EP 50 Happy Dry January! + What's Coming This Month
Jan 02, 2024Season 1Episode 50
Deb, Mocktail Mom
Happy New Year and Happy Dry January! Whether you're diving into this podcast for the first time, already on the alcohol-free journey, or just sober-curious, I'm thrilled to have you join us. Going alcohol-free has been a game-changer for me, and as I mark over three incredible years of clarity and wellness, I'm excited to bring you along for the ride.
In this episode, let's catch up and chat about your Dry January progress! Plus, I've got some fantastic updates about the upcoming Mocktail Summit. I've lined up an amazing roster of over 18 mocktail pros and enthusiasts for this three-day extravaganza, and guess what? 11 of them were guest stars on the podcast back in 2023! Tune in to hear all about their incredible contributions to the summit—I promise, it's an event you won't want to miss! You'll find registration details below, and if you're curious to learn more about these fantastic guests, check out their previous episodes using the links provided!
Happy New Year and Happy Dry January! Whether you're diving into this podcast for the first time, already on the alcohol-free journey, or just sober-curious, I'm thrilled to have you join us. Going alcohol-free has been a game-changer for me, and as I mark over three incredible years of clarity and wellness, I'm excited to bring you along for the ride.
In this episode, let's catch up and chat about your Dry January progress! Plus, I've got some fantastic updates about the upcoming Mocktail Summit. I've lined up an amazing roster of over 18 mocktail pros and enthusiasts for this three-day extravaganza, and guess what? 11 of them were guest stars on the podcast back in 2023! Tune in to hear all about their incredible contributions to the summit—I promise, it's an event you won't want to miss! You'll find registration details below, and if you're curious to learn more about these fantastic guests, check out their previous episodes using the links provided!
Welcome up friends and welcome to the Thriving Alcohol Free podcast. I'm your host, deb, otherwise known as Mocktail Mom, a retired wine drinker that finally got sick and tired of spinning on life's broken record called Detox to Retox. Let this podcast be an encouragement to you. If alcohol is maybe a form of self-care for you or you find yourself dragging through the day waiting to pour another glass, I am excited to share with you the fun of discovering new things to drink when you aren't drinking and the joy of waking up each day without a hangover. It is an honor to serve as your sober, fun guide. So sit back and relax or keep doing whatever it is you're doing. This show is produced for you with love from the great state of Kentucky. Thanks so much for being here and big time cheers. Okay, hey, friends, it's Deb. Welcome back to Thriving Alcohol Free. How are you? I am so happy to say to you happy 2024. Happy New Year. You made it. How are you doing? Did you make it? You made it through silly season. You made it through all the parties, all the get-togethers, all of it. You made it and here you are, whether you made it totally alcohol-free or you were just thinking about trying more options. Maybe you just found the podcast, maybe you're sober curious, maybe you're window shopping sobriety, I did that for years and years and years, no matter where you are on your journey, no matter how. You tumbled on in to the podcast here today. I'm so happy you're here.
Deb:
My name is Deb Podlogger. I live outside Louisville, kentucky, in a small town called Crestwood. I'm not from here, but I grew up outside Philadelphia, but I lived here. I've lived here for 13 years in Kentucky, absolutely love it. I've been alcohol-free. Now, when you're hearing this podcast, it's been over three years, which I just want to tell you. Never in a million years did I ever, ever, ever, think that would be possible. No matter where you are on your journey, if you're just starting out, you're just like okay, I'm just trying to do a dry month, deb, just hanging on today's day two, maybe today's day three for you, whatever it is, you're just hanging on, keep hanging on, and we're just going to do it one day at a time. That is how everybody does this. Nobody gets to a thousand days alcohol-free without having that day one and that day two and that day three. We all do it the same way one day at a time, I just think of me as your little cheerleader, a little mom, gray-haired mom in Kentucky. I am cheering you on. Okay, I just wanted to give you the biggest welcome alcohol-free welcome and that you can be thriving and having a good time without the wine, without zoning out. You can actually be present in your own life and this can be the absolute best year of your life to be alive, to really really be alive in your own life. Okay, what I want to talk to you about today, super quick, I'm just going to kick off 2024.
Deb:
This is a solo episode. It's just me. If you're new to the podcast, most of my episodes are with guests. I've had the best time. I don't want to say interviewing, but just having conversations with people who are in the alcohol-free space, whether they're a sober coach or they share about non-alcoholic spirits, or maybe they are a producer of non-alcoholic products. That's what I've done, for the last year was my first year having a podcast 2023. That was the bulk of my episodes. I'm going to continue that. I love, love, love, love. Getting to know people, hearing their story. One thing I want to do more of, though, in 2024, I want to keep doing those kind of conversations, but I want to bring in more brands.
Deb:
I feel like the non-alcoholic space is well. I feel like it is absolutely exploding. There's more products now. I mean I don't know if it's double, I don't know what the number is, but there's so many more products than there were just three years ago when I stopped drinking, and just a year ago when I started this podcast. How many more products. And there's products that I absolutely love. Actually, this last year in 2023, I had a couple of products or brands I should say came on to the podcast. It was great to hear their founder story or the brand story. I absolutely have an entrepreneurial spirit, especially for those of us who are enjoying the products.
Deb:
All the bitter came on. They were one of my first episodes Ian and Carly blessing from all the bitter. They came on and shared about starting their business, what that was like to start a non-alcoholic bitter company. It's fascinating to hear the backstory. Giesen, the winemaker from Giesen, came on. Duncan Shuler had the best talk with him. It was like surprise, surprise of how they got into the non-alcoholic space. Giesen is actually a winemaker. They didn't start out making non-alcoholic wines Just to hear the backstory, the things that maybe aren't on the label or on the website.
Deb:
That's what I like to hear. I'm going to do more of that in 2024. I'm going to bring on more brands. If there's a certain brand that you're like, I would love to hear the founder's story. Send me a message or send me a DM, or send me an email. Deb@mocktailmom. com that's me, or I'm at Instagram. @Mocktail. mom is my Instagram handle, so send me a DM over there, but would love to know if there's a certain brand that you would like me to chat with, because I just think it's so fascinating so many good, so many good things to drink when we're not drinking, and so I want to put a spotlight on those brands that we really love. So many good brands. Okay, so that's kind of, in my mind, my plan. I guess you guys know it doesn't always happen that way, but that is my plan.
Deb:
Okay, but right now, before we like move on in to 2024 and get real cozy, just yet, I want to let you know about something that is coming that I don't want you to miss, because this is epic. It's huge, it's massive and there is a place for you. We have saved a seat for you at the Mocktail Summit. It is a free summit. I have brought together over 18 Mocktail influencers, mocktail enthusiasts, mocktail professionals, mixologists, bartenders, but mostly people who are just in the Mocktail space, who love to share about what they're drinking when they're not drinking. The Mocktail Summit is a virtual event. It's for three days in January. It is coinciding.
Deb:
I have planned this event to coincide with National Mocktail Week. Okay, national Mocktail Week was actually founded by one of my guests from the 2023 podcast. Her name's Marnie Ray. She lives out in the Pacific Northwest. I absolutely love her. She's a gem of a person, just an absolute beautiful soul. She is fighting stage four lung cancer and just has a heart of gold. So we're gonna have our first ever international Mocktail Summit. We're gonna have that the same time as National Mocktail Week, which Marnie Ray founded, which I just I love that. I'm connected to her, and she was on the podcast last year. If you wanna hear her story. She's amazing, okay, so the Mocktail Summit, though, is free. Grab your seat 18 Mocktail Influencers who are gonna be there.
Deb:
There's two options for the Mocktail Summit. You can come for free, so if you have internet and you're listening to this podcast, you can come. Just sign up. You gotta register themocktailsummitcom register and you'll be able to listen to the recordings that day. Each day, you'll be able to listen to the recordings of the day.
Deb:
Each video is anywhere from like seven to 20 minutes, I wanna say, and they are everything from tips and tricks to specific recipes, to just knowing how to use bar tools, mixology tools. So there's something there for everyone. If you're brand new to Mocktails, we start at the basics kind of the tools, what to have in your kitchen, what to use, and then all the way to some fancy syrups and some more elevated non-alcohol cocktails. So that's for the free version. If you are feeling extra special which you should be, you are, I hope you feel extra special we have a VIP version of VIP access and that is $47. And that gets you extended access, lifetime access to those videos, so you can watch anytime, you can watch over and over. You don't have to watch them on the days of the Mocktail Summit. So, let's say, january 17th, 18th and 19th maybe that's not good for you. Well then do the VIP and you can watch the videos whenever. And you'll also get an ebook of all the recipes that we make on camera during the Mocktail Summit. So super excited about that.
Deb:
And then each night will be a live happy hour. So that will be live, me and a co-host. So the first night, I know Ian Blessing is gonna be my co-host on the very first happy hour on January 17th, so you're not gonna wanna miss it. He knows everything. You got a question? Come to that happy hour and just ask Ian. He knows Five questions. I got it, ian.
Deb:
Okay, so that's what's happening, but let me tell you I'm not gonna tell you all 18 plus people who are gonna be there, who are gonna be sharing their wisdom and their knowledge with you. I'm not gonna go down the entire list, but I will tell you. It has turned out to be a tiny bit of like the all stars of the Thriving Alcohol-Free Podcast. I didn't plan it this way, but things just work out for me. I feel like things just work out and it has just worked out that 11 of the presenters at the Mocktail Summit were actually guests on the Thriving Alcohol-Free Podcast in 2023. So I'm going to tell you who those 11 are, because you might want to go back. You might be like you know what? I want to hear these people. I want to hear their story. You can hear their story of how they became thriving alcohol-free. You can hear their story if you go back to these episodes.
Deb:
Okay, as you guys know, I love Giesen Zero Percent Wines. Their Sauvignon blanc is my go-to on a regular basis. They recently launched a delicious Sparkling Brute, zero Percent, which is quickly becoming a fan favorite. I am so proud to have Giesen as the exclusive non-alcoholic wine sponsor of the Thriving Alcohol-Free Podcast. Giesen Zero Percent Wines are created through the magic of advanced spin-cone technology to remove the alcohol from their full-ended wines.
Deb:
The award-winning winemaker Duncan Shuler and his team have done wonders in Marlboro, new Zealand, by creating an entire family of zero percent wines with all the flavor and deliciousness you expect from traditional quote full-ended wine. Their non-alcoholic wines maintain the aroma and the body to create a low-calorie wine that never contains more than 0.5 ABV. Globally available, look for Giesen Zero Percent Wines wherever you shop for your non-alcoholic options. Their family of alcohol-free wines include the most effervescent member of the family, the Sparkling Brute Zero Percent, which is absolutely delicious for any celebration. My personal favorite, although I do love them all, is the Sauvignon Blanc, coming in at only 100 calories for the entire bottle and, not to be missed, the other members of their Zero Percent family the Riesling, the Premium Red Blend, the Rose Day, the Pinot Gris. With Giesen Zero Percent Wines, there's a de-alcoholized wine for everyone and every occasion. Give Giesen a try and let me know how much you love it. And if you want to meet their winemaker, go back to episode 33 of the podcast, where Duncan Shuler joined me to share about the Giesen story. So let me give you the rundown and then in the show notes I'll tell you exactly what episode they were. So if you want to, if you go oh, I want to hear that person's story then you can go in and hear their story. Okay, here we go. We're going to start off.
Deb:
Christine Wayne, she's coming in. She's making five different drinks, five simple mocktails, only using two ingredients each. We had so much fun recording together. She was actually the very first person I recorded with for the mocktail summit. We had a great time. So dangerous, so dangerous having such a good time, screen to screen, recording these things for you. So her Instagram is on the mox. That's her business, her brand, so if you're not following her, please do so.
Deb:
Christine, on the mox, she was one of our presenters. She is one of our presenters for the mocktail summit, untoxicated. Jessa came in. She's like a walking encyclopedia of all things non-alcoholic, all functional drinks, everything you want to know. And one of the freebies she's giving away is an entire guide of the spirits and I'm not talking about like the Holy Spirit, like the Father, son, holy Spirit, which I do believe in the Trinity but she gives a whole guide of all the non-alcoholic spirits, everything from functional to botanical, what they taste like. So that's a freebie. But you got to register for the mocktail summit to get her guide. So she had been on my podcast as well.
Deb:
Elizabeth from absence of proof, doing amazing events all around the country. She did an event last summer with the Mets. She was on Bravo Watch what happens live with Andy making a mocktail there. Last year she was one of my guests on the podcast. She comes in to the summit. We had such a fun time and she chit-chat with me. We just quick, quick. We made the simplest Moscow mule ever. We kind of pressed the easy button start here. So that was very fun. Heidi from Stober and Charlotte, she came in. She's actually my membership as well Thriving alcohol, free membership, sober drinking club for women. I have a happy hour every Thursday night, so fun. But Heidi came into the mocktail summit, comes into the mocktail summit, she made two pink mocktails dedicated to all those fighting breast cancer, particularly her sister Ponte, who is fighting breast cancer. So she came in and made two pink mocktails with me and it was so much fun.
Deb:
Ian Blessing of All the Bitter I mentioned him already. He did come into the mocktail summit. We recorded together and he kind of did a what is made, two drinks and then, you know, just shared, like the little 411 on what the heck are betters and how do I use these things? Because he and his wife own a non-alcoholic bitter company that they found it co-founded. So that's that, okay, rich Loud, rich Might you might be listening. Rich, how are you? Thank you for all of your encouragement and support. I appreciate you so much.
Deb:
Rich was my guest on episode 9 of the podcast. He came in, we recorded together for the mocktail summit and we made or he made his, I should. I tried to make it with him but I couldn't find one of the ingredients. It's made. It's the next door kitchen non-alcoholic blood orange margarita. When we were making it he had blood orange juice. I couldn't find it. I tried a couple stores couldn't find it. So I'm sure my my margarita was nowhere as near as good as his it was so good. But I want to get some blood orange juice. So he was saying the blood orange juice is more available, like in the winter time. So probably by the time you're hearing this you might be able to grab some blood orange juice. But you're gonna want to make his delicious blood orange margarita and you'll get the recipe when you come to the mocktail summit.
Deb:
Chelsea Mitchell, she came in. She was my guest last year on the podcast. She came in. We recorded. She was in her kitchen so fun. She a little hot pot on her on her countertop and she talked to me and she made for you guys. She taught you how to make simple syrups.
Deb:
I personally, I'm kind of lazy. I buy the simple syrups I may. I've made them. It's not like I've never made them. I have made them. I know how to make them. I don't really want to make them, you know. But if you do, if you want to know about making simple syrups, come to the mocktail summit. Chelsea is your gal for that.
Deb:
Okay, couple more guests. We had some amazing. We have the lineup. It's a who's who. I'm giving you the who's who of mocktails. Derek. Derek, are you listening? Mocktail Wiz he's a brand new author. His book. By the time you guys hear this, I think his book is out. So go order his book called the Mocktail Club. I've pre-ordered so I might have mine. By the time you hear this podcast, I may already have mine in my hands. I can't wait.
Deb:
Nat of the Mindful Mocktail the Instagram of all Instagrams for anybody interested in mocktails she's coming out with a book in 2024. She was my guest on the podcast just in December 2023. And she came in. She made two gorgeous, gorgeous mocktails. We had a little bit of tech trouble the two of us. She's down in Australia. This is a global event. We've got going on here. She's down in Australia, but we did get the recordings done. Her mocktails are beautiful. Sarah Kate up in Canada she joined me and we chatted about non-alcoholic wines and she actually dropped the mic on her absolute favorite non-alcoholic wines. This is a person who knows her non-alcoholic wines. You're going to want to hear her list. You're going to want to be there. Sarah Kate from Some Good, clean Fun. She was on the podcast last year. I love her, my little mocktail sister up there in Canada.
Deb:
And then, last but very much, not least, of the guests who had been guests of the podcast and then are also in the mocktail summit, is Rob from Generation NA. He was my guest on the podcast just a couple weeks ago. Here he owns a bottle shop, 1000 square foot bottle shop, beautiful shop. It sets the standard for non-alcoholic bottle shops, in my opinion, up in Lafayette, indiana. So he came into the mocktail summit just to share kind of like a. You know there's a lot of people who are, who are interested in the non-alcoholic, the business side of the non-alcoholic industry, the non-alcoholic space. And so I had Rob come into the mocktail summit just to share like what was it like to start this? You know, do you have a background? You know, are you a mixologist, you're bartender? You know what's your background. How did you start a non-alcoholic bottle shop? And so he doesn't give away all his secrets but he does share, you know, kind of the behind the scenes and what it was like to start to start a non-alcoholic, non-alcoholic bottle shop.
Deb:
So those are the guests, just some of the guests. Those are 11 out of 18 plus because there's going to be more. We're at 18 right now, but I'm sure by the time the mocktail summit actually comes around, there's going to be more. We have sponsors who are giving you know, prizes. They are just a door prizes. So, like at each of the happy hours for the VIPers each of the happy hours, I love to give things away. So we're going to have prizes for people in the VIP group.
Deb:
And so just come. Just come, Like. You got nothing, nothing to lose, right? You got nothing, you're not going to regret anything being there. So come, we will love on you. You will get to learn about mocktails and the fun of not drinking. So, anyway, welcome to 2024.
Deb:
I hope this is absolutely just a phenomenal year for you, wherever you are on your alcohol free journey. If you are just starting out, you are far down the road. If you are further ahead than I am, I'm at a thousand something days. I just want you to know that you are loved. I just want to encourage you that, truly, you will never regret. I've never once regretted waking up in the morning and thinking, oh gosh, I really wish I'd had a bottle of wine last night. I really wish I woke up with a hangover. That would really be a better way to start the day, not once, not once. Not once, not once. It was very hard to stop. It was very hard to break up with my BFF Chardonnay, but there have been no, no regrets. Best decision of my adult life.
Deb:
So join me at the mocktail summit. If you're at the VIP, you'll be at the happy hours. I'll get to connect with you screen to screen. You'll get to connect with some of the presenters. They're welcome at all the VIP. They're welcome at everything.
Deb:
But it's just fun. It's just fun. The fun's not over. So be encouraged and just know that you are loved and you are not alone. If you're struggling, if you are really struggling, still you know, if your head is still full with like, I want to drink, I really want to drink, you're not alone, we get it. We get it. There's a whole bunch of us, lots and lots and lots of us. So I have a free Facebook group. Big time cheers to Mocktail Mom. Please feel free to hop on over there If you're looking for recipes, and at the time I'm recording this, there's 8,000 members in that Facebook group, but who knows, come January we could be at 10,000 or so or more. I have no idea. It's just a lot of people are interested in alcohol drinks, which is really fun. All right, love you Big time. Cheers from the great state of Kentucky and I just hope you're doing great.
Deb:
I am sitting here it is late at night getting this in the can this podcast episode for you. I'm drinking no joke here in my wine tumbler, my favorite, the Giesen Savignon Blanc. It is not planned. I genuinely love this stuff. I buy it at Total Wine on a regular basis, so that's what I'm drinking right now. All right, love you. We'll talk to you guys later. Big time cheers to you for tuning into the Thriving Alcohol Free podcast. I hope you will take something from today's episode and make one small change that will help you to thrive and have fun in life without alcohol. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the podcast, please share it with others, post about it on social, send up a flare or leave a rating and a review. I am cheering for you as you discover the world of non-alcoholic drinks and as you journey towards authentic freedom. See you in the next episode.