Does the thought of going completely sober seem a bit wild or intimidating? Trust me, I get it—it can feel a bit embarrassing to even think about, especially when you’re hanging out with your drinking buddies. But I'm super excited to share this conversation with Jen Olafson because her approach to taking a break from alcohol is something you definitely need to hear about!
Jen Olafson is the fabulous mind behind Zero Proof Lush on Instagram. She posts the most gorgeous booze-free drinks and even offers mobile bar services that are to die for. After a particularly boozy summer, Jen decided it was time to reevaluate her relationship with alcohol, kicking off a whole year of sobriety in January 2021. That's how Zero Proof Lush came to be, and it completely transformed her life!
In our chat, Jen spills all the juicy details about her journey. We talk about her business, her first year of going alcohol-free, and some serious moments of self-discovery, including dealing with depression. Whether you’re sober curious or a die-hard mocktail fan, Jen's got amazing advice and creative ideas to make your non-alcoholic drinks just as fun and delicious. Plus, she’s all about creating an inclusive drinking experience for everyone, so you’ll definitely pick up some cool tips for enjoying NA beverages at home.
So grab your favorite alcohol-free drink, sit back, and join us for this fun and insightful conversation with the one and only Jen Olafson from Zero Proof Lush!
Does the thought of going completely sober seem a bit wild or intimidating? Trust me, I get it—it can feel a bit embarrassing to even think about, especially when you’re hanging out with your drinking buddies. But I'm super excited to share this conversation with Jen Olafson because her approach to taking a break from alcohol is something you definitely need to hear about!
Jen Olafson is the fabulous mind behind Zero Proof Lush on Instagram. She posts the most gorgeous booze-free drinks and even offers mobile bar services that are to die for. After a particularly boozy summer, Jen decided it was time to reevaluate her relationship with alcohol, kicking off a whole year of sobriety in January 2021. That's how Zero Proof Lush came to be, and it completely transformed her life!
In our chat, Jen spills all the juicy details about her journey. We talk about her business, her first year of going alcohol-free, and some serious moments of self-discovery, including dealing with depression. Whether you’re sober curious or a die-hard mocktail fan, Jen's got amazing advice and creative ideas to make your non-alcoholic drinks just as fun and delicious. Plus, she’s all about creating an inclusive drinking experience for everyone, so you’ll definitely pick up some cool tips for enjoying NA beverages at home.
So grab your favorite alcohol-free drink, sit back, and join us for this fun and insightful conversation with the one and only Jen Olafson from Zero Proof Lush!
Buckle up, friends, and welcome to the Thriving Alcohol-Free Podcast. I'm your host, deb, otherwise known as Mocktail Mom, a retired wine drinker that finally got sick and tired of spinning on life's broken record called Detox to Retox. Let this podcast be an encouragement to you. If alcohol is maybe a form of self-care for you, where you find yourself dragging through the day waiting to pour another glass, I am excited to share with you the fun of discovering new things to drink when you aren't drinking and the joy of waking up each day without a hangover. It is an honor to serve as your sober, fun guide, so sit back and relax or keep doing whatever it is you're doing. This show is produced for you with love from the great state of Kentucky. Thanks so much for being here and big time cheers, okay, hey, friends, welcome back to Thriving Alcohol-Free with Mocktail Mom. I am Deb and I'm so excited today because I have, like an OG old friend from Instagram joining us and I cannot wait for you guys to hear her story.
Deb:
Jen Olafson runs Zero Proof Lush on Instagram. Make sure you are following her. She shares the most beautiful recipes, which actually we're going to get into it. We are going to get into it, but let me just tell you her bio so you can know a little bit about her before we start chit-chatting. Jen decided to evaluate her relationship with alcohol in September of 2020 after a very boozy summer Boy. I can relate to that. She did the alcohol experiment and never had any intentions of never drinking again at that time. I can relate to that. I think a lot of us can. After she completed the experiment, she was drinking again, but a lot less. But something really happened. She realized how crappy she would feel after drinking. So in January 2021, that magic month she decided to try to take an entire year without drinking, to experience everything in a year without alcohol. I cannot wait to talk to you about that.
Deb:
And that was when Zero Proof Lush was born. It gives me chills. She started to create it as an outlet to mix up non-alcoholic drinks and to try new products, and that's when she realized she really wanted to be able to share that experience with others. So she started offering mobile bar services amazing but now books larger events. She hosts pop-ups and anywhere like markets and different booze-free settings to let people know that booze-free cocktails are not boring and that drink inclusivity is very, very important to her. So just that. Your philosophy is really that every guest deserves to have the same experience and event. So, jen, welcome to the podcast. This is like the most long overdue guest ever. Welcome, so happy you're here.
Jen:
Thank you for having me. I am very excited, even though it took a while.
Deb:
I'm very excited you asked me to be here. What took me so long? I kept running around the track and I was like, wait a minute, you should have been our first guest.
Jen:
Yes, Well, there's a lot of people to talk to Well and the whole space has just grown.
Deb:
I mean, you and I started our Instagrams right January 2021. Yeah, yeah, same time Same time and it has just changed. Like it's not even. I mean, you know, our Instagram handles are the same, right, but like nothing is the same.
Jen:
Nothing. Yeah, whenever I'm at events, I always tell people I'm like even in the three and a half years that I haven't been drinking alcohol. There are so many more alternatives out there and it seems that it's just become more normalized to select alternatives and I just I love seeing that shift.
Deb:
Yeah, yeah it's incredible, right, because in the very beginning we had just a few, you know, non-alcoholic tequilas, right, there were just a couple, yeah, I mean, I don't think there was a, well, I didn't know of one. There were actually like non-alcoholic rum at the time, you know what I mean, like it was very well, there were. There were some, but it was like a lot more limited than now. Now, how do we keep up? How do we keep up? So, okay, all right, love for you.
Deb:
I really want you to share what that meant for you to say I want to take a year off. I want to experience everything this year in front of me has, because I think a lot of times it's very limiting Like for us, you know, maybe in the very beginning it's like, oh, I don't want to like, not ever drink. You know that feeling of like, so afraid of like, saying I'm never drinking again, or you know what will that look like. So I want to talk about that and just what you're doing up in the Minneapolis area with the services that you offer. And, honestly, if anybody's not following you, they need to be following you, because you put up recipes, beautiful, beautiful drinks.
Jen:
So let's get into it all.
Deb:
Seriously, somebody just asked me you posted just recently a Long Island iced tea. I saw on your Instagram. Yeah, yeah. Last month somebody asked me can you make a Long Island Iced Tea for summer? So I'm going to have to make. I'll make it and tag you with the exact recipe that you posted. Yeah, it looks so good. Yeah.
Jen:
That's a very booze forward recipe. So I mean, but luckily there's enough different alternatives that you could actually craft it in any manner. So that was kind of my fun. Take on National Iced Tea Day.
Deb:
I love that and, ironically, today's National Bourbon Day.
Jen:
Oh yes, I was going to post something about that. I can't keep up, I've been so busy.
Deb:
Have you, yes, okay, so what are you busy with? What's happening up there in Minneapolis, I think?
Jen:
it's just like a lot of you know, when I started my account in 2021, it was more, you know, that creative outlet found myself still wanting to have fun things to drink, but not drinking alcohol. So a lot of that was focused on more of the recipe creation and sharing drinks and talking about products. But now I'm kind of trying to evolve and shift where I'm more focusing on the event side of things and letting people know that I offer these mobile bar services and then just kind of the drink inclusivity aspect of it. That's great. So I've been doing less creative recipe stuff, but I should find time to go back and do that because that was really fun to film and post and stuff.
Deb:
But it's hard to keep up with right. Yeah, it takes a lot of energy just to make the content right and then to get it posted, like how many things do you have? When do you have things? Are you like me? Do you have things on your phone? And then you'll be scrolling back and you're like I forgot. I made that video to post three months ago. I never posted about it.
Jen:
Or my camera roll is just my dog and booze-free drinks.
Deb:
And drinks, and drinks. Yeah, yeah, yeah, seriously, I probably have more mocktails. Yeah, that's so bad. More pictures of mocktails and cocoa than anything on my phone, for sure.
Jen:
Trying to take pictures at your daughter's wedding and it was like your storage was full. Yeah, seriously, can you imagine? Can you imagine it's like, okay, yes, no, that would not be good.
Deb:
Yes, we did get some pictures in that day, that's for sure. Okay, so somebody comes to an event. Let's say you're just there at an event, you're going to an event and they're not having non-alcoholic options. So for the listeners maybe they're sober, curious, or audiences maybe you know newly, alcohol free or living an alcohol free lifestyle If they go to an event, a wedding, and there's no alcohol free options, what is there suggestions you give to people or what would you recommend?
Jen:
Yeah, my first suggestion is, before you even go there, maybe depending on whose wedding it is, I actually went to a wedding in my first year of being alcohol-free. During that year journey I was doing so I did reach out to my friend and I asked can you find out, like, what they have for non-alcoholic options? Will they have anything? And she was like, oh, they're not really going to have anything, but bring your own, bring your own bottle, yep, so that is an option you can. I did bring like a little cooler of. I knew they were going to be doing mimosas in the bridal suite so I brought some NA bubbles, shared it with a pregnant lady that was there.
Jen:
But then, if those aren't options say it's traveling for the wedding or whatever like don't be afraid to ask the bartender to make you something because they are going to have things there that they can mix up some sort of drink. It might not be the best mocktail because that's usually not their focus, but at least like you're getting something. Or a lot of times like you might not see an NA beer or something on the menu, but just like asking just to make sure because they might not be thinking about that. It's true, yeah, so like usually they you know that's at that wedding they did end up having an NA beer that they had at the bars, so that was an option for me as well.
Deb:
So great, great yeah. What are things that you offer? What do you love to offer at events, when you do your mobile pop-ups and stuff?
Jen:
So for my business, a lot of it is crafting a special menu for them. So what I usually do is like three to four different types of non-alcoholic cocktails. So I really do kind of do that traditional cocktail experience where I'm using a zero-proof spirit to mix the drinks. So I really do kind of do that traditional cocktail experience where I'm using a zero-proof spirit to mix the drinks. So they're really kind of getting those flavors, that essence in that elevated experience.
Deb:
Isn't that so nice? And you feel like you're still feel like an adult at the party.
Jen:
Yeah.
Deb:
Yeah, so are you mostly doing like an event that's all sober, or it's more like they're just wanting to have a non-alcoholic option at events?
Jen:
Yeah, a lot of the events I've done are they're just hiring. For some reason they can't do alcohol or they don't want to do alcohol. I'm doing a wedding next month actually, and the bride and her fiance, they don't drink anymore and her thing was she wants to show her friends and family that non-alcoholic options are just as fun can be. You know, you can still have a good party without alcohol. So that's why she reached out to me to hire me for that event.
Jen:
So, I had someone ask me if I would ever do alcohol too because of the mobile bartending, and I was like, no, it's not, it's strictly NA. I feel gross about serving people alcohol. If I have friends coming over, I offer them all the great non-alcoholic options I'm comfortable. If they want to bring their own alcohol into my house, they can, but I'm just not going to serve it to you. Yeah.
Deb:
I understand, yes, totally understand. Yeah, yeah, that makes perfect sense. That makes perfect sense. Yeah, there's so many options, but you're going to be like sprinkling the magic fairy dust on this wedding next month. Yes, Because, all of their friends are going to get to experience non-alcoholic options that aren't just a Shirley Temple or juice with some seltzer Not that I have anything against that but you're really going to bring that elevated experience.
Jen:
I hope so.
Deb:
Yes, you will, I know you will. Yes, I see your stuff, my gosh. Yes, we've never drank together, but we did do an Instagram live together. When was that that was like? Was that in 2021 or 2022?
Jen:
I think it was summer of 2021.
Deb:
It was three years ago.
Jen:
Yeah.
Deb:
Oh, my gosh. Okay, all right. So in that first year, when you first became alcohol-free, free, 2021.
Jen:
What did you expect it to be like and what surprised you? You know about it to keep you going, yeah. So the caveat to that is deep down inside. I knew I should probably be done with alcohol for good. We all have that little voice. But I told myself I'm like I'm going to do a year, and then also I think that helped in telling other people like, instead of approaching it as like I'm never going to drink again, just kind of putting that time on it of the year, and then I could explain it.
Jen:
Like you know, since I started drinking which was, you know, 20, like when I was in college, it's like I hadn't gone through an extended period of time without having alcohol, like it had just become so ingrained in everything I did.
Jen:
It's like every weekend I was drinking my wine and like I just really wanted to experience my birthday, experience, holidays, go through weekends, trips, like different things that I was doing throughout that, or just like natural things that happened throughout the year without having that haze of alcohol. I just also knew, like by committing to a year versus like forever, that it would really give me a chance to relearn how to do things make it become just the normal thing. That I did and I was at a girls weekend during that year and one of the guys who worked at that lodge we go to he's like he had quit drinking a year or so before that and I was like, yeah, I'm doing this, I'm not drinking for a year, and he kind of like leaned in. He's like I'm going to tell you something you're probably not going to go back.
Deb:
Really, he said that to you.
Jen:
Yes, and I was like I go, you're probably right, you were feeling good, yeah, and I think that's just also. What happened is like I was feeling so good after that year and just that time away from it, and then I just had given myself time to relearn how to approach social situations. You know, deal with my friendships, like all that stuff. Over that course of that year that you know, when the year time was up, the desire to drink just really wasn't there anymore.
Deb:
That's amazing. That's amazing. I love that. And by saying like I'm just taking a year off, I feel like it takes that pressure off of people to be like. Like, when you say like I'm not drinking, and it's like, well, what do you mean? And you get all these questions like what do you mean forever, like how long? What do you mean not drinking? You know? We always drink together and we go on a girl's weekend but it's like, oh, I'm just taking I'm. Do you feel like they respected that a little?
Jen:
bit differently. Yeah, I think that was like an easier way to approach that, where you know, oh, this is more of a challenge, it's something I'm doing for a year, just want to see how I feel.
Deb:
I love that. I love that I feel like people friends maybe who are still drinking can really get behind, that it's like they're encouraging you.
Jen:
Like if you're saying I'm going to do a marathon, you know like they're going to cheer you on, you know, same thing, and I like taking that like. I just want to see how I feel without it. I feel like that takes off the pressure of like having to label your drinking as problematic or, you know, putting yourself in a box that some people like because it makes them more comfortable. So it just kind of leaves it a little bit more open. It's just, you know, I just want to do I feel better, are my workouts better? Like I'm training for this run. I want to see, like, if my training goes better. So it's a little, you can kind of shift it to. You know something, versus I end up getting blacked out every time I drink. Right, right, right.
Deb:
Yes, yes, I like the approach of yes, like I'm just I'm leaning into the, leaning into the curiosity. It makes it a lot easier of a conversation with people than like yeah, then I black out, I go from one glass to a bottle and a half and next thing, you know, netflix is asking me do you want to continue watching? I'm like what was I watching?
Jen:
All right, I hate myself come Monday morning because I'm in this deep dark depression from drinking wine all weekend. So it's just kind of it puts the narrative kind of more in your control. I think I like that a lot.
Deb:
I like that. Did your drinking affect, like, did you feel more depressed? I'm not saying you're depressed, but you know I'm like sorry. Sorry, jen, I'm not trying to make any like diagnosis here. I just mean like, like, did you experience depression in a way differently, or did you experience anxiety, anxiety, all those things that I think many of us have experienced? Sorry, yeah, I'm not asking the question the right way?
Jen:
No, no, I think I get what you're asking. No, I don't think I really. So I would binge drink so every weekend, and by weekend I mean probably Thursday night to Sunday. I would binge drink so like every weekend, and like by weekend I mean probably Thursday night to Sunday, like I would be drinking. So by the time I hit Monday I was alcohol's a depressant.
Jen:
I was so low and it probably frightened people when I first started talking about my relationship with alcohol because I was like my mind would go to some pretty dark places come Monday and Tuesday as my brain was trying to get back to normal and like it would be scary and like I didn't realize that toll. Really, until taking that first 30 day break I was like, oh, this really is making me feel bad. Normalize without alcohol. I've not been someone who's been usually depressed or had to talk to someone about that or anything, but man drinking would take me down. Man drinking would take me to. It would take me down, and I didn't. Until I took that break I didn't realize how down I always say like I didn't have that rock bottom moment.
Jen:
There was. No, there was nothing that happened that made me be like I need to change. I knew what I was doing wasn't sustainable and it wasn't healthy Like I, it would kill me eventually if I continued to drink that amount. It wasn't good, sure, but there was never a moment.
Jen:
I was very functional. I held multiple jobs. I did all these things. I was social out, didn't tend to piss off my friends when I got drunk. I'm very easy to get along with yes, people like me. But after I took a break and like, going into that year, looking back, I was pretty dang low and I didn't realize it until I got out of that cycle and I was like, okay, so like, don't always think of rock bottom as like the significant event. It's just like where are you living and what can be your potential? And if you are in that cycle I know you talk about it with like the Chardonnay, like wine, and repeat cycle in your intro and it's just you might be down here, but you could be like way up here, and it's just by removing that one thing.
Deb:
Isn't it incredible I mean really just removing a liquid which obviously has always removing this one liquid from our lives, and how, like what you just said, you go from here. Maybe you don't even realize how low you are, you don't? I didn't. And then all this potential and all this time that you're going to have, right? Would you have ever had time, like really had time, to be creative, come up with these drinks, start this business? If you were drinking, it's just so different. Probably not. You can't. I mean, if anybody's listening and you're thinking about breaking up with alcohol or you're considering you're sober, curious jen, and I cannot encourage you enough to just do it day by day. You know you don't have to make any big commitments, but how much better you will feel without the alcohol you and I could never have imagined never yeah okay, as you guys know, I love Gießen 0% wines.
Deb:
Their Suavignon blanc is my Giesen go-to on a regular basis, but they recently launched a delicious sparkling brute 0%, which is quickly becoming a fan favorite. I am so proud to have Gießen as the exclusive non-alcoholic wine sponsor of the Thriving Alcohol-Free Podcast. Gießen 0% wines are created through the magic of advanced spinning cone technology to remove the alcohol from their full-leaded wines. The award-winning winemaker Duncan Shuler and his team have done wonders in Marlborough, New Zealand, by creating an entire family of 0% wines Giesen's all the flavor and deliciousness you expect from traditional quote full-leaded wine. Their non-alcoholic wines maintain the aroma and the body to create a low-calorie wine that never contains more than 0.5 ABV.
Deb:
Globally Giesen, look for Gieson 0% wines wherever you shop for your non-alcoholic options. Their family of alcohol-free wines include the most effervescent member of the family, the sparkling brute 0%, which is absolutely delicious for any celebration Giesen My personal favorite although I do love them all is the Sauvignon Blanc, coming in at only 100 calories for the entire bottle. And, not to be missed, the other members of their 0% family the Riesling, the Premium Red Blend, the Rosé, the Pinot Gris. With Gießen's 0% wines, there's a de-alcoholized wine for everyone and every occasion.
Deb:
Give Gießen a try and let me know how much you love it, and if you want to meet their winemaker, go back to episode 33 of the podcast, where Duncan Shuler joined me to share about the Giesem story. Okay, let's talk about ingredients and maybe like what you like to have on hand or what you maybe would recommend for somebody who's maybe just getting started or kind of just stocking their you know kind of home area of drinking. You know, because you're so good at just having like great options, Maybe some of your favorites that you could recommend to the listeners.
Jen:
Okay, yeah, oh, gosh, putting me on the spot here, Sorry, sorry I didn't mean to put you on the spot.
Deb:
Sorry, sorry, what's it? Yeah, okay, so like, do you have a favorite? Do you have like a favorite mocktail, or yeah, we can talk about that.
Jen:
Yeah, I guess one of my favorites right now for summer that I've really started using a lot is the abstinence spirits, their lemon aperitif.
Deb:
Oh.
Jen:
It's just different. I mix that with their Cape Floral, which is a botanical spirit, and with non-alcoholic wine and it just makes like a nice refreshing summer spritz. So I've been using that at some of my events and then I top it off with some little dried flowers and it just like pulls it all together and it's very pretty. Yeah, I think like big thing is ingredients, let's. I'm going to start like higher level with like glassware. You gotta get yourself a nice fancy glass because that, no matter what you're putting in there, even if it's just sparkling water, it's going to instantly elevate the experience A hundred percent. Yeah, so you got to get some good glassware. And then there's a lot of different spirits. I know you've talked on the podcast before about amethyst and I see your little bottle in the background. Don't you love amethyst? I do, and I just went to HomeGoods today and they had a bunch of it, so I had to buy a couple more bottles.
Deb:
Yeah, I heard somebody else got it like on a good deal at HomeGoods.
Jen:
Yeah, and they had a lot there, so I might have to go back. Yes, you need to stock up for your summer. Yes, because, yeah, your clients will love Amethyst. I feel like that's a good one too. People are always looking for vodka alternatives, so if you are big into the Kettle One, botanicals or whatever, amethyst is a great one to just you just can mix it with club soda and the flavors are so great in it, so that's a good one. If you want just something that's not maybe a traditional type spirit, otherwise it's very easy. It's always good to have an NA tequila around or something. So if you want a margarita or whatever your spirit that you enjoy, those are good, and you can find different brands that kind of have that one-to-one replacement where they're meant to, you know, give you the flavors of that. Well, it is National Bourbon Day, so, like my favorite, my favorite is Spiritless Kentucky 74. So so, in honor of National Bourbon Day, that's probably one.
Deb:
Do you like the spiced one better or the traditional? The traditional one better I?
Jen:
prefer the spice. I love the spiced, and especially around the holidays, like that's a good one to have around the holidays, it's so good. Yeah, that's one of my favorites for bourbons. So, like your spirits. And then you're going to take like a mixer so you can do club soda, ginger beer. I always have ginger beer on hand because that has great spice and kick. So even if you're just mixing it with like lime juice or something in a glass, like it's going to have that spicy cocktail feel to it. So and then you got to do your favorite lime juice the Key West lime juice.
Deb:
Oh, you know what it's so funny. Yes, the oh, nellie and Joe's, yes, yes, for like the whole first year of me being alcohol free, I was like obsessed with them. You know finally they followed me on Instagram after I like, tagged them like a thousand times, yes, but now I started, I started using a juice, the little squeezer. You know the little contraption I actually I've like, really leveled up. I now squeeze my own limes.
Jen:
I don't even know what's happened to me. Oh, look at you fancy pants.
Deb:
Fancy pants with a 99 cent squeezer, you know, but I have nothing against bottle juice if I don't have it.
Jen:
Yeah, yes, I will, we'll use that. I found an electric juicer at a Target. It was on clearance so it was only $2.50. So I don't know how great it's going to work. Got to plug it into you Battery operated.
Deb:
What are you using over there? Yeah, you might go back to the bottle juice.
Jen:
The investment wasn't that much on it, but I mean, as my business hopefully grows, I can invest in a fancier juicer.
Jen:
so that like, can really then elevate the experience with some fresh juice, fresh squeezed juices, fresh squeezed juice garnish. So, lastly, you're going to have a good garnish because that's just going to pull everything all together and really give you that nice cocktailian experience, even though your drink doesn't have any alcohol. I like to do dehydrate citrus, and the reason I do that is because then you can keep it forever and it's like you can instantly just kind of drop it in there. Or like fresh herbs are great, just other fruit. There's lots of fun things that you've flowers, lots of things.
Deb:
Dehydrated citrus is so nice Cause, like you said, it lasts forever or whatever. Six months shelf, like, whatever you know what I mean Like, but in general in my house it would last forever because I have cinnamon from like 1989. Well, deb, we know about you. And expiration dates. Seriously, it's so embarrassing. I just took Excedrin the other morning and I think it was from 2007.
Jen:
You're like why doesn't it work? Why isn't this effective?
Deb:
The efficacy on this Excedrin has really gone downhill. But yes, so yeah, those dehydrated lemons and limes do last forever. I can contest that, but they smell nice, like I said you just pop it on. It makes it look pretty kind of, finishes it off the drink, but you still get the aroma of a nice garnish, the citrus, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so I like that. I like that Very easy for no-transcript. Is it soberish?
Jen:
mom, she is the ice queen.
Deb:
In the nicest of way, we're going to call her the ice queen. Yes, yes, we don't mean that, katie. We mean this in a nice way, Katie in the nicest way, you're the ice queen of sober, living in a nice way.
Jen:
In the nicest way you're the ice queen of sober living. Yeah, no, um, you know, I do have fun. I do have, like, the large cubes. Um, I do have a few different ice molds. Um, yeah, usually I'll get. I'll get ice for an event and then I end up having all this leftover ice that I'm trying to cram into my freezer. Totally understand. I gotta make this 20 pound bag of ice fit in here.
Deb:
This is not working. This is not working. Yes, okay, so if you go out to a restaurant and they have nothing on the menu but the bartender can make you something, is there something in particular that you like to ask the bartender to make for you?
Jen:
If there's not a menu, usually what I'll do is I'll probably get a non-alcoholic beer.
Jen:
Otherwise I'd probably just ask for, like, an Arnie Palmer like, and if they can kind of make it more like a little fancier, maybe putting it in like a wine glass with some ice, so it's more of a spritz you could even like. Even I've asked them to add just like a little couple dashes of bitters to it, because then I will kind of give it a little bit of a bite, or like bitters, and soda is always like. All bars have bitters, so that's a really easy one. We'll have trace amounts of alcohol in it, but it's just like kind of any other NA product, so it's not that doesn't bother me.
Deb:
Same same. Yeah. I shouldn't say it's nothing, because there is yeah, yeah yep, yep.
Jen:
So like that's always a good, or you can do, yeah, like soda and bitters with like a lemon or something you can always do like cranberry and soda with some lime, or just going, if they have ginger beer, asking them to make you kind of a non-alcoholic Moscow Mule Nice.
Deb:
Yep, Yep, it's good to know, yeah, that there's options, that when you walk in a restaurant, if you haven't maybe looked ahead, you know looked at the menu in advance or planned ahead, Like I love your advice of. If you're going to an event, you know asking what their options might be. You know'm planning ahead, maybe trying to bring your own if you need to, or you know asking for soda and bitters, or bring your own all the bitter.
Deb:
They have little travel you know, that you can bring if somebody you know somebody is somewhere and they don't even have a bar, you know, but you want to have something that feels like a cocktail.
Jen:
Oh, I think too. They don't always post their non-alcoholic menu online, so there might be options that you don't know. Or I've gone out to dinner once and I was like, do you have a non-alcoholic menu? And she pulls out this piece of paper from her little ordering pad and it's like here. I'm like cool, could we maybe just put it on the regular menu so people know there's a hidden.
Deb:
Post-it note in her check. Yeah, where the checks are, here you go. Okay, that's hilarious. Yes, yes, it'd be nice to have that posted somewhere. Yeah, yeah.
Jen:
Because I think, especially if people are early in their sobriety or they're exploring their relationship with alcohol, they may not be comfortable asking. Or they're exploring their relationship with alcohol, they may not be comfortable asking Now. I'm at the point now where I'm just like I'll just ask. And then sometimes I even get a little sassy when they start listing off like juice and soda. I'm like I know that. Like tell me what the good stuff is. Yeah, I know you have pineapple juice and orange juice.
Deb:
No, that's a really good point, though, because in the very beginning it can be very uncomfortable to be at a group setting or an event or a dinner. And I'll never forget the first time I asked you know, do you have any mocktails? And I wanted to hide under the table. Even asking it, I was so embarrassed because I didn't want any of the questions. You know what do you mean? You're not drinking, you know. So yeah, it is very nice when things are posted. You can just place your order.
Jen:
Especially if you're with a group that you know maybe you don't know any well. It's a work event or something. It's just kind of can be. You know, I don't want people to know that I'm not drinking because I want to avoid questions.
Deb:
And so, and that's totally okay, yeah, that's totally okay, yep, yep.
Jen:
Now just say it loud and proud no, I mean now I do.
Deb:
I don't want to ever forget that feeling, though, but yes, it's like it's so different now than just three years ago. There's so many options. There's so much more beyond. You know all duels and athletic, which I thought it was wonderful, but you know what I mean. It's like there's so many more options of everything. So I just want everybody who's listening to just know that the fun's not over and there are still amazing, delicious things to drink. Make sure you are following Jen over at Zero Proof Lush on Instagram. You can connect with her. If you're in the Minneapolis area and you want to have her come and do an event for you, please reach out to her directly. She does mobile non-alcoholic bar services and booze-free events. Your drinks look so beautiful.
Deb:
Oh, thank you I hope we can one day drink together in person.
Jen:
I know we got to plan some sort of retreat or something.
Deb:
I see all these like sober retreats happening and stuff, and yeah, I'm like hmm yeah, a mocktail.
Jen:
mama little trip there.
Deb:
Something for all the ladies. Yes, jen, thank you, thank you so much for being on the podcast today.
Deb:
It was so fun to chat with you. I'm so excited to have everybody get to know you and your story. So thank you, Thank you Big time cheers to you for tuning into the Thriving Alcohol-Free Podcast. I hope you will take something from today's episode and make one small change that will help you to thrive and have fun in life without alcohol. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the podcast, please share it with others, post about it on social, send up a flare or leave a rating and a review. I am cheering for you as you discover the world of non-alcoholic drinks and as you journey towards authentic freedom.
