The holiday season is a time when you’re expected to indulge in a second serving of Christmas dinner — with little concern for how many cookies you’ve eaten, or champurrados you’ve sipped. But the festivities can get overwhelming, especially for those who are sober or trying to maintain a healthy relationship with alcohol.
In the last several years, nonalcoholic beverages have become more commonplace in the United States. Many bars have increased their alcohol-free menus. There are pop-up events around the city, like Bar Nuda, or brick-and-mortar bars like Free Spirited in Alhambra, which only serve nonalcoholic drinks. Even celebrities have ventured into the world of nonalcoholic drinks with their own personalized brands — like Tom Holland (who co-founded Bero Beer), Bella Hadid (Kin) and Lewis Hamilton (Almave).
Most nonalcoholic brands, shops and pop-ups are in the midst of their busiest season, with their winter business peaking in January. After the chaos of the holidays, many people decide to partake in Dry January, a month without any alcohol, and test out the waters with a few nonalcoholic drinks.
De Los spoke with a few Latino owners of nonalcoholic brands to get some advice for those moderating their drinking during the holidays.
The New Bar
Brianda Gonzalez, the founder of the New Bar, sees nonalcoholic beverages as a way to make holiday fun more sustainable. The New Bar, an L.A.-based nonalcoholic retailer, started in 2022 as a more accessible way for consumers to browse their options — selling anything from nonalcoholic wines to bottled negronis. Throughout the season, Gonzalez says that people tend to overindulge and start what she calls a “crash and burn cycle” — they feel bad about overdoing it, then they restrict in the new year and eventually repeat the cycle.
“A ton of people also realize they can indulge in the holiday season without completely wrecking themselves and not entering day one of the new year feeling like a battered person,” said Gonzalez. “The holidays are such an alcohol-prevalent moment, and if you are trying to drink a little bit less, or if you’re not drinking at all, but you really do crave some sort of indulgence, nonalcoholic options are amazing for that.”
Gonzalez’s holiday advice: “If you’re hosting a party, make sure to have nonalcoholic options available. It makes the season feel so much more manageable for me. Whether you’re drinking or abstaining entirely, you want to be able to show up in a better way. Switch to [a nonalcoholic drink] for your nightcap instead.”
Trejo’s Spirits
When Danny Trejo started to open up his line of restaurants around L.A., including Trejo’s Tacos and Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts, he was courted by tequila companies to start his own brand. But seeing as the L.A.-born actor has been sober for over 50 years, he and his business partner, Ash Shah, instead launched Trejo’s Spirits: a nonalcoholic line of spirits. In light of the festive season, both Trejo and Shah are happy to help provide more choices to people who are curious about having a night out, being included in the holiday fun and not drinking.
Trejo’s holiday advice: “Everybody should try to stay on mock liquor for the holidays — that way you can make it home safely and wake up without a hangover. But if I’m at a party, a lot of times people will want you to drink and they’ll try to give you a glass. So I make sure I’m always holding a glass, so they don’t even ask me.”
Jas
Jas is where nonalcoholic drinks, Mexican flavors and functional ingredients come together. Co-founded by Cecilia Rios Murrieta, the brand focuses on including adaptogens like ashwagandha and lion’s mane mushrooms in canned cocktails. During the holiday season, Rios Murrieta says everything is about intention. As a former drinker, she recalls not being able to find nonalcoholic “options that didn’t feel like an afterthought,” so it was harder for her to decide whether to drink or not.
“If an option feels intentional, it tastes good and it feels like you’re not missing out — that can make the whole difference. Now you’re able to make the decision,” said Rios Murrieta. “It just makes it so much easier.”
Rios Murrieta’s holiday advice: “We want to empower people to make good choices. It’s always about being very self aware and conscious about how a drink makes you feel. It’s hard because of peer pressure, but if you’re able to have a nonalcoholic drink that feels special, you’re able to be yourself.”
Entre Nos
Inside Northgate’s Mercado González, Entre Nos provides all shoppers with either a well-deserved cerveza or a fruity mocktail. The full-service bar, in the Costa Mesa market, serves both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages and recently debuted its winter menu. This year, the star of the nonalcoholic menu is its homemade ponche.
According to Bryant Joel Orozco, the bartender who runs the cocktail program, many customers come in skeptical of their version of the traditional beverage, as Entre Nos trades raisins for dried cranberries. But Orozco says their version, a “nostalgic, holiday-laden” beverage, tends to win customers over — especially those looking to avoid alcohol this season.
“A lot of people are almost grateful to see a nonalcoholic section on our menu. There’s that sense of inclusivity with people who are sober or who don’t feel like drinking,” said Orozco. “For me, inclusivity goes hand in hand with hospitality. You want to welcome your guests and include them in your menus. Be mindful of people who don’t drink and of people who don’t want to get trashed that night.”
Orozco’s holiday advice: “We all want to party. You want to wear the ugly Christmas sweaters and all of that, but don’t forget to hang out with your family. There’s such a sense of community and warmth there. You don’t want to overdo it [with alcohol].”
Bar Nuda
Bar Nuda, the traveling nonalcoholic pop-up party, is currently gearing up for its busiest month of the year: Dry January. While planning the upcoming launch of a nonalcoholic beer called Ceroveza, co-founder Pablo Murillo thinks of the holidays as a way to rewrite the season’s typically alcohol-filled narrative.
“It’s such a polarizing time that so many of us are able and fortunate enough to have our families to celebrate with. And unfortunately, not everybody has that,” said Murillo. “It can be easy to just pick up a drink and drink away your sorrows. Bar Nuda can change the narrative and help people realize that they can have a beer or a glass of wine, but it doesn’t have to have any alcohol in it.”
Murillo’s holiday advice: “Lean on those you love and those who aren’t going to judge you for not drinking a beer or taking a shot. Especially during the holidays. One of the toughest things you could ever do is to say no to a family member or a friend who’s offering you a beautiful sip of mezcal, but stand your ground.”
Parch Spirits Co.
When it comes to alcohol and the holidays, Parch co-founder Rudy Aldana says he’s reminded of the prevalence of alcoholism in Latino culture. But thanks to ongoing wellness trends, as well as the increase of nonalcoholic options, Aldana hopes things might shift a bit. A few years ago, the entrepreneur took matters into his own hands when he founded Parch: a line of nonalcoholic agave cocktails inspired by the flavors of the Sonoran Desert.
“We know that the modern drinker is the one that is looking for alternatives,” said Aldana. “The holidays can be beautiful, but also intense. There’s family expectations, and having a nonalcoholic option with you gives you the ability to be present, that gives you the ability to enjoy that time even more.”
Aldana’s holiday advice: “Participate in a celebratory ritual with a glass that you know is not going to give you a hangover. Ever since I’ve been alcohol-free, I’ll take my own [beverages] and keep them in my car, or take them with me to a party. I cannot rely on somebody else having some option for me all the time.”
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