Happy new year! With a brand new year comes brand new goals and resolutions that you want to achieve within these next 365 days. A big goal for many people is changing their nutrition, whether that’s having less calories, cutting the amount of alcohol they drink, or even changing their diet to help with a specific health issue.
Alcohol can be a part of a person’s life that they want to change during the new year, hence why “Dry January” is such a popular challenge. However, you don’t have to completely cut out your favorite drinks to make some changes in your life.
Beer
Michelob Ultra – Ultra is considered the standard of low calorie/low carb beers and it’s for good reason. Each 12 oz can or bottle of Michelob Ultra only has 95 calories, and just 2.6 grams of carbs. It’s the perfect companion to your post workout celebration – so you can indeed enjoy a beer without worrying about the calories or carbs packed on by other beers. Cheers, and keep on moving!
Shiner Light Blonde – On the craft side, Shiner Beers from Texas created a light, crisp, and flavorful blonde ale that clocks in at only 99 calories and 3.8 grams of carbs per 12 oz can. Perfect with some chicken wings, Shiner Light Blonde will be a great option at dinner or get-togethers.
Founders All Day IPA – This one is for our IPA fans. All Day is a fan favorite, and for good reason. It’s a very sessionable IPA, with only 4.7% ABV per 12 oz can – meaning you can enjoy a fully flavored IPA without having to worry about your alcohol intake.
Seltzers
Nutrl – Vodka, seltzer, and real juice. That’s it. That’s all you need to create a perfectly flavorful and light high quality seltzer – and the folks at Nutrl have it down in spades. Not just that, it’s only 100 calories, 4.5% ABV, no carbs, sugar or sweeteners added. It’s an amazing companion to your Sunday brunches, or just to enjoy on its own. Nutrl comes in a variety of flavors, so it’s impossible to get bored – watermelon, pineapple, orange, blach cherry, lemonade varieties… the list goes on and on. Nutrl might be the newcomer to the seltzer scene, but they will surely become your new favorite in record time.
Freshie – Tequila lovers (like me) rejoice! Freshie is the world’s first USDA certified organic tequila seltzer with only 99 calories per can and gluten free! Created using sustainably farmed and distilled ingredients, Freshie comes in three quality, and addictive flavors – classic lime, blood orange habanero, and grapefruit guava. Bring a pack to your next gathering and watch it become the star of the party.
Cider
Blake’s Jam Session – I’m a big cider fan, but some ciders can be VERY heavy, especially if you have several (which used to be a common recurrence for me). Fortunately the folks at Blake’s Hard Cider in Michigan recognized this, and made a hard cider that not only retains its full flavor, but clocks in at only 110 calories and 4 grams of sugar! Jam Session is a lighter, semi-dry iteration of their popular Triple Jam flavor. It’s a combination of strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry – you’ll have this sessionable sipper on repeat definitely.
Hard Kombucha
Flying Embers – Flying Embers create hard kombucha using sustainable and organic ingredients. It’s a great alternative to a beer after a long day of hiking, an intense yoga session, or even just hanging with a group of friends. I’m a fan of their Pineapple Sunset, a tropical paradise in a can- but they also have great flavors such as Orange Passion Mimosa, Cherry Hibiscus Lime, and Ginger Yuzu Mule. In addition, know that every can of Flying Embers helps first responders fight natural disasters across the United States through various charities.
June Shine – Hard Kombucha made with real ingredients. Always gluten-free, and never too sweet. Never worry about any artificial sweeteners, preservatives or additives. June Shine is just as honest and real as you are. Their flavor selection is tremendous too, including selections such as Watermelon Razz, Strawberry Kiwi Crush, Mango Daydream, and Blood Orange Mint.
Hard Tea
Owl’s Brew – Owl’s Brew is the answer to two friend’s questions asking “Where are the natural, clean, hard beverages?”. Taking it upon themselves, they created a hard tea beverage that includes a splash of real fruit juice, a dash of real cane sugar, and spiked to 4.2% abv. Also, the flavors of Owl’s Brew are as plentiful as the amount of tea you can think of. English Breakfast Tea, Lemon, Darjeeling, Hibiscus – if you’re a tea drinker, you’ll absolutely love Owl’s Brew!
Loverboy – On the more glamorous side of things, Loverboy is a hard tea created by reality tv star Kyle Cooke from Bravo’s hit show “Summer House”. Loverboy is created with organic tea, botanicals, real juices, gluten free alcohol, and lightly sweetened with monk fruit. It’s a very simple drink, but it’s an absolute superstar at any party you bring it to. They have a multitude of flavors, but this author recommends you try out the White Tea Peach and Strawberry Lemonade – absolutely delicious!
Non-Alcoholic Beers
For those of you who still want to enjoy a beer with your favorite pizza, chicken wings or hamburgers, there are a wide variety of non-alcoholic beers that allow you to without the buzz. NA Beers have grown over the past few years, and with great reason… there are many occasions where you still want the taste of a beer, but not the alcohol. Check-out some great options below.
Bud Zero – Full Bud flavor, zero alcohol. Enjoy the full Budweiser experience without any alcohol. Not only that, each 12 oz can of Bud Zero only has 55 calories and zero grams of sugar.
Stella Liberte – Stella Liberte can be considered Bud Zero’s fancier dinner party cousin. Liberte has the same Stella Artois experience, with zero percent abv and 59 calories per 12 oz bottle.
Best Day Brewing – Are you a craft beer fan trying to cut back on the amount of alcohol you drink? The folks at Best Day Brewing are here to help. They carefully crafted a collection of beers that carefully resembles your craft beer favs so you can continue drinking beer without worrying about alcohol!
Go Brewing – Keep the craft spirit without having to drink any alcohol. Go Brewing creates award winning small batch non alcoholic craft beers. It’s a great way to enjoy those carefully curated and crafted beers without having to worry about your alcohol intake. As what Go Brewing says “Less alcohol, less calories, better tomorrows”… and they are local, located in Naperville, IL!
Brewdog AF – The fine folks at Brewdog know how it feels missing out on your favorite beers while trying to cut down on your alcohol intake – so they have a solution! They created alcohol free versions of all of your Brewdog faves! Elvis Juice, Hazy Jane, Punk IPA and others now have alcohol free versions that you can enjoy at any time!
Partake Brewing – Are you trying to cut calories AND alcohol? Well these carefully crafted beers aren’t just alcohol free, but they’re also anywhere from 10 to 30 calories a can. The best part of it all is that it’s full of flavor so you can have your cake and drink it too.
Other
Essentia – Your water needs to step up its game. That’s what Essentia is here for. Essentia is 99.9% pure ionized alkaline water. This means that the water has a smooth, clean taste, while giving you a balance of electrolytes, hydration, and minerals needed for your body to perform to its fullest capabilities.
Liquid Death – Pure mountain water in an aluminum can. Murder your thirst while you also save the planet. A twofer, pretty much. In addition to still water, you can also murder your thirst with their flavored and still sparkling waters, and their brand new iced teas. It’s cool to stay hydrated.
Poppi – Imagine a soda that’s …well … better for you. That’s Poppi! Proof? Each can of Poppi only has 5 grams of sugar and 25 calories or less! That’s amazing! In addition, Poppi is packed with prebiotics for a healthy gut, and contains zero fake stuff. You can finally enjoy a soda without guilt!