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At the beginning of the new year, some Americans are choosing to cap their bottles and take part in Dry January, a month-long sobriety challenge that has recently become popular as a New Year’s resolution. About 27% of U.S. adults said they were “very likely” to participate in Dry January this year, according to data from Civic Science.
But the rise of Atlanta’s non-alcoholic retail industry aims to provide people with zero-proof drinks year-round.
Dry January’s popularity comes alongside the growing popularity of the “zero-proof” industry, a non-alcoholic beverage market with sales exceeding $11 billion in 2022.
The city’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop, The Zero Company, opened in Poncey Highlands in December 2022. Owners Mallory and Cory Atkinson launched nearby Elemental Spirits Co., a small-batch liquor store with a handful of zero-proof options in 2020, but decided the product needed its own space. .
Mallory Atkinson recognized the need for a non-alcoholic bottle shop after her husband, Cory, became pregnant and had a bout with cancer. Elemental Spirits Co. is leaning heavily into non-alcoholic products in line with the growing number of alternatives to alcohol for individuals and the industry as a whole.
But the selection at Elemental Spirits Co. wasn’t enough for the couple. They wanted their zero-proof product to be self-sustaining.
“With Elemental, we recognized that not everyone feels comfortable coming into a liquor store to purchase non-alcoholic products,” Atkinson said.
They have a variety of zero-proof products on The Zero Company’s shelves, including tequila, canned mocktails, wine, and popular drinks such as Ghia, a spirit-free aperitif inspired by Mediterranean aperitif culture. It was lined up.
The Zero Company opened in time for Dry January 2023, an influx of people quitting drinking during that month. Atkinson said it was a risk because it was the first business of its kind in Atlanta.
And a few months later, Sober-ish opened in Kirkwood with a wide selection of zero-proof items. The retail space owned by full-time lawyer Mehrunush Sadat is also a cannabis boutique.
Sadat decided to open up the sober world about a year ago when a sober friend brought him a bottle of Delta 9. sNew Year’s Eve spirit. The drink uses delta-9, a legal chemical found in cannabis and hemp plants that has an intoxicating effect similar to THC.
“I knew the non-alcoholic industry was growing, but it was really interesting to see this really beautiful, feminine bottle and know that there was an alternative to alcohol while still creating a relaxing effect,” said Sadat. said.
The entrepreneur decided to combine a zero-proof bottle shop with a high-rise head shop. This was something she had never seen before. Sadat said most cannabis stores are tie-dye heavy-head shops or more sterile medical marijuana sites.
“I want an environment where there are choices in a very elevated environment and a very adult-like environment, whether people are exploring sobriety or whether people are exploring cannabis. I wanted to create it,” Sadat said.
She hopes the space will introduce customers to a variety of products that can be used in social situations, whether it’s mocktails or cannabis. Although Sadat had never run a bottle shop before, she said she was “very careful” when choosing the products to feature on “Sober-ish.”
Sadat said zero-proof drinks are an easier choice because the industry is still small. For cannabis products, we prioritized chemical-free options with natural sweeteners and cute packaging that fits the shop’s carefully selected aesthetic.
Sober-ish and The Zero Co. both aim to dispel the stigma against sobriety and non-alcoholic options, but owners say the establishments are for everyone, sober or not. It is made clear that Neither Atkinson nor Sadat himself is sober.
“We really want it to be for everyone,” Atkinson said. “We want it to be a safe space.”
However, not everyone is familiar with the non-alcoholic situation. Atkinson said education is the biggest challenge because this is a new industry.
“We’re a little surprised just by how much education our customers need, because this is such a new field and they’ve had so many bad experiences ordering large quantities online. ,” Atkinson said.
Many customers don’t know where to start when they come to The Zero Company. Unlike a typical bottle shop, where shoppers usually have an idea of what they want, staff have to figure out an individual approach to each person’s needs.
Atkinson said the team first asks, “What are we going to do with this?” Just to see how someone approaches the product. For drinkers, he enthusiastically recommends botanical spirits over tequila alternatives. Other customers may not want to be reminded of alcohol at all.
Sadat said awareness of alcohol alternatives has increased significantly over the past year, but there is still hesitation for customers who don’t know what their drink will taste like. She highlights a “learning curve” approach and introduces easier pop-top drinks so people don’t get overwhelmed. Owners do the same with cannabis products.
“People need to really understand what they’re buying and why your product is better than the product next door or the vape shop next door at the gas station,” Sadat said. . “It’s not just the quality of the product, but also the education.
Both stores offer tastings on weekends. The Zero Company also holds monthly mocktail classes, teaching people how to make drinks from scratch.
“We came to this from a culture of people who drink and like to drink, and they want that same experience in non-alcoholic products,” Atkinson said.
As non-alcoholic drinks become more popular, both executives hope that the social stigma against drinking will diminish. Sadat said there is often “psychological peer pressure” to drink when everyone around you is drinking.
Mr Atkinson believes Dry January is a “pass” to quit alcohol so people can “tell the truth that they don’t necessarily want to drink all the time”.
In the future, she hopes zero-proof cocktails will become popular enough to be featured on restaurant and bar menus, rather than leaving sober customers with the option of club soda or lemonade. Sober-ish and The Zero Co. have both begun partnering with Atlanta restaurants to develop non-alcoholic bars and find delicious food and drink pairings throughout the year.
“It doesn’t have to be just a dry January,” Atkinson said. “You should feel comfortable saying that you’re not drinking tonight, but you’re going to drink, but you’re still going to be social, you’re still going out to eat, you’re still going to be together,” my friend said. “
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