For a long time, non-alcoholic drinks were a great option for kids or designated drivers but there’s a surge in popularity of “mocktails” creating new options for those who don’t want to drink alcohol.
The drinks are also part of a bigger movement for those who want to be social and sober at the same time.
Stephene Forté with the Sans Bar, said Chris Marshall, an addictions counselor, created the bars as a place for people to have a place to be social without the pressure of ordering alcohol after becoming sober. The bar originally started in Austin, Texas and is now operating pop-up events in Los Angeles.
“Sans Bar is an open invitation to anyone a whatever stage they’re at with alcohol. They could be drinkers but they’re just looking for activities that aren’t drenched in alcohol,” she said. “They could be taking a break or they could be exploring sobriety.”
So what do you drink when you aren’t drinking? Aaron Polsky, former ambassador for the non-alcoholic spirits company, Seedlip, says their spirits are distilled with six botanicals and are meant to be used in place of a spirit in a cocktail.
“The idea is that, where you might go to a bar and your friend might order a cocktail with Tanqueray, if you’re not drinking you can order that same cocktail with Seedlip,” he said. “You feel a part of the same social occasion.”
The National Institute of Health estimates that 17 million adults in the U.S. are alcohol dependent.
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