Clean alcohol !
Cheers! Iechyd da! Cin cin! Saúde! Santé! Prost! ¡Salud! 乾杯! etc…😜
I love letting my hair down, hitting the dance floor, and embracing my one "naughty" day a week or sometimes even the whole weekend —because, let’s be real, a little fun fuels the rest of the week! Will I ever grow up??? Nooooooo!
How much you indulge? Well, that’s entirely up to you. 😉 But I find that too much just isn’t worth it anymore!
Now, let's talk about the trendiest buzzword in the drinking scene—"clean alcohol." Sounds fancy, right? But what does it actually mean? Basically, it’s all about sipping on drinks with minimal nasties:
Pure Spirits – Think vodka, gin, or tequila that have been distilled multiple times for extra purity.
Low-Sugar & Low-Carb – No added sugars, no fake flavors, just the good stuff.
Organic & Natural Ingredients – Made from organic grains, fruits, or botanicals, free from pesticides and chemicals.
Minimal Hangover Effects – Less junk = fewer regrets in the morning!
So, if you’re on the hunt for a clean, crisp buzz, here are your best bets:
Top "Clean" Alcohol Picks
(Examples of clean brands further down)
1️⃣ Pure & Distilled Spirits (Aka the VIPs of Clean Drinking)
Vodka
100% Agave Tequila
Gin
2️⃣ Organic & Natural Wines
No added sulfites, no preservatives. But... not for me right now! 😔 I’m on a low-histamine diet, which means no fermented drinks, so wine is on pause.
What I’m Drinking
Since wine is off the table at the moment because of my histamine overload, I’m sticking to my go-to clean cocktails:
Vodka or gin + sparkling water, blackcurrant, a little ginger, Stevia for sweetness (Skinny Tonic is a fave—no sugar, just Stevia!)
Tips for Sipping Smart & Staying Fresh
Hydrate – Water between drinks = fewer regrets.
Stick to clear spirits – Vodka, gin & tequila
Skip sugary mixers – Soda water, lime, or herbal infusions are where it’s at.
So there you have it! A little fun, a little wisdom, and a whole lot of clean sipping. Cheers! 🥂
Here are some GIN choices:
Premium & Ultra-Clean Gins
Hendrick’s – Infused with cucumber & rose, no artificial flavors.
The Botanist – 22 hand-foraged botanicals from Scotland, super smooth.
Monkey 47 – German gin with 47 botanicals, complex but natural.
No.3 London Dry Gin – Crisp, juniper-forward, and ultra-refined.
Sipsmith London Dry – Small-batch, hand-crafted with a classic profile.
Mid-Range Clean Gins
Tanqueray No. Ten – Citrus-forward, ultra-distilled, no artificial additives.
Plymouth Gin – Soft, smooth, and balanced with herbal notes.
Ford’s Gin – Designed for cocktails, using all-natural botanicals.
Beefeater London Dry – Classic, juniper-heavy, great for a traditional G&T.
Roku Gin – Japanese gin with yuzu, cherry blossom, and green tea notes.
Budget-Friendly Clean Gins
Bombay Sapphire – Vapor-infused for a light, smooth flavor.
Gordon’s London Dry (100% Distilled) – Affordable but still high quality.
Hayman’s London Dry Gin – Traditional and well-balanced botanical mix.
Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin – Solid choice for mixing, with classic botanicals.
What to AVOID in Gin
❌ Flavored gins – Many contain artificial flavors & added sugars.
❌ Mass-market sweetened gins – Some pink & fruit gins have hidden sugars.
❌ Non-distilled infusions – Look for naturally distilled botanicals instead.
Here are some VODKA choices:
Premium & Ultra-Pure Vodkas
Belvedere – Made from Polish rye, distilled four times, no additives.
Grey Goose – French wheat vodka, known for its smoothness and purity
Chopin – Single-ingredient vodka (potato, rye, or wheat options), naturally gluten-free.
Ketel One – Distilled from wheat, clean, crisp, and smooth.
Crystal Head – Canadian corn-based vodka, no additives, filtered through diamonds!
Mid-Range Clean Vodkas
Tito’s Handmade Vodka – Corn-based, gluten-free, small-batch distilled.
Absolut – Swedish wheat vodka, no added sugars, carbon-neutral distillery.
Haku Vodka – Japanese rice-based vodka, extremely smooth.
Stolichnaya (Stoli) Elit – Ultra-premium, freeze-filtered for purity.
Budget-Friendly Clean Vodkas
Prairie Organic Vodka – USDA-certified organic, made from corn.
Rain Vodka – Organic, distilled seven times, very smooth.
Monopolowa – Austrian potato vodka, naturally gluten-free.
Reyka Vodka – Icelandic vodka, filtered through lava rock, crisp and pure.
What to AVOID in Vodka
❌ Flavored vodkas – Many contain added sugars and artificial ingredients.
❌ Low-quality grain vodkas – Cheap brands may contain impurities and cause worse hangovers.
❌ Non-distilled "infusions" – Stick to naturally flavored vodkas or infuse your own with real fruit/herbs.
Here are some TEQUILA choices:
Premium & Ultra-Clean Tequilas
Fortaleza – Small-batch, traditional stone-crushed, no additives.
Clase Azul – High-end, ultra-smooth, and beautifully bottled.
Don Julio 1942 – Aged, rich flavor, and ultra-pure.
G4 Tequila – Crafted with rainwater & spring water for a pure taste.
Tears of Llorona – Ultra-premium, small-batch extra añejo.
Mid-Range Clean Tequilas
Espolòn Blanco or Reposado – Affordable, 100% agave, smooth for mixing or sipping.
Olmeca Altos Plata or Reposado – No additives, great for cocktails.
Cazadores Blanco – Well-priced, crisp, and natural.
Milagro Select Barrel Reserve – High-quality, no additives.
El Tesoro – Handcrafted, cooked in traditional ovens, very pure.
Budget-Friendly Clean Tequilas
El Jimador Blanco or Reposado – Best affordable option, 100% agave.
Camarena – Smooth, no additives, great for cocktails.
Lunazul Blanco – Simple, clean, and very budget-friendly.
1800 Silver – Mass-market but still 100% agave and decent quality.
What to AVOID in Tequila
❌ Mixto Tequilas – If it doesn’t say "100% Agave", it contains added sugars & fillers.
❌ Gold Tequilas – Usually caramel-colored mixtos, not pure tequila.
❌ Cheap flavored tequilas – Often full of artificial sweeteners & additives.
But….after saying all this …..
I am the bearer of bad news. Research is showing that there is no safe amount of alcohol for your health. It was all lies!😭
Don’t shoot me. I’m just the messenger.
So, here goes (I’ll keep it short and simple to get it over and done with quickly):
Q: Is Moderate Drinking Safe for Your Brain?
A: Short answer: Nope.
Q: Is moderate drinking really harmful?
A: Yes. Even “moderate” drinking (that’s 7 or fewer drinks per week) increases your risk of brain damage by 60%.
It raises your chances of developing vascular brain lesions—tiny blockages that cut off blood and oxygen to your brain. The result?
👉 Cognitive decline, foggy thinking, and memory slip-ups over time.
Q: Does quitting alcohol undo the damage?
A: Sadly, no. Former heavy drinkers had:
More brain lesions
Smaller brain mass
Worse memory + cognitive scores
The damage sticks around, even years after you quit. Alcohol’s impact is cumulative and long-lasting.
Q: What does alcohol actually do to your brain?
A: It causes:
Hyaline arteriolosclerosis (yep, that’s a mouthful) — basically, your brain’s tiny blood vessels harden and narrow
Tau tangles — protein clumps linked to Alzheimer’s
Result? Your brain shrinks, your memory fades, and everyday thinking gets harder.
Q: Is there any safe amount of alcohol for brain health?
A: Nope. A massive study of 313,958 people found no safe level of alcohol when it comes to dementia risk.
Risk goes up with every drink, no matter how light the pour.
Bottom Line:
Even that “just one glass” habit could be shrinking your brain.
Want to stay sharp as you age? Go dry — your future self will thank you.
Dr. Mercola advises taking taking N-acetylcysteine (NAC) before and after occasional alcohol use — If you are going to drink for an upcoming wedding, holiday, or reunion with friends, NAC is your backup plan. It supports your liver's ability to neutralize acetaldehyde, the toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism that damages DNA.
Take a 200-milligram dose 30 minutes before drinking alongside vitamins B1 and B6, as these nutrients also help reduce the toxic side effects of alcohol. But as mentioned earlier, there's still no substitute for avoiding alcohol completely.
Sources and References :
Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, January 23, 2024
Neurology. 2025 May 13;104(9):e213555
NeuroscienceNews.com, April 10, 2025
eClinicalMedicine, Volume 76, 102810