Want a Healthier Mocktail? Here’s How
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See store or sleepnumber.com for details. Welcome to Paging Dr. Gupta. This is something new that we're trying, where I get to answer the health questions that you've been asking. Ever since we started doing the podcast, we would get a lot of you sending in your questions, and we thought we should create a space to just try and answer as many of those questions as we can. So this is going to be our shot at that, and we're going to start off with something that I'm sure you've heard about, dry January. Dry January.

So how many of you did dry January? Well, if you managed maybe a damp January, I'm guessing that you're still feeling better. But the question that we've been getting a lot of is, what if you want to keep that going? How big a thing is this? And what we're learning is that more and more people, particularly younger generations, they are starting to choose non-alcoholic drinks all year long.

And I got to tell you, as a father of three teenagers, this is something that I can totally get behind. Now, what I will tell you is that people who are doing this, drinking non-alcoholic drinks all year long, they do still want those drinks to look and to feel and to even taste like the real thing. And what they're finding out is that if it's done right, they don't miss the alcohol. That's the key. It's the whole experience, the look, the feel, the taste,

But even without the alcohol, they just don't seem to miss it. They feel that it's just as social, just as fun. And of course, again, we know that alcohol is not healthy for us. It is linked to all these various things, including high blood pressure and heart disease and strokes and dementia. In 2023, the World Health Organization, they said something that caught a lot of people's attention. No level of alcohol consumption is safe.

The Surgeon General recently weighed in, saying that alcohol could actually increase your cancer risk. So there's all sorts of reasons not to drink alcohol.

And recently, I jumped on this mocktail train as well. I love a phony Negroni, for example. But again, if it's prepared just the right way, proper glass, proper ice, proper environment, sometimes I can't tell the difference. I recently had to ask my waitress if she was in fact sure that it was a mocktail she had served me, because it tasted and felt so much like the real thing. So given all that, we're going to jump into this week's question. And Kira, who are we hearing from?

Hey, Sanjay. So Jane is one of our listeners, and she wants to know what some healthy mocktail options are because she feels like so many of them seem to have high sugar content. By the way, Kira is one of our show's fantastic producers. We're so excited she's here. Thank you for that question. Before we answer it, though, I wanted to turn to an expert who knows a thing or two about crafting the perfect zero-proof drink. You want me to open some and pour you some? Yeah.

What you're listening to is the backside of the bar at Kimball House. This is a place just outside of Atlanta. If you want to picture it, there are dozens of bottles behind the bar. There are hundreds of mixers. There is the perfect ice. There's all these glasses, the accoutrements, all of it to help craft your perfect cocktail, or in this case, your perfect mocktail. We're catching up with Miles McQuarrie. He is an award-winning mixologist. He's been honored by Michelin and the James Beard Foundation.

After the break, we're going to ask him for his advice on how to make the perfect, well-balanced, zero-proof beverage. This podcast is supported by Sleep Number.

There's a reason the Sleep Number smart bed is the number one bed for couples. It's because you can each choose what's right for you whenever you like. Firmer or softer on either side, Sleep Number does that. One side cooler and the other side warmer, Sleep Number does that too. You have to feel it to believe it. Only Sleep Number smart beds let you choose your ideal comfort and support, your Sleep Number setting. Sleep Number smart beds learn how you sleep and provide personalized insights to help you sleep better.

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All right, we're back with Paging Dr. Gupta and bartender Miles' tip number one. One of our secrets to an A drink, it's not really a secret, but we add water. So if you think of a drink that has two ounces of gin...

We'll sub in two ounces of water and just balance it to get the volume right without having to add too much sugar and too much juice. And so it becomes kind of just like leaner and lighter. So you think about like a lemonade or a limeade, it's got lots of water in it. So we just add a little bit of water to make up for the lack of volume in an alcoholic distilled spirit.

Tip number two. Remember this. Mocktails, like cocktails, are actually meant to be small and savored. Not these gigantic drinks that you slurp down. You don't need a lot of added sugar or fancy syrups. If you start to compensate to make more volume to make it a big drink, it doesn't need to be a big drink. Like, cocktails before dilution are often three, three and a half ounces in a classic style drink. And so it's not meant to be a 12-ounce cocktail.

beverage, you know. And finally, remember this. You don't necessarily need to go all or nothing with alcohol. You can also go low alcohol.

Using sherry and fortified wines and things like that to make drinks are great. And that's nothing new. That's like apero and aperitivo culture in Europe for a long time, where it's kind of like you start with these lower alcohol drinks and spritzes and things like that. And I think those can often deliver a little bit more interest from a flavor profile than completely zero proof, just because when you're dealing with

Low alcohol, bitter liqueurs and fortified wines like sherrys. You get this nutty oxidative quality. You can really have, you can have something that is hugely flavorful, but lower in alcohol percentage than a glass of wine, like by a significant amount. Whatever the case may be for you, what I think you're going to find is that when you start to cut back on alcohol or maybe go no alcohol,

There is a chance you're not going to miss it. That was the big revelation for me. Because so much of this is about the expectation. Point being again, if it's presented the right way, if you're with good friends, if you're in that environment, and you're not drinking alcohol, you may feel just as fun, just as social. And I got to tell you, if you've started to go the mocktail route,

This is a different day than it was 10, 20 years ago, where people ordered Shirley Temples. You can get a really good mocktail, and it is a very positive, healthy first step. But back to Jane's question. Jane, you're spot on here. Mocktails are not perfect. We sort of alluded to this. Many zero-proof options, they rely heavily on fruit juices and sodas and syrups to try and compensate for the lack of alcohol.

But the good news is that if you keep some of Miles' tips in mind, you can still enjoy the fun of a really fancy drink without overloading on the sugar. So if you're making mocktails at home, or if you're ordering one at the bar, don't hesitate to ask the bartender to tone down the sweetness. Make a point of this. Or maybe, as we just learned, just simply add a little water.

That's it.

That's pretty good incentive. And if you want to hear more from Miles or learn more about the health impacts of alcohol, check out our episode called Your Shame-Free Guide to Cutting Back on Booze. We'll link it in the show notes. All right, that's it for today. If you have other questions for me, I want to know. Record a voice memo, email it to asksanjay at cnn.com, or give us a call, 470-396-0832, and leave a message. Thanks for listening. I love being here, and I'll see you next Tuesday.

Chasing Life is a production of CNN Audio. Our podcast is produced by Aaron Mathewson, Jennifer Lai, Grace Walker, Lori Gallaretta, Jesse Remedios, Sophia Sanchez, and Kira Dering. Andrea Cain is our medical writer. Our senior producer is Dan Bloom. Amanda Seeley is our showrunner. Dan DeZula is our technical director. And the executive producer of CNN Audio is Steve Liktai.

With support from Jamis Andrest, John D'Onora, Haley Thomas, Alex Manasseri, Robert Mathers, Lainey Steinhardt, Nicole Pesereau, and Lisa Namarau. Special thanks to Ben Tinker and Nadia Kanang of CNN Health and Katie Hinman.

There's a reason the Sleep Number smart bed is the number one best bed for couples. It's because you can each choose what's right for you whenever you like. Firmer or softer on either side, Sleep Number does that. One side cooler and the other side warmer, Sleep Number does that too. You have to feel it to believe it. Sleep better together. And now save 50% on the new Sleep Number limited edition smart bed. Limited time. Exclusively at a Sleep Number store near you.

See store or sleepnumber.com for details.

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