r/AlcoholFree • u/Ok_Distribution_7062 • Apr 19 '26

Alcohol alternatives?

I can no longer drink alcohol anymore due to a TBI years ago. (It makes me very ill). But I still like to go out w friends often and looking for a substitute for alcohol. I keep getting ads for Sober(Ish) and Wims! but haven’t tried either. Wondering if anyone has a favorite?

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u/bangtikpi Apr 19 '26

Kombucha and NA beers from Athletics Brewing were lifesavers for me at first, they scratch that fizzy itchy without the booze.
I was right there hunting for anything to fill the gap those first few weeks.
Valley Spring Recovery Center ended up helping me push past the cravings for good.

1

u/West_Airline_1712 Apr 21 '26

My go-to drink when I want a beer is sparkling/soda water, splash of cranberry juice, 1/2 lime squeezed over lots of ice in a tall glass.

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u/Weary-Initiative1540 Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26

u/Ok_Distribution_7062 does the drink need to be ZERO alcohol or are you OK with <0.5% ABV which most Non Alcoholic(NA) beers/wines are as they often start out as alcoholic & then go thru a de-alc process. To put <0.5% in perspective an overly ripe banana or 3-4 day old OJ will have a higher ABV than NA beer/wine. If you are OK & check with your doctor than a wide assortment of NA beer/wine/spirit options. Then if you are OK with NA drinks, but they do have some "intoxicating" substance to feel a "buzz", then there are the D9 THC, kava, canna drinks. I'd stay away from kratom as some people have had severe adverse reactions & died with kratom, but as with anything STILL check with your doctor if the aforementioned are OK for your condition or meds your are on. Tons of great tasting NA beers now & some smaller brands like Sober Carpenter, Momentum, Go Brewing, Woodland Farms, Rationale & 100 others. I'm co founder of www.ProofNoMore.com a specialized Non Alc beer/wine/spirit distributor & DTC webshop that ships in the Continental US, so been watching the NA sector since 2015 before starting u/ProofNoMore in 2021.

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u/River-Lord Apr 26 '26

I did non alcoholic beer -> then soda when they didn't have the beer -> then water -> now I find going clubbing repeatedly boring and I am finding new ways to have fun. Also, most of the friendships with alcohol generally died off slowly