It’s Fall, which means it’s … FOOTBALL SEASON!

Even if you’re not particularly into football (like me), the games are a great and easy opportunity to hang out with friends, have chili potlucks and cookoffs, and hoist a few beers.

But what if you don’t beer?

Good news!

One, it’s Sober October. Everyone is doing Sober October, or has a friend who is doing it. At the very least, they’ve heard about it. Instead of peer pressure to drink, you’ll likely get a thumbs up or maybe even a “Wow, I don’t think I could ever do that!”

Two, there is a vast and growing selection of non-alcoholic beers. Because sometimes you want something in your hand other than a can of Coke.

I’ve already reviewed a couple of very good vegan, non-alcoholic beers – Samuel Adams Just The Haze (hazy IPA with impressive foam), Guinness (rich, smoky, and chocolately stout ale), and Heineken (a light crispy lager, hoppy but not quite as hoppy as an IPA).

And now there are non-alcoholic craft beers.

One of the brands you should know about is Athletic Brewing Company.

Athletic Brewing Company is a fully vegan company with a wide variety of craft beers, including Upside Dawn (golden), Free Wave (a hazy IPA), and seasonal Dark and Gourdy (pumpkin spice – I wanna try this one so bad!)

My favorite is Run Wild. I live in Charlotte, NC – land of banks, BBQ, and craft breweries – so I know my craft beers. Run Wild is a very nice, well balanced IPA. A little citrusy, a little woodsy, hoppy but not excessively so. It’s probably the hoppiest of their beers. As a bonus, a can has only 65 calories. Typically, a can of “light” alcoholic beer – such as Bud Light – has 110 calories. And Athletic Brewing Company doesn’t just say they make vegan beers – the beers are marked vegan right on the can.

I also love the name – Run Wild. It reminds me of when I was a junior real estate broker and worked with a senior broker we all called “Sergeant Slattery.” The senior brokers went to a conference in New Orleans and all but one of them threw themselves into the spirit (and spirits) of the city. The next morning the hotel was full of desperately hung over brokers. Sergeant Slattery (who didn’t drink), got up early, tied on his running shoes, and had a beautiful morning jog around the Garden District. It was one of the highlights of his trip. He finished his jog, scored some strong coffee, and cheerfully walked back into the hotel just as the first greenish broker emerged from their room.

His story stuck with me.

I never had hangovers, but I did experience that icky, dehydrated feeling. How much enjoyment did that drain from my mornings? What did I miss by staying in bed that extra half hour? And how wonderful is it to just spring up out of bed every morning now … boiiiing!

If this is your first Sober October, you might want to question if drinking has ever made you waste a day of vacation, miss out on experiences, or lessened your joy in them. Getting your feel-good mornings back is getting your life back!

Tell me what you think – about the beer or your mornings!