I like taking periodic breaks from drinking, but I run into trouble with it (these are similar issues that I've heard a lot of people that quit drinking express

I like taking periodic breaks from drinking, but I run into trouble with it (these are similar issues that I've heard a lot of people that quit drinking express). I like going to bars for live bands and the social experience, but I don't like going and not ordering anything. The bar and staff have expenses, I want to support them - but the non-alcohol options are frequently terrible. It's also tough when all your friends are drinking and you're not. It's annoying to deal with all the spoken and unspoken questions that come from it, like there's a strange sort of stigma attached to not drinking. Or maybe some people interpret me not drinking as a soft indictment of them. I'm not sure, but sometimes it feels weird. I've had friends and family members apply enormous pressure "oh, come on man, what do you mean? You HAVE to have a beer with me! Wait here, I'll get you one..." Another thing that's challenging is the ritual aspect of it. At the end of a tough day, sitting on the porch and drinking a beer is relaxing. It helps unwind, and gives me a moment to reflect. For some reason, drinking a seltzer or something just doesn't cut it. I've found that Kombucha can substitute sometimes, but a lot of the time I just don't want something sweet. Tea is nice, but (and I know this is lame) it doesn't give the same sort of immediate gratification that just grabbing a beer from the fridge does. Also, I just like beer. I like the flavor. I don't drink it a lot because I watch calories carefully, but when I want one, I just want one. Enter: NA beers. They solve a ton of these issues, especially if you pour them into a pint glass so no one sees the bottle. Unfortunately, until recently the market for these has been terrible, at best. O'Douls, frankly, is undrinkable swill. I have no idea why it's so common for bars to carry it as the only option. It's almost like some sort of subtle passive aggressive punishment for those of us who dare go to a bar and not drink alcohol. I know intellectually that can't be true, but every time a bar offers me that as the only option, I'm thinking it in the back of my head. I had the opportunity to explore a ton of different options when my wife and I took a two year hiatus from drinking about 10 years ago. At that time, these were the ones I liked the best: #1 Kaliber. Brewed by Guiness, it was hands-down the winner across the board for me. I could kick back and drink one of these and not miss "real" beer at all. My local bar would stock it for me, and I was a happy guy. #2 St Pauli NA. A bit more hoppy, clearly tastes like a German beer. Also a great option. I happen to be on a break now too. Not for any special reason - I got sick in early January and wasn't drinking at all, and just decided not to bother starting again. So that led me to discover: #3 Heineken 0.0 - Not as good as #2, but still has good flavor and is pretty commonly available in the local bars where I live. TFA mentions a new brand Athletic that I haven't tried yet, hopefully I'll see it somewhere while I'm out.