocktail recipe.

The Sunday Edition is Tuesday’s little sister—off-the-cuff updates I’d bring up over a coffee catch-up with a friend. I’m kicking off the year with a special issue, all about my favorite n/a alternatives for Dry January!

When I stopped drinking almost exactly two years ago, the thing I missed most was the nightly ritual. I was always a moderate, but consistent, drinker in that I loved marking the end of the day with “cocktail hour,” in the form of a beer, glass of wine, or an actual cocktail.

Issue #95: Why I'm Still (Mostly) Sober After a Year of Not Drinking

These days, my bar cart (two shelves in my kitchen, cramped with bottles and cookbooks) is more comprehensively stocked than it ever was when I drank alcohol—except now it’s full of alternatives that have, even in the past two years, only gotten better. Honestly, I can’t believe I haven’t done this sooner, given how many recommendations I have under my belt. Below, I’ve shared a fully comprehensive guide to 33 (!) of my favorite n/a essentials, including:

• What to drink instead of wine alternatives that are basically overpriced juice

• My favorite organic shrubs and syrups to pair with seltzer (I’m obsessed)

• Canned mocktails that actually taste like the drinks they’re paying homage to

• Euphorics that use adaptogens and microdoses to create a booze-free buzz

• A mocktail recipe that feels fancy, but is so easy