One thing shines for its absence in a new form of bars that open around the world: Alcoholic beverages.
These bars are aimed at people who want to stay sober and offer drinks such as non-alcoholic artisanal cocktails. At the 0% Alcohol-Free Experience, a futuristic Tokyo bar, people can grab a blend of alcohol-free white wine, sake and blueberries in glasses with the sugary edge. One recent afternoon at the Sans Bar in Austin, Texas, guests sat at outdoor tables, with live music, bottles of non-alcoholic IPA beers, and drinks such as watermelon mockarita, in which an alternative to tequila.
Sober bars are not a new phenomenon. They first appeared in the 19th century. But while in the past they were aimed at people who do not drink alcohol or who recover from alcoholism, the new ones welcome both sober and curious drinkers.
“A lot of people want to drink less alcohol,” said Chris Marshall, founder of Sans Bar.
Marshall, who has been sober for 14 years, opened the bar after working as an addict counselor. But he estimates that 75% of his customers also drink alcohol in other bars or in their homes.
“It’s easier that way,” commented Sondra Prineaux, a regular Sans Bar customer. “I don’t have to worry about leaving the car here and calling Uber to go home. And I wake up without a headache.”
This trend toward sobriety is fueled by initiatives such as the January Dry, in which people pledge not to drink alcohol this month, and a growing interest in living a healthier life, said Brandy Rand, chief operating officer. in the Americas from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.
Alcohol consumption last year in ten large markets, including the United States, Germany, Japan and Brazil, fell 5%, according to IWSR. Consumption of non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drinks, on the other hand, increased by 1% in the same period.
Consumption of non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beverages is still much lower than that of alcoholic beverages, but South points out that it is increasing at a rate two to three times faster than that of alcoholic beverages.
This increase is driven in part by the emergence of new products. From those offered by small producers like Ritual Zero Proof – a Chicago company that sells non-alcoholic whiskey, gin and tequila – to large companies like Anheuser-Busch, which has had a non-alcoholic Budweiser Zero beer since last year.
“I have a great problem: Too many options,” said Douglas Watters, who inaugurated Spirited Away in New York in November. Sells beer, wine and other non-alcoholic drinks.
Watters said the confinement by the coronavirus pandemic caused him to rethink his habit of closing the day with a cocktail. He started experimenting with non-alcoholic beverages and in August decided to open his own business. He said many of his clients are sober, but that they also go pregnant or with health problems. Some train for marathons, while others just want to limit the amount of alcohol they consume.
“There are a lot of people, especially last year, who analyze what they drink and how they feel,” he expressed.
Joshua James, a veteran bartender, came to the same conclusion during the pandemic. After working at Friendship House, a substance abuse center, he recently opened the Ocean Beach Cafe, a non-alcoholic bar in San Francisco.
“I wanted to destigmatize words like addiction, recovery, and sobriety,” he noted. “There are thousands of reasons not to drink so much.”
He added that the coronavirus accelerated changes in people’s habits regarding alcohol. But pandemic confinements hurt new bars. Some, such as The Virgin Mary Bar in Dublin and Zeroliq in Berlin temporarily closed. Getaway, in New York, became a coffee to weather the storm.
Billy Wynne, co-owner of Awake in Denver, says his clients tend to be thirty or forty, mostly women. Some tell him they have been waiting for years for a bar like his to appear.
“This is not a passing fad,” Wynne assured. “People don’t become aware of the negative impact of alcohol on their lives and then change their minds.”