Celebrate Sober October With These SPY-Approved Non-Alcoholic Beverages and Mocktails

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If you’re looking to take a break from drinking alcohol to celebrate Sober October, we’ve got some beverages that’ll help you fill the void.

While there’s nothing wrong with an occasional drink, cutting back on your alcohol intake could be a great way to reset and kick off the holiday season. After a summer of drinking and debauchery, some find this time of year the perfect opportunity to start a juice cleanse before indulging in all of the food and revelry that comes along during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.

At a time when it seems like there’s a new hard seltzer launching every day, the Sober October challenge may be the perfect time to try different ways of having fun. Similar to Dry January in practice, Sober October started in 2014 as a fundraising campaign for a UK-based charity that supports people living with cancer. Since then, Sober October has grown tremendously, now becoming more of a worldwide movement over the past few years.

Now that the trend of abstaining from alcohol during months like Sober October and Dry January has gone mainstream, many brands have begun canning alcohol-free beverages in an effort to cater to the non-drinking crowd.

With Sober October now upon us, SPY editors are sharing their favorite non-alcoholic beverages and mocktails to help you get things underway. Keep scrolling to see our picks of the best non-alcoholic beverages to celebrate Sober October.

Liquid Death

Liquid Death is one of our favorite mineral water brands, and the company makes delicious water that tastes great and keeps you hydrated at the same time. It’s also one of the fastest-growing non-alcoholic beverage companies ever. All of their beverages are served up in aluminum cans, which is great for the environment and they’ve recently expanded their beverage lineup to include unique flavors like Berry It Alive, Mango Chainsaw and Severed Lime, in addition to their regular and sparkling waters.

SPY’s E-Commerce & Special Project Editor, Tyler Schoeber swears by Liquid Death, selecting it as his non-alcoholic beverage of choice, sharing, “I hate nights when I want to go out but don’t want to drink, which is why I love that Liquid Death is just about everywhere these days. Even if I am drinking, Liquid Death allows me to take a little break in between cocktails to hydrate without it looking like I’m hydrating. Visuals are key here, and even heavy partiers respect folks drinking Liquid Death over those strutting around the bar with a water bottle in hand. All in all, Liquid Death is convenient for me when I don’t want to drink because it tackles the FOMO aspect and keeps me in the loop — plus, some of those flavors are delicious.”

Buy: Liquid Death Mountain Water 16.9 oz. Tallboys 12-Pack $14.99

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Betty Buzz Sparkling Grapefruit

Blake Lively’s Betty Buzz alcohol-free mixers are a delicious addition to any mocktail. Pair it with seltzer water and a squeeze of lime or lemon for a refreshing liquor-free beverage. Our Senior Commerce Taylor Galla loves the sparkling grapefruit flavor but says that their ginger beer is equally as delicious. Taylar added, “the best part is you can just as easily mix them with alcohol, so they’re great for parties where you might have folks who do and don’t drink in attendance.”

Buy: Betty Buzz Sparkling Grapefruit $29.99

Arizona Arnold Palmer Lite Half & Half Iced Tea Lemonade

A mixture of iced tea and lemonade, the Arnold Palmer drink has become a staple for many. It has become a go-to for SPY E-commerce Editor Jonathan Zavaleta who loves having the best of both worlds without the alcohol while enjoying this mixed beverage. This tasty drink can be created by simply mixing your favorite lemonade and iced tea together or you can purchase a premade version like this Arnold Palmer Lite Half & Half Iced Tea Lemonade from Arizona.

Buy: Arizona Arnold Palmer Lite Half & Half Iced Tea Lemonade $3.12

Redbull and Pineapple Juice Mocktail

SPY’s Reviews Editor Anthony Mastracci is a fan of 2 parts pineapple juice, 1 part Redbull, and a squeeze of lime juice as his non-alcoholic drink of choice. As the ingredients imply, this mocktail is simple and easy to make. Grab a can of Redbull — you have the choice of regular or sugar-free and add pineapple over ice with lime to finish. This is a super refreshing concoction to try, especially if you need a little boost of energy, which Redbull will certainly provide.

Buy: Red Bull Energy Drink $33.98

Martinelli Sparkling Apple Juice

Looking for an alternative to champagne for toasts and other special occasions? SPY’s Site Director Timothy Beck Werth recommends buying a couple of bottles of Martinelli’s famous sparkling apple juice for dinner parties and other special occasions. If you want to serve something that feels a little more sophisticated than soda but doesn’t have the alcohol content of champagne, then this is the perfect beverage. (It’s also available in single-serving bottles at some stores.)

A’ Siciliana Sicilian Limonata

Lemonade has to be one of the most delicious beverages known to man, and sparkling lemonade is just as refreshing. This sparkling lemonade, or limonata, is imported from a small business in Italy. A’ Siciliana Sicilian Limonata is made from lemons harvested on the Italian coast, and it’s a fantastic dinnertime alternative to a gin and tonic or tequila soda. And unlike American-made sodas, there’s high fructose corn syrup in this delicious non-alcoholic beverage.

Ghia Botanical Mediterranean Inspired Sparkling Apéritif

As the mocktail renaissance continues to go mainstream, we’re seeing more creative non-alcoholic apterifs. Ghia helped popularize the concept of sparkling, alcohol-free aptertifs, which are designed to help settle the stomach and improve your mood at mealtime. This sophisticated beverage is made with ginger and a mix of botanicals and herbs with more subtle flavors. Ghia also makes a variety of other flavors, all of which will satisfy your cravings for a heady drink.

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