Follow you down
Over the past 10-months of early sobriety, I have been hesitant about trying beverages that resemble alcohol. My idea was that they would be triggering and cause me to want the full alcohol version. However, as we all know, as we continue to grow, our thoughts and beliefs change and recently, I have been finding myself wanting to find an alternative beverage to have every once in awhile for a special occasion.
When I started doing research on what I should try first, I realized that the NA/AF world was much more extensive than I thought and I was a bit overwhelmed. So I decided on starting with a subscription service. I decided on this route because it gives me more options without having to commit to buying whole bottles and possibly wasting them if I do not care for them. Plus, the convenience of them being sent right to my house was a quick sell for me as well.
I settled on We are Raising the Bar monthly subscription kit because it had a lot of good reviews online, has been featured in Vanity Fair, Good Morning America, GQ, The Today Show and many more noteworthy productions, and had a fair price for the subscription plan. I also really appreciate that the drinks they send are zero-proof. As a person in recovery, I prefer to stick to zero-proof or alcohol free beverages over non-alcoholic beverages.
April 2025 I received my first box and it featured a Gin Blossoms theme. I thought this was so fun for my first box. I used to love gin as it was super versatile for cocktails and reminds me of my trip to Scotland where the gin was very plentiful. However, full alcohol gin can be very dangerous and affected me too much so I was wondering how a zero proof gin would live up to the taste.
Well, I have to say, it did. CUT ABOVE zero-proof gin was just beautiful to all of the senses. It is light, has an almost citrusy taste but lacks the burn of it’s alcohol counterpart. No wonder it has won the 2024-25 NA Gin of the Year Award. As for the cocktail, Follow Me Down, I loved all of the ingredients separately but it wasn’t my favorite mixed. The tea from Tea with Tae added a beautiful floral hint, but I think I may have steeped it longer than my taste would’ve liked in a mocktail. Next time, I think I would steep it less to let all the ingredients blend together more.
Ingredients:
1 oz. CUT ABOVE Gin
1/2 oz. Crescent Simples Raspberry Rose
4 oz. brewed, chilled hibiscus tea
1/2 oz. lemon juice
Optional: egg white or 2 TBSP aquafaba
Instructions:
Ahead of time, brew and chill your tea.
In a shaker, combine all ingredients. Dry shake (shake without ice) for about 30 seconds to create a frothy texture. Add ice and shake again until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass (or any chilled glass to your liking) and serve.
