Sober travels: Non-alc in Japan (in 2024)
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Sober travels: Non-alc in Japan (in 2024)

I recently made a lifelong dream come true and spent two weeks in Japan. In this post, I’ll recap the bars I visited in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, and the non-alcoholic options I found during my visit in April 2024.

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An interview with Chrxstopher, creator of the sober anthem “SPRITE”
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An interview with Chrxstopher, creator of the sober anthem “SPRITE”

If you have spent ANY time online in the past few weeks, you’ve likely heard “SPRITE”: A dance tune with a catchy synth riff that proudly declares “I don’t need the alcohol to have a good night, I’ll just have a sprite”. The mastermind behind the song is Chrxstopher, aka Christopher Davis, a professional dancer, make-up artist, and TikTok creator with over 1 million followers. Of course, I had to interview Christopher to learn more about him and his motivation behind writing the sober anthem of 2024.

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An interview with Tawny Lara & Nick Mechak, the “Sober S*xpert” & non-alc beverage brand founders
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An interview with Tawny Lara & Nick Mechak, the “Sober S*xpert” & non-alc beverage brand founders

Tawny Lara is the author of a book with the amazing title “Dry Humping”, and right after publication she also successfully launched a non-alcoholic vinegar-based botanical drink with her partner Nick Mechak - what a wild ride! I’m excited to feature Tawny and Nick in this interview to talk about their journey through sobriety, publishing a book, and launching their own non-alcoholic beverage brand.

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Our favorite functional non-alcoholic drinks
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Our favorite functional non-alcoholic drinks

There’s a whole world of non-alcoholic beverages out there that, in addition to tasting good, also have some kind of effect on your body. These are often called functional non-alcoholic drinks, or sometimes are more specifically referred to as adaptogenic or nootropic beverages. In this blog post, we’ll give you a brief introduction to what ”functional” means in the non-alcoholic beverage world, and show you some of our favorite functional drinks.

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Our favorite non-alcoholic beers in 2024
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Our favorite non-alcoholic beers in 2024

In this post, I’ll list out some of my favorite non-alcoholic beers in different categories such as pilsners, IPAs, and stouts - just in time for you to stock up for your Super Bowl party!

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A festival for Mindful Drinking? Yes please!
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A festival for Mindful Drinking? Yes please!

Mindful Drinking Fest 2024 will be a full weekend engaging and connecting mindful drinkers with a grand tasting hall, seminars, bars, brand activations, and an entirely non-alcoholic rave hosted by Disco Mary.

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Non-alc 101: Our favorite non-alcoholic wines
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Non-alc 101: Our favorite non-alcoholic wines

“Non-alcoholic wines are just grape juice!” Oh honey… all wine is just grape juice when you think about it. In this post, I’ll list some of my favorite de-alcoholized non-alcoholic wines for all different types of wine - sparkling, white, rosé, and red. In addition, I’ll also mention some wine alternatives (proxies) I really like.

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The best spots in New York City for non-alcoholic cocktails (or mocktails)
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The best spots in New York City for non-alcoholic cocktails (or mocktails)

Luckily, many bars are catching on to the fact that there are more people like me who like to hang out at bars, sip on drinks, and - most importantly - spend money, just without the liquor.

In this post, I’ll cover some of my favorite spots for non-alcoholic cocktails in New York City. The choices are mostly based on the variety of drinks available, the atmosphere, service, and food options.

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6 non-alcoholic spirits that don’t suck
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6 non-alcoholic spirits that don’t suck

It’s time to re-think how we think about non-alcoholic cocktails. In this post, I talk about the science behind how non-alcoholic spirits are made, and introduce several of my favorite non-alcoholic spirits, including aperitifs, amaros, gin, rum, and tequila.

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What to expect from Dry January…
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What to expect from Dry January…

I’ve you’ve consumed social media, or really, any media recently, you’ve probably heard or seen the term everywhere. In this post, we’ll discuss some of the claims made about the effects of Dry January, and what to really expect when you abstain from drinking for a month.

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An interview with Aqxyl Storms, owner of Minus Moonshine
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An interview with Aqxyl Storms, owner of Minus Moonshine

You know when you meet someone and it just kind of… works? That’s the experience I’ve had with Aqxyl Storms, the founder of Brooklyn’s first independent non-alcoholic bottle shop Minus Moonshine. I met Aqxyl (they/them) very early on in my journey before the first ever Third Place Bar event and since then, we’ve been collaborating on many events, including an epic emo night and regular cocktail classes at the shop. In this interview, Aqxyl talks about their own experience with quitting drinking, what motivated them to open a non-alcoholic bottle shop, and the economic challenges of running a small business.

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What’s the point of non-alcoholic bars?
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What’s the point of non-alcoholic bars?

In a world where socializing often revolves around alcohol, the emergence of non-alcoholic bars is a refreshing shift that's gaining momentum. In this post, I’ll dive into what the point is of “a bar without booze” and discuss a few reasons why non-alcoholic bars are becoming increasingly popular.

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Non-alc 101: Your non-alcoholic cocktail starter kit
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Non-alc 101: Your non-alcoholic cocktail starter kit

In this post, I’ll cover some suggestions for non-alcoholic spirits and other ingredients that will help you kick off your non-alcoholic bar at home and enjoy delicious non-alcoholic cocktails (or “mocktails”), without breaking the bank.

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An interview with Lee Paul, sober comic rockstar
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An interview with Lee Paul, sober comic rockstar

We've got an awesome blog post for you today with Lee Paul, an NYC comedian who's also living the sober life. We had a cool chat with him to learn about his journey in comedy, the ups and downs, and how he decided to stay sober. You'll get to know what makes Lee's comedy unique and how he stays true to himself.

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