In the recent years non alcohol beer, wine and hard alcohol options have really taken off! Between pregnancy, postpartum and withholding your booze while breastfeeding or simply living a non alcohol lifestyle, the options seem to be endless nowadays! This holiday season I took it upon myself to bring an assortment of non alcoholic wines/champagnes to our Christmas Eve celebration and boy was it fun! Over 10 family members and friends each taste sampled an assortment of bottles, offered ranking on a scale of 1-5 and noted extra thoughts to help gauge our favorite NA bubbly. Here are the results!
🍾Ranked favorite to least favorite, along with their prices.
- Stella Rosa Black $10.99
- Fre Sparkling Brut $11.99
- French Bloom $46 (not pictured)
- Stella Rosa Peach $10.99
- Surely Rosé $23.99
- Surely Brut $23.99
- Alternativa 0.0 $32.99
You read it right. The least expensive was a crowd favorite dropping down the list to the least favorite and most expensive. Someone said recently, “it seems the more expensive versions are over thought and more vinegary” to which I couldn’t agree more. There’s something to be said about inexpensive simple options.
Best in show comin’ in hot was the Stella Rosa Black and surprisingly it wasn’t a white bubbly! Too bad we didn’t have everyone’s reaction when I open this bottle! This translucent red blend wine was described as easy to drink, sweet, sticks to tongue and dry on the tongue. This bottle was undeniably well received, it was sweet but not overly sweet. My only disappointment was that this wasn’t a champagne option, I didn’t realize it was a red blend. This option would not mix well as a mimosa but could still be a top choice for a dinner drink.
Comin’ in next in second place is the Fre Brut. Not going to lie, this was no surprise to me considering I had it earlier in the morning with my orange juice. I was excited to see everyone’s reaction once shared since it’s been a choice I share with the bemybreastfriend community often! This Brut was described as "N’SYNC got nothing on this pop", the cork damn near hit the ceiling! Also described as perfect sweet blend, right ratio of sweet, good pop and little sweet. No doubt the Fre Brut is a top choice to mix for your brunch Mimosa.
In third place, per my doing, I added the French Bloom in this spot. The French Bloom came a day late but was still able to be shared on Christmas Day with a handful of people. This option was fabulous and liked by many. My sister Lisa gave it 5’s across the board for fizz, smell, flavor and savor, I can’t disagree. But there’s a kicker, this bottle was $46! Yes, $46 to not catch a buzz, I get that’s not the intent here, but as an alcohol drinker while not pregnant, it’s got to be a special occasion or fancy bottle for me to want to spend $46 on any bottle of champagne. That said, this bottle of French Bloom was amazing, not sweet, really reflected the true taste of champagne BUT for the price tag it is not worth it in my opinion. As far as ranking goes, it earned its spot at #3 but if it were based on price, it xshould be at the bottom of the list. I’m just having a difficult time justifying the price, even if it was enjoyable. I’d rather enjoy the Fre Brut, which is sweeter, but far less expensive.
The Stella Rosa Peach was another hit with the Christmas Eve crowd, truly comin in at third place, but I replaced it with the French Bloom above. I’ve said it before, if this bottle has booze in it, I would absolutely not be able to drink it. Described by many as too sweet but suggested "better with seltzer when added". So that’s a thought, fizz it up with some seltzer and it might fit the bill for many more. Overall this was a very sweet option but still easy to drink, just wouldn’t recommend drinking too much because it could very well result in a stomach ache.
Okay now for the final three, also the most pricey options on Christmas Eve. I ordered these last three bottles on Amazon based on recommendations and all I can say is, I will not be reordering any of these bottles for the future.
At number 5 is the Surely Rosé this was a close match with the Surely Brut. Both described as tart but the Rosé really knocking you out with the vinegar after taste. Neither were a hit and when sharing the price tag lots of unhappy customers, at $23 a bottle we all expected a lot more. Both very fizzy, after taste of vinegar and in our opinions not worth the price tag.
Last and definitely least, the Alternativa 0.0. What did we even drink? My sister’s friend, who also happens to be a school teacher described this as, “smells like sticky kids after drinking apple juice". Cait really hit it on the head when describing this bottle of watered down apple juice. Lots of dislikes, comparing to thawed apple juice and pure lackluster. This bottle started off our Christmas Eve taste-testing extravaganza, not a good start at all but we ended on the Fre Brut so I guess you can say, we went out with a bang.
The only affiliated link shared anywhere in this review is Amazon, simply a populated list. Half of these options are located at your local grocery store. I’d love to say it was sponsored by Fre but every time I tag them on Instagram they basically give me a virtual high five, I don’t think they actually appreciate me sharing their product. The Fre Brut just so happens to be my favorite NA bubbly, so I stay honest regardless of my interactions with the company.
Check out the Amazon List of NA choices HERE
Copy and Pasted from an Instagram post from Feburary 11, 2022, here are some NA beer rankings!
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Other NA (non-alcohol) options I’ve enjoyed🍻
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➡️ @athleticbrewing
Cerveza is my fave so far after trying the Dry January pack, looking forward to trying their sparkling water this summer!
My dry January ranking:
1️⃣ Cerveza
Very flavorful. I am not a fan of Corona, Sol, Dos Equis, Modelo, etc. But I really enjoyed Athletic’s Cerveza
2️⃣ Upside Down Dawn
Yumm, good body. Hard to tell this one wasn’t an alcohol brew, 👌🏻well done Athletic.
3️⃣ Free Wave double hop IPA
I felt it had an after taste, but still tasty
4️⃣ Run Wild IPA
again with the after taste and wasn’t as refreshing as I hopped for based off everyone’s recommendations to try this particular flavor
5️⃣ All Out Stout
I’m not a dark beer drinker, but my Dad, sister and BIL loved it!
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➡️ @heineken_us
I’m not going to lie, every time I take a swig from this bottle I double check to make sure it’s 0% alcohol. Only con, sometimes I feel it leaves a funny after taste
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➡️ @frewines
I’m a big fan of their Brut and OJ, I’m a mimosa gal🍾
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➡️ @clausthalerusa , I’m a sucker for a good German beer and this one hits the spot with a good grease pizza 🍕
I’m very cultured, 😝
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For reference when I’m not withholding alcohol my drinks of choice included:
🍺 @halfacrebeer
Daisy Cutter
GoneAway 🤤 (seasonal)
🍺 @foundersbrewing
All Day IPA
🍺 @revbrewchicago
Anti-Hero
🍺 @spaten_br
Oktoberfest (seasonal)
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⚠️⚠️ some of these NA brews are labeled “Non-Alcholic contains less than 0.5% ALC/VOL”
For some, this is still too close for comfort. If you’re concerned or question these choices please speak with your provider.
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