Press - The Austin Chronicle

Some Mocktails Are Better Than Others

Three bright brands to inspire your best non-boozy drinking

Dec. 2, 2020

Yes, “mocktails” – but maybe only as a quicker way of saying festive adult beverages that don’t have any alcohol to them, because that’s what these are.

“Festive,” because these are just the sort of drinks you’d imbibe at a party.

“Adult,” because these aren’t the overly sweet sodas and juices one tends to find among the jejune small-fry whose drinking habits help to fuel multibillion-dollar sugar-water corporations.

And “beverages,” because – well, you know what “beverages” means; if you were stupid, you wouldn’t be reading this article. Especially because you’re smart enough to want, either as a rule or an occasional diversion, a festive adult beverage that doesn’t get you drunk or buzzed or anything other than joyful for such liquid-borne goodness in this fucked-up world. And, citizen, we’ve got three doozies to recommend to you:

1. FERM FATALE’S SHRUB-BUCHA
Maybe you’re not a student of beverage history, so we’ll remind you that a shrub is a cocktail or soft drink made by mixing a vinegared syrup with spirits, water, or carbonated water. And, if you live in Austin, you probably already know that kombucha is a fermented, lightly effervescent tea drink often consumed for its putative health benefits. Well, now. This Shrub-Bucha is a completely nonalcoholic combination of the two – a fermented, organic, probiotic beverage that comes in classic cocktail flavors. And while it may seem, what, a bit too vinegary, at first? For those of us accustomed to drinking nothing but White Russians or Pink Squirrels, say? If you enjoy shrubs or kombucha in general, though, these Ferm Fatale concoctions will kick your taste buds’ ass in a most pleasurable fashion. They’re created by a former medium and mortician who lives in California’s Venice Beach – no, seriously – and four flavors are available, so far: Nojito, Margarita, Madame Mule, and Cosmopolitan. Here’s to your health, is how we’d offer a toast with this brand – here’s to your more sophisticated health.

See Full Article by Wayne Alan Brenner