Five Links

This week felt a little quieter with the come-down from St. Patricks’s Day media, but there are folks all over the globe plugging away at these topics. I found news on a sober dancing club, some nerdy info in a podcast about NA beer, new products, and some economics. While there wasn’t too much nonalcoholic news out of Rochester, we did at least get a mention!

Sober Dancing At The Farm

When The Farm opened in Garden City, it was meant as a swing dance hall and gathering spot for those interested in learning to dance. In recent years, the owners realized there were younger folks, even teens, wanting to learn to dance. In an effort to be inclusive for those not legally allowed in bars, they started a sober club back in October 2023. Without alcohol, younger folks are able to find a place for healthy socializing and learning to dance.

Story: Twirling, dipping, stomping at The Farm: Non-alcoholic swing dance club in Garden City attracts big crowds

Boston University Weighs In On The Near Beer Scene

A nutritionist from Boston University stopped into the studios of Boston 25 News to talk about why near beer is becoming a great option for students.

Video: Sales of nonalcoholic beers are soaring

Deschutes Brewery Makes Headlines In Oregon

This brewery in Bend, Oregon is already popular, but this week they made some announcements earning them headlines in a lot of outlets. They’re releasing an IPA this week, which in itself isn’t exactly Yahoo! Finance newsworthy, but the fact that they’ve partnered with Sustainable Beverage Technologies to utilize the company’s BrewVo system certainly is. The move marks a huge investment from the brewery signaling their faith in an expanding market.

Story: Deschutes Brewery Introduces Fresh Squeezed Non-Alcoholic IPA to the Market Alongside Black Butte Non-Alcoholic and Installs Groundbreaking Patented and Proprietary Non-Alcoholic Brewing Tech

The Dry January Numbers Are In

It’s no secret that non-alcoholic beverage sales are up overall, and Dry January typically sees a spike in sales. Now that we’re in March and businesses have had time to tally receipts, the results are official. Business Insider connected with a posh hotel and social club in the UK to find out just how high those sales went. (Spoiler: It went well.)

Story: Dry January spurred record non-alcoholic drink sales at Soho House

How Local Breweries Will Influence The Future Of NA Beer

The U.S. of N/A podcast is just getting rolling, but already host Jon Eggleton is hitting it out of the park with presenting great information. On this episode, he brought Tyler McMahon of Reducaholic on for a super intelligent chat about the future of NA beer. Both of these guys spend all their free time clocking the changes in the nonalcoholic beer scene, so their chat is filled with the most up-to-date news on the topic you’ll get this week. Plus, little old Rochester, New York gets a shout-out!!

Leading up to St. Patrick’s Day means there is a ton of alcohol talk, and not quite as much…sober talk. Still though, the non-alcoholic scene in the Finger Lakes isn’t changing too quick, but it continues to gain momentum worldwide. This week there’s news of mocktail pop-ups, the United Kingdom discussing how they should be labeling beverages, and how some folks just kept going with their Dry January routine.

UK Labels Could Be Changing

Here in the United States the label “nonalcoholic” means that a beverage has less than 0.5% ABV. There are some products, like Heineken 0.0 that claim to have precisely zero alcohol, but actually have tiny trace amounts upward of 0.03%. Globally, the rules for identifying whether or not a product is “alcohol free” vary from place to place. Recent discussions in the UK are showing a bit of shakeup on how nonalcoholic drinks could be labeled there.

Story: Labelling rules weighing on UK non-alcoholic market, says Club Soda founder

Dry January Turns Into Just Being Sober All The Time

There are more and more people taking a run at the Dry January and Sober October challenges in recent years. Some folks stay dry for the month and head back to their alcoholic options, but some are realizing that month of dry time served them well. For a few people, that month has been more about the discovery that sober feels good. The Good Men Project offers a story about some people that decided to just keep going.

Story: ‘Why Would I Not Keep Going?’ Month-Long Sobriety Challenges Establish Healthy Habits

Starla Wines Adds An On-The-Go Option

When Starla Wines was founded in 2021 their lineup of non-alc wines intended to break a bunch of barriers. They offer a sugar free, full bodied wine alternative that has made some decent waves in the few years they’ve been around. This past week the founder/CEO announced that they’ll be expanding their offerings in 2-packs of individual glass size servings. Rather than carting around an entire bottle of Starla Wines, you’ll be able to take one serving on the go.

Story: Category Creator Starla Premium Non-Alcoholic Wines Announces Launch of New Format, Starla Sip Nationwide

San Antonio Bars Are Stepping It Up

While there are bottle shops and non-alc options springing up all over the place, a few cities are still jumping on board and recognizing that having options isn’t just a novelty. Some people in San Antonio, Texas are realizing the options available are better than before, and it’s catching on.

Story: Non-alcoholic beers have improved, and San Antonio stores carry some worth a sip

Five Points, South Carolina Gets A Pop-Up Mocktail Bar

This week in the world of sober stories and zero-proof reporting, there are podcasts reviewing beers, new nightlife openings, opinions on labeling, and plenty more. Here’s just a handful of links from the last week that will catch you up to speed on some of the latest news from the non-alcoholic world.

NA Beverages Podcast Episode

The FoodAboutTown podcast hosted by Chris Lindstrom on the Lunchador Podcast Network has been the go-to food podcast in the Rochester area for years. As the first in a string of episodes that will be coming out, I joined Chris on his podcast to talk a bit about NA beverages, and we drink through three Untitled Arts beers and offer some tasting notes. Quick and easy listen just under 30 minutes!

Listen here: NA Beverages – Chris Clemens Non ROCaholic – Untitled Art

Alcohol Labels Are Getting Crazy

If you’ve ever picked up a can of something figuring it was just an iced tea and then learned it was a hard iced tea, you might be wondering why the labels aren’t more clearly distinguishable. And if you have, then you wouldn’t be the only one. Turns out, more and more people are finding it difficult to navigate a field of shelves with no-so-crystal-clear labeling. Izabelle Wensley at the New Hampshire Bulletin makes a strong case this week for labels to be more clear about whether they have alcohol or are nonalcoholic.

Story: In marketing, difference between alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages should be crystal clear

Sam’s Club Signs A Big NA Wine Deal

The Mocktails For Mommy brand was first founded in Huntsville by Dr. Ashley Hunt-Poole. Her MAMA line of nonalcoholic wines includes a few different flavors, and they’ve now earned her national attention. Sam’s Club has signed a deal to carry her wines, catapulting a small business into a huge brand almost overnight.

Story: Local business Mocktails for Mommy to hit Sam’s Club shelves this year

Los Angeles Lands An AF Lounge

The City of Angels now has its first alcohol-free lounge thanks to owners Summer Phoenix and Stacey Mann. The Stay Zero Proof lounge will have absolutely no alcohol available, offering a safe space for those wanting a nightlife option without the booze. They’ve selected a location with a pretty interesting history known for once being a nightclub with some pretty famous acts having passed through.

Story: Stay Zero Proof: L.A.’s First Alcohol-Free Cocktail Lounge Serves Sobriety

How Athletic Brewing Company Became The King of Non-Alcoholic Beers

CNBC released a nice little story this week about ABC and their atmospheric rise in popularity.

This week there was a lot of great pieces published about the sober and nonalcoholic world. From NA beer reviews to bottle shop openings, there’s some good news to catch up on. Here’s a roundup of five links published between February 25th and March 2nd I think you should read.

Northwestern Students and Non-Alc Wine

College students at Northwestern University aren’t just exploring the dealcoholized wine scene, they’re forming clubs for it! The NAWTE (Non-Alcoholic Wine Tasting Experience) student group is a fully organized club dedicated to tasting non-alcoholic wines. Their goal is to provide a learning experience in a safe social setting.

Story: Students embrace elegance, flair at Non-Alcoholic Wine Tasting Experience

Wallace Dry Goods Opens

Philadelphia just got a bottle shop! WPVI-TV did a story this week about the Wallace Dry Goods store opening. The video clip does a quick interview with owner Robin Cummiskey and offers a preview of what the new shop will be serving up.

Story: New zero proof bottle shop Wallace Dry Goods open in Ardmore

The Shirley Temple Makes A Comeback

While much of the sober and serious non-alc scenesters attempt to raise the bar for options, some folks are going back to basics. A writer at Bon Appétit this week makes the case for why a simple Shirley Temple isn’t such a bad option after all.

Story: When I Quit Drinking, Shirley Temples Made Going Out Fun Again

Prima Pavé Sees Monumental Growth

The Italian non-alcoholic wine line Prima Pavé is making huge waves lately. They’re winning both awards and the hearts of fans from around the globe. As a result, their sales and expansion efforts are ramping up substantially. Now available in eight countries, and even in Williams-Sonoma stores!

Story: Prima Pavé, Italy’s Most Awarded Non-Alcoholic Wine, Sees Monumental Growth Across Organization with Notable Expanded Distribution

NA Dark Beers Review

Jarod over at the Nonalcoholic Aficionado rounded up four dark beers this week to review. He picks up the Bravus Oatmeal Dark, Athletic Brewing Lodge Life, Untitled Art S’mores Brew, and the Gruvi Mocha Nitro Stout. Don’t even try to guess which was his favorite. Just watch the video to find out.