Featured image: Changing our relationship with alcohol can lead to safer, healthier travels | Photo by CarlosBarquero on Envato

How to travel (and live) alcohol-free 

by Carolyn Ray

It seems wherever you travel, there is an activity that involves wine, beer, or spirits. It’s hard to imagine Key West without an ever-present margarita, Puglia without primitivo wine, Spain without its Rioja and Tempranillo or Ireland without Guinness.  There is a seemingly endless flow of whiskey, wine or beer tours designed to better help us as travellers understand culture and ancient traditions. But when is it too much?

Returning home from a rather overindulgent month of birthday celebrations in Scotland and Ireland in July, I decided to take a pause on alcohol. When I started looking for alternatives, I discovered an exciting new world of de-alcoholized beers, mocktails and sparkling wine. While I’ve always recognized the benefits of not drinking alcohol, if I want to live a long and healthy life, cutting back is a change I want to make. I’m not saying I’ll never drink alcohol again, but for now, I’m enjoying the healthier and more energetic me. My new alcohol-free lifestyle, combined with seven hours of sleep a night, a nutrition plan and a personal trainer, has surpassed my expectations.

Trends in alcohol consumption

In Canada, just over three-quarters (76.5%) of Canadians aged 15 years and older reported drinking alcohol in 2019, with men (78.3%) slightly more likely to consume than women (74.7%).  In the US, 62 per cent of Americans drink alcohol while 38 per cent abstain completely, according to a July 2023 Gallup survey, 

When it comes to older adults, data from the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicate that approximately 20 per cent of adults aged 60-64 and around 10 per cent over age 65 report binge drinking. Older adults can experience a variety of problems from drinking alcohol, including interaction with medications and injuries, putting us at higher risk for falls, car crashes, and other unintentional injuries that may result from drinking, not to mention our personal safety when we travel.

In Canada, sales of alcohol have been declining in recent years, which may be due to the increasing cost of buying it. Personally, I cringe when paying $20 for a bottle of wine in Canada, versus 3-5 euros in Europe. Although beer is still Canada’s most popular drink, coolers and ciders show the most growth, and mocktails are booming. 

In 2022/23, Canadians of legal drinking age consumed 9.2 standard alcoholic beverages per week, down from 9.5 the previous year. That may not sound like a lot, but new, science-based research shows that no amount or kind of alcohol is good for your health.  In 2023, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction released a report saying that more than 3 to 6 standard drinks (wine, beer, cider or spirits).per week increases the risk of developing several different types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer.  The Canadian Medical Journal states that “Alcohol currently results in an estimated 17,000 deaths in Canada annually and creates a larger health system burden and overall cost to society than any other substance,” yet Ontario is planning to open an additional 8,500 privately run convenience, grocery, and big box stores to sell more alcohol by 2026, at a cost of $225 million to taxpayers. Go figure.

My alcohol-free travel journey begins

Having a glass of wine at the end of a hard day has long been one of my favourite habits. It’s a time to pause, reflect and enjoy a quiet moment of solitude. How do you replace that moment with another option when it’s such an ingrained habit?

I’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover that the world of non-alcoholic drinks has developed beyond the ginger ale and the Shirley Temple I remember from my teenage years. Thanks to many creative entrepreneurs, there is a wide and creatively designed range of flavourful non-alcoholic beers and mocktails, blending botanicals, tangerine, grapefruit, blackberry, ginger, lime and more. The packaging and naming is bright, fun and creative, remiscent of the craft beer movement. The only downside? Non-alcoholic drinks can be just as expensive as alcoholic drinks, but the good news is that they can be delivered right to your door from Amazon, Healthy Planet, and Target, making it easy to find and restock your favourites.

Searching for alcohol-free options

My first stop is the LCBO (Ontario’s liquor store) to find dealcoholized wines. I’m not able to find any alcohol-free white wines but I do find four alcohol-free sparkling wines and decide to try an Italian Prosecco called Nozeco. Overly sweet is how I would describe it, quite a shift from my preferred dry chardonnay. Even though there are only 40 calories in a glass, I decide this isn’t for me.

At the grocery store, I have more success, discovering a wide array of non-alcoholic beer in the bakery area at Whole Foods. Most of these beers, such as Partake, have less than .5% alcohol and only 10 calories (instead of the 200 or more calories in a regular beer).

At long last, I find a white chardonnay called St. Regis, made in Canada. St. Regis makes rose, white, cabernet sauvignon and several sparkling wines. According to its website, “All our beverages are made from 100% quality wine (not juice). We use a state-of-the-art vacuum distillation process to remove the alcohol. This allows our wines to retain their original bouquet, character, colour and flavour without the alcohol.” The chardonnay comes in at around 35 calories versus over 100 calories for regular wine. This will do in a pinch, but it’s a bit sweet for me, and I can only drink it when it’s icy cold.  

Taking it on the road: My first alcohol-free travel

On the August long weekend, I take my first alcohol-free trip, a weekend away at Whispering Springs, a glamping resort near Toronto.  This is a big moment for me because I’ve always believed that glamping in the woods is best experienced with a glass of wine in hand by a smoky fire. This time, however, I select a vegan and gluten-free “highball” whisky ginger mocktail. It is so delicious that I have two, without the guilt! As I watch the sun set with my alcohol-free cocktail in hand, I can’t tell the difference. Not one bit.

Whispering Springs hosts 100 weddings a summer, and owner Nancy Corcoran, who co-founded St, Anne’s Spa, tells me that alcohol consumption at these events has decreased significantly, with more people choosing alternatives to alcohol. Whispering Springs has a wonderful bar area and offers a wide range of non-alcoholic beverages, from teas to mocktails and beers. I’m hoping to return this fall for another visit and more time with Nancy, a passionate and impressive entrepreneur. 

Non-alcoholic brands to explore

I’m now over a month of being alcohol-free and my new hobby is strollimg the aisles of grocery and health food stores, searching for more non-alcoholic options. I imagine that someday, there may be a non-alcoholic beverages aisle in grocery stores, but we’re not there yet. If you’re considering trying these out, here’s my starter list. Keep an eye on the ingredients and the sugar — less is definitely more in this case.

The Mocktail Movement

While you can make or order a ‘virgin’ cocktail, I like the ready-to-drink cans. In Canada, there are several options available.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, Edna’s offers 100% vegan, gluten-free mocktails that are made with organic cane sugar, with only 100 calories. These include the Mezcal Margarita, Paloma (citrus, with pink grapefruit and lime, with aromas of Tequila Anejo and a touch of salt), Mule (Ginger, Lime and Honey), Collins (lemon citrus, with subtle notes of natural cucumber and juniper Gin) and Mojito (lime juice with subtle Rum notes). Edna’s latest flavour, a Mezcalita, was awarded a silver medal at the prestigious International Wine & Spirits Competition 2024. In Canada, Edna’s is available at Healthy Planet, Well.ca, and in Target in the US for C$16.99 for a four-pack.

Nick Devine is the cofounder of Edna’s, which he calls ‘the legit cocktail bartender blend’. By combining spirit extracts and citrus favours with all natural ingredients, Devine feels he’s created a unique product.  “I saw a gap in the market with no premium options available in ready-to-drink cans,” he told me. “With Edna’s, I wanted to have an old world feel, calling back to the golden era of cocktails in the early 1900s, through the handwritten name and handdrawn cocktail glasses on the can.”

Based in Montreal, Quebec, Clever Mocktails uses botanicals, including herbs, spices, fruits, and fruit peels, to create imaginative flavours. Clever has a Margarita, G & Tonic, Pink G&T and other flavours. It’s available on Well.ca, Amazon and grocery stores. A case of 12 Clever Gin & Tonics is C$42.

Also based in Vancouver, Canada, Olé makes ready-to-drink tequila cocktails and mocktails. There are three flavours: Sparking Grapefruit, Organic Agave Nectar, and Paloma Mocktail. A 24-can case is C$60. Find Olé on well.ca or Amazon.

Although I haven’t tried it, Atypique has flavours such as mojito, amaretto, gin and tonic and margarita, Spiced rum and cola, and spritz. It was started in Quebec in 2019 by Étienne Boulay, an ex-Canadian star football player. In June 2022, it was acquired by Keurig-Dr. Pepper. Prices on Amazon start at C$22 for 12 cans.

Non-alcoholic beers

Non-alcoholic beers are by far the most developed category, with most of the larger breweries producing good quality non-alcoholic beers. Some of the popular brands include include Heineken 0.0, Guinness 0, Corona’s Sunbrew, Collective Arts Hazy Pale Ale, Gruvi, Sober Carpenter, Grolsch, Blonde, Sour and Athletic. (Check on Amazon for more options).

There are also a lot of local startups. At Whispering Springs, I find Bellwoods Brewery’s Stay Classy, an IPA with .5% alcohol, and Jelly King, a drop-hopped sour ale with pineapple, lime, habanero peppers and salt.

Other non-alcoholic options

I haven’t yet tried these, but there is a growing list of non-alcoholic liquor, cider and teas available.

Liquor: There are many non-alcoholic gins, vodkas and rums, such as Pearson’s Botanicals, CeroCero Rhubarb (non-alcoholic gin) and more.

Cider: For those who enjoy cider, MamaShrub Cider offers flavours like strawberry and pink pepper, grapefruit and rose water, raspberry and lavender, and ginger and lime. Available on Amazon.

Teas: Another ooption is flavoured teas from companies like Numbere, which makes Solstice, a ‘sparkling tea’ with green tea, cucumber and mint.

Creating healthy habits to take on our travels is important. For me, the real test will come when I travel. For now, I’m happy exploring my new non-alcoholic world, with a full appreciation of all the health and lifestyle benefits.  

Note: Thank you to all the women who commented positively on my personal posts when I made this decision to go alcohol-free — all of you inspired me to keep going! 

Do you have an alcohol-free story to share, a restaurant to recommend or more advice? Use the comments below to inspire other women with your alcohol-free journey!

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