Anonymous wrote:Fresca with crushed strawberries.

That's good. Or Fresca with grapefruit juice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Diet tonic water with a lime slice on the rocks.

You are trying to trick yourself that you're sipping on a gin & tonic? This is like compulsively puffing on an unlit cigarette after quitting cigs. It's addiction behavior.

No. Never had a G&T in my life. I have always been dry. Tried a tonic and lime on a flight once. I guess I like the taste of quinine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm one of those who just doesn't get why you need a drink with dinner or in the evening at all. I drank when I was younger and enjoyed it, but when I stopped (just because as I aged it didn't sit well with me) I didn't feel the need to replace it with anything.
If I were going out a lot and didn't drink, then I could see having a non-alcoholic cocktail or beer just for fun, but not at home.

+1. Especially at lunch I don’t get why people always NEED any beverage, including ice water. Is it just out of habit or like an anxiety thing so you can sip when there’s a lull in the conversation? I get plenty of hydration throughout the day, I don’t need to guzzle coffee, tea, soda, juice, mocktail or fake beer, sparkling or still water, etc. every single time I eat.

I don't generally drink at meals, but I think it's actually recommended for better digestion to have a liquid while you're eating. Also, with certain foods, I do think it helps you appreciate the taste, as the beverage acts as a palate cleanser (particularly with spicy or fatty foods). Also, it helps people feel more full, so they generally eat less. Also some people just like it.
Just a few things since you said you don't get it.

For the last ten maybe twenty years it seems like everyone is carrying around a water bottle all day. You would think the ritualistic need to hydrate at a meal, especially lunch, is less than ever.

For anyone who likes a mocktail, I’ve been making variations of something I’m calling a “jale-piña mule”:

V8 spicy jalapeño pineapple juice
Ginger beer
Lime
Toss in a crystallized ginger cube if you’ve got one
Cut with sparkling water if too sweet

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm one of those who just doesn't get why you need a drink with dinner or in the evening at all. I drank when I was younger and enjoyed it, but when I stopped (just because as I aged it didn't sit well with me) I didn't feel the need to replace it with anything.
If I were going out a lot and didn't drink, then I could see having a non-alcoholic cocktail or beer just for fun, but not at home.

+1. Especially at lunch I don’t get why people always NEED any beverage, including ice water. Is it just out of habit or like an anxiety thing so you can sip when there’s a lull in the conversation? I get plenty of hydration throughout the day, I don’t need to guzzle coffee, tea, soda, juice, mocktail or fake beer, sparkling or still water, etc. every single time I eat.

I don't generally drink at meals, but I think it's actually recommended for better digestion to have a liquid while you're eating. Also, with certain foods, I do think it helps you appreciate the taste, as the beverage acts as a palate cleanser (particularly with spicy or fatty foods). Also, it helps people feel more full, so they generally eat less. Also some people just like it.
Just a few things since you said you don't get it.

Anonymous wrote:I'm one of those who just doesn't get why you need a drink with dinner or in the evening at all. I drank when I was younger and enjoyed it, but when I stopped (just because as I aged it didn't sit well with me) I didn't feel the need to replace it with anything.
If I were going out a lot and didn't drink, then I could see having a non-alcoholic cocktail or beer just for fun, but not at home.

+1. Especially at lunch I don’t get why people always NEED any beverage, including ice water. Is it just out of habit or like an anxiety thing so you can sip when there’s a lull in the conversation? I get plenty of hydration throughout the day, I don’t need to guzzle coffee, tea, soda, juice, mocktail or fake beer, sparkling or still water, etc. every single time I eat.

Anonymous wrote:I'm one of those who just doesn't get why you need a drink with dinner or in the evening at all. I drank when I was younger and enjoyed it, but when I stopped (just because as I aged it didn't sit well with me) I didn't feel the need to replace it with anything.
If I were going out a lot and didn't drink, then I could see having a non-alcoholic cocktail or beer just for fun, but not at home.

I'm one of those who just doesn't get why you would open a thread about "best nonalcoholic drinks" in the Food forum and then lecture people about why they want to drink anything at all.

I'm one of those who just doesn't get why you need a drink with dinner or in the evening at all. I drank when I was younger and enjoyed it, but when I stopped (just because as I aged it didn't sit well with me) I didn't feel the need to replace it with anything.
If I were going out a lot and didn't drink, then I could see having a non-alcoholic cocktail or beer just for fun, but not at home.

I have kombucha once a week.

You can make homemade Jamaica (mexican hibiscus drink)-- it's got a fair amount of sugar but it's a fun drink.

I usually just do a sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice or mashed up berries -- you could "muddle" in mint too.

I also really love the Italian sodas, like the grapefruit or lemon or blood orange sodas, but those do have a fair amount of sugar so don't do those very often. YOu can get them at the Italian import stores, or TJ sells them under their label.

I think it's kind of pointless to do the non-alcoholic alcohol if the goal is to create different habits. But I guess if you really drink a lot of alchohol, any bridge is worth it.

I also just drink herbal tea every night after dinner. I'm not a huge "plain water" drinker.