Less & More: The WFH Mom Edit

So if this is you, but you’re not quite sure what to replace your Friday night (or maybe every night) glass of wine with, I tried a few suggestions for you to get you started. Special thanks to my buddy Laura who inspired this blog post AND provided several key options for us to taste and review for this blog post. Such great timing! Most of these drinks have a little warning that you shouldn’t consume too many at once, so we haven’t gotten a chance to try all of them yet, but here’s part one to get you started and a group photo to give you an idea of what’s to come.

Also, I routinely pin products and recipes for “mocktails” on my Pinterest page – you can follow along here. I also have a “Dry January” collection on my ShopMy page if you want to get right down to brass tacks and buy.

Recess

• Buy a variety 12-pack on Amazon for $30 here

• Buy the “Happy Hour Sampler” on the brand’s site for $30 here

• Buy the Mood Powder on Amazon – $14 for a pack of ten here

• Shop all Recess Mood Powders on the brand’s site here

I was already a bit familiar with this brand – they were actually first starting to come into the mainstream when I quit drinking back in 2021 (perhaps another blog post on this topic another time). Back then, I was looking for something “fun” to pour into a wine or margarita glass that would take the place of my drinking ritual. Recess helped with that, but I didn’t understand the hype beyond that (other than the AMAZING branding, which I still find incredibly appealing). I ultimately decided the cost and hassle weren’t worth what I was getting out of the experience.

Fast forward to today, where I’ve actually kind of totally had my mind changed. I don’t know if the drink formulations have changed or if I have, but these are totally relaxing. Even better, the taste is pretty muted so for my money, I don’t really care what flavor I get. I tried the Blood Orange and thought it was very refreshing in a Hydroflask tumbler over ice with a straw, but all the other options sounded great as well – Peach Ginger, Strawberry Rose, Black Cherry or Lime Citrus. If you check out the website for more information, you can find the ingredients listed:

• Magnesium L-threonate: a form of magnesium that the company claims is specifically for the brain

• L-theanine: a famous ingredient that I’m very familiar with due to my work in matcha and with Minus Coffee – according to National Institutes of Health, it is defined as “an amino acid in green tea, has been shown to affect brain functions by relieving stress disorders, improving mood, and maintaining normal sleep.” In other words, a stress-relieving superpower.

• Lemon balm: a component that Recess says will help you unwind

Both Laura and I agree: these bevvies do the trick. We both felt totally relaxed and at ease, just having one of these cans before dinner. I’m not sure if it’s related, but my Garmin Venu 2 (which I wear to track steps, sleep and stress) even indicated that my stress levels (calculated using HRV) were down, which is actually fairly unusual for a Friday night, especially when we’re socializing/entertaining/hosting company. My sleep that night was excellent as well. Though I still think these drinks are a little pricey to have on a daily basis, I would absolutely recommend them for someone doing a temporary stint of alcohol-free (like Dry January, Dry July, Sober October, 75 Hard).

For me personally, I think I will stock up on a few and have them around for a festive occasion when others might be imbibing. They would also be a fun addition to movie night on the couch instead of my die-hard addiction to Zevia Root Beer. If you are normally a drinker or just love the taste of cocktails, the brand does also offer a line of cans that are meant to mimic popular concoctions, like a Cosmo, Margarita or Paloma. You can try those in the “Happy Hour Sampler” on the brand’s site for $30. The site says that these are “infused with uplifting guayusa & balancing adaptogens. lightly sparkling, low calorie with way less sugar than a cocktail.” One quick note on these though, they do have a smidge of “natural caffeine” in them from the guayusa (about 10mg). It’s not much, but if you are one of those people who are super sensitive and can’t even have a bite of dark chocolate close to bedtime (this has become me in my “old “age), then just be aware of that.

Another more cost effective option with the brand – they sell a similar formulation in powder format that you can mix up yourself. The flavor options aren’t as extensive, but hopefully the mood benefits are the same. Those are available on Amazon for $14 here.

One final note from a PR perspective on this brand. They have gotten some really phenomenal press coverage since launch. I’m a little surprised I don’t see more influencer campaigns from them (they seem like a natural for TikTokers in an evening routine). Their Instagram grid is uniquely branded with fun, funny and seasonal posts to engage (however, there aren’t very many non-branded posts, which is a strategy I’m never a fan of), but they don’t have Pinterest (which I think is a huge miss for them). I’d also L-O-V-E to see a blog on their site with more suggestions about how folks could incorporate this into their lifestyle (especially if they are regular alcohol drinkers). They could also work with RD’s, baristas, MD’s for guest posts about related health benefits, recipe/mixer ideas and more.

Brez

• Buy a 6 pack on Amazon for $35 here

• Buy a 12 pack of their “Holiday Duo” for $100 on the brand’s site here

• Buy THC-free option, Flow – $35 for a 6-pack on the brand’s site here

I personally have not tried this one yet, but my husband, Dan, did. The first thing he shared with me about this was (I quote), “You should not drink an entire can of that by yourself, Molly.” Apparently, it’s quite strong! This beverage is a little different. You can tell right away, as the brand’s website asks you to verify that you’re 21 years of age or older before you can shop on it, likely due to the “microdose” of THC that’s inside. The Lemon Elderflower flavor we had contains:

• 5 mg micronized THC, 10 mg CBD

• 2200mg Lion’s Mane (33mg Lion’s Mane extract)

• Sparkling with notes of Italian lemon and elderflower

The first thing you might be wondering is … is this legal? Apparently lots of people were thinking this very thing, so the brand preempted questions on their site by stating: “Yes, we utilized federally legal hemp and lion’s mane mushroom to create something special. The Delta-9 THC in our drinks is naturally-derived from hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and is no more than 0.3% of the product’s net weight, ensuring full compliance with the 2018 Farm Bill.”

Have you ever had a bad experience with THC in the past? The brand addresses this potential concern. In the FAQ section of the site, in response to questions about paranoia or anxiety (side effects sometimes experienced by those consuming THC), the answer is this: “due to our unique addition of Lion’s Mane extract, our microdosed approach to THC, and our rapid-absorption micronization process, we’ve created what we see as the solution to the bad edible trip.”

The brand offers another option that is both CBD and THC-free. It’s called Flow, and you can grab it on their site – $35 for a 6-pack. This one contains 2200mg Lion’s Mane (33mg Extract), Cacao, Black Seed Oil, L-Theanine and claims to make the drinker more uplifted and social.

Overall, Dan recommends these for the impact they provide. Within a few minutes of starting to drink, his face felt warm and he started to relax and he claims that it is almost identical to consuming a full spectrum CBD product. He also warned that if you have not ever or do not frequently consume THC, it might hit you even harder. It tastes like a fruity tonic and he wouldn’t recommend consuming it simply for that factor. He reported “feeling great” including feelings of relaxation and happiness that lasted for at least an hour after he consumed the drink.

These are a little bit more on the pricey side, so it might not be a realistic addition to your regular routine, but it’s definitely an interesting new twist to try if you’re giving up alcohol for a bit and want more of a “buzzy” feeling versus simply feeling relaxed and possibly a little bit sleepy. Our group discussed that for each of these formulations, any given individual could react a bit differently, so I do think it takes a bit of experimentation to determine what works best for you and in what setting.

Initial Thoughts on NA Options Overall:

The first thought I have is that most of the options available are pretty pricey. I can see splurging a bit for a Dry January or special occasion (sober New Year’s Eve, for example), but I’m not sure I would ever keep these kinds of beverages on hand for everyday consumption (especially with the way my husband plows through beverages). For my NA lifestyle, I mostly stick to water in my Stanley, club soda occasionally (especially if Spindrift is on sale at Costco) and even more seldom is my specialty soda fix – Zevia Root Beer, Poppi or Olipop. I will say that in a group setting with our good friends, this was a fun experiment and I would absolutely do it again with different brands to compare and contrast and cheers each other over new experiences.

I love seeing so many options emerge as the alcohol-free movement rages on (at least in my mind, it’s raging). There is so much interesting research and so many insights coming out about how alcohol impacts us all in various ways, so for people who want to take more frequent/longer breaks and don’t know how to fill the void or for people who have given it up completely (raises hand) and still want to toast/celebrate/drink fun stuff out of wine glasses, it’s amazing to have such a plethora of choices.

More reviews to come, but if you want to do some shopping in the meantime while Dry January is still young …

• Shop Topo Chico on Amazon – $9 for an 8-pack here

• Shop Betty Buzz on Amazon – $35 for a 12-pack here

• Shop Leilo on Amazon – $35 for a 6-pack here

• Shop Hella Cocktails on Amazon – $13 for a 4-pack here

• Shop Odyssey Elixir on Amazon – $36 for a 12-pack here

• Shop Heywell on Amazon – $46 for a 12-pack here

• Shop Luna Bay on Amazon – $35 for a 12-pack here

• Shop Poppi on Amazon – $27 for a 12-pack here

• Shop Olipop on their site – $36 for a 12-pack here

• Shop Ritual Zero Proof Tequila on Amazon – $30 per bottle here