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As always, don’t borrow from tomorrow.

-Billy & Connor

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Today’s menu:

• No Booze News 📈: How non-alcoholic beer gets made

• They’re one of us 🤝:  Anne Hathaway quitting alcohol for 18 years

• Wait, but why? 🤔: Where did the term ‘Hair of the dog’ come from?

• Healthy Habit 🌱: Swap screen time with sunshine

• Proofer Products 🛒: Have your best day yet with Best Day Brewing

• Event Spotlight 🏔️: National Parks, one of America’s greatest offerings

No Booze News 📈:

You should know how non-alcoholic beer gets made

They just like don’t add in the alcohol right? wrong.

We cover a lot of non alcoholic beverages here, particularly beer, and that it would make sense to take a peek behind the curtain of how NA beer is actually different process wise.

While alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers share basic brewing steps, their paths diverge significantly to achieve distinctive characteristics.

Non-alcoholic beer has started to mirror its alcoholic counterpart in taste, mainly thanks to savvy craft brewers' innovative techniques.

The primary distinction lies in alcohol content (*Severus Snape Obviously*). Alcoholic beers typically range from 2% to 12% ABV, while non-alcoholic beers maintain a minimal alcohol presence, typically less than 0.5% ABV.

Ingredients for both types include water, grains for sugar, hops for bitterness and aroma, and yeast for fermentation. Additional spices and elements may enhance non-alcoholic beer recipes.

While you can see in the chart above there are quite a few nuances in the NA brewing process, brewers mainly employ four major methods to produce non-alcoholic beer: controlled fermentation, dealcoholization, dilution, and simulated fermentation.

1. Controlled fermentation mimics regular brewing but halts alcohol production before completion, ensuring low or no alcohol content.

2. Dealcoholization removes alcohol from brewed beer using techniques like vapor collection, pioneered during prohibition.

3. Dilution involves adding water to reduce alcohol content post-fermentation, a method used with varying degrees depending on the desired alcohol level.

4. Simulated fermentation skips traditional fermentation, relying on ingredients and enzymes to replicate beer flavors without alcohol production.

As non-alcoholic beer gains popularity, advancements in brewing techniques are expected, further diversifying production methods.

And ultimately leading to many more delicious beers to choose from 🤤

They’re one of us 🤝:

Anne Hathaway celebrates 5 years sober after stopping for her son

Many of you know Anne Hathaway as an American actress who rose to fame in the early 2000s with roles in films like "The Princess Diaries" and for her Oscar winning performance in "Les Misérables."

What you may not know is she is celebrating 5 years sober this week and it all started because she didn’t like the way she drank and didn’t want that to effect her relationship with her son.

An excerpt from a conversation between Ellen and Anne from 2019:

Anne’s self awareness around he drinking and her decision to give her son what he needs from her growing up makes her nothing short of a fellow Proofer.

Wait, but why? 🤔:

Where did the term ‘Hair of the dog’ come from?

The phrase "Hair of the Dog" has entrenched itself in drinking culture as a supposed remedy for hangovers, but its origins and efficacy are more myth than medicine.

The saying stems from an old belief that to cure a dog bite, one should apply a piece of the dog's hair to the wound. Over time, this concept evolved into the notion that consuming alcohol, often the same drink that caused the hangover, could alleviate symptoms.

Makes sense.

However, scientific understanding contradicts this belief - shocker. Hangovers result from various factors, primarily alcohol's dehydration effects, inflammation, and metabolic disruptions.

Consuming more alcohol merely delays the inevitable, prolonging and potentially worsening the hangover experience.

Modern medicine advocates for hydration, rest, and replenishing nutrients as effective hangover remedies. Drinking water, eating nourishing foods, and allowing the body time to recover are far more beneficial than attempting to "cure" a hangover with alcohol.

Skip the "Hair of the Dog" or better yet the booze the day before and feel good about feeling good.

Healthy Habit 🌱:

Swap screen time with sunshine

What: Get outside more often

We all crave moments to unwind and de-stress. But for many, that includes reaching for a drink. There's a powerful alternative, though: simply stepping outside. Whether it's a hike in the woods, a walk on the beach, or tending a garden, spending time in nature offers a natural mood boost and a chance to truly disconnect.

Why: Nature's Pharmacy for Body and Mind

Swapping screen time for sunshine has a wealth of benefits. Sunlight increases vitamin D production, essential for bone health and mood regulation. Being outdoors lowers stress hormones, calms the nervous system, and can even improve sleep quality. Nature also provides a mental refuge, reducing feelings of anxiety and promoting feelings of peace and well-being.

How: Find Your Outdoor Oasis

The beauty of this "therapy" is its accessibility. You don't need fancy equipment or a specific location. Start small: take a walk during your lunch break, have your coffee on the patio, or plant a window box. As you venture further, explore local parks, hiking trails, or even your own backyard. The key is to find activities you enjoy, whether it's stargazing, birdwatching, or simply sitting quietly and soaking up the fresh air. So ditch the drink, embrace the outdoors, and rediscover the natural high that awaits!

Proofer Products 🛒:

Best Day Brewing

Best Day Brewing is an awesome craft brewery with a mission of helping people cheers to the most special of occasions in a non-alcohol consumed fashion. Instead of trying to re-invent the wheel, check out what they have to say about their brand.

“Best Day is beer inspired by an ethos: Best Day Yet.

It’s a belief in the celebration of now, and an ever optimistic perspective on the future. With this in mind we crafted our non-alcoholic craft beers to toast those moments when everything clicks into place. In our Best Day Yet adventure these beers are a comma and not a period. We believe in and not or. 

So here’s to parking lot beers, trailhead beers, studio beers, workshop beers, and back porch beers, and to raising a glass to wherever doers share a Best Day.”

Shout Out to a fellow Manhattan Beach, CA native for the rec!

Event Spotlight 🏔️:

National Parks, one of America’s greatest offerings

Speaking of the outdoors… In our humble opinion, there is simply no better way to swap your screen time with sunshine than by going to a U.S. National Park.

Here are 3 of our favorites to get you started…

Yellowstone National Park

Zion National Park

Yosemite National Park

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