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all the DMV booze-free bevs you need right now


#DryJanuary 2021 may be the rearview mirror, but that doesn't mean your #sobercurious / zero proof / booze free journey has to end. You may recognize some of this content from our holiday gift guide, and that's because these beverages and accessories are timeless. Look carefully for updates from local DMV makers sprinkled within, and stay tuned for exciting news in the global zero proof space, an ever innovating industry that is answering the needs of people across the sobriety spectrum.

 

1. Element Shrub - Complexity doesn't have to be complicated with these gorgeous shrubs!

Arlington, VA based Element Shrub is growing, and fast. A Sans Bar national pop-up tour sponsor and frequent collaborator with Lyre's Non-Alcoholic Spirits, Element Shrub is everywhere these days. But Charlie Berkinshaw of Element Shrub doesn't forget his DMV roots. Our fave flavor: Chai Pear. But also Peach Tamarind, Ginger Lime, Grapefruit Vanilla, Honeydew Jalapeño, Blood Orange Saffron....


👏 Family-owned


2. Mocktail Club - For fun without the hangover, try this ready-to-drink sparkling bev!

Pauline Idogho, founder of Washington, D.C.-based Mocktail Club, couldn't find anything healthy and delicious to drink while pregnant. So what did she do? She started a beverage company out of necessity. From those efforts came Mocktail Club, a line of premium crafted non-alcoholic cocktails with bold and daring flavors. We love this product and love Pauline.


Use promo code BOOZEFREEDC for 15% off your order! ♀Womxn-owned | ✊🏿BIPOC-owned


3. NOPE - Hangovers? Nope. Full on flavor? Yep!

New beverage on the block, NOPE, is making a big splash already. Be one of the very first to say YEP to Strawberry Basil Smash, Raspberry Lime Ginger, Mango Margarita with Jalapeño, and Rosemary Vanilla Lemonade. If anyone ever asks, does this have booze in it? The answer is NOPE.



4. Apothekary - Get Wellthy from the inside out with these edible, elixable powders

Shizu Okusa's Washington, D.C.-based Apothekary is 100% natural, fair-trade and sustainably sourced, dairy/gluten/ands free of dairy/gluten/sugar. Depending on the issue you want addressed (e.g. anxiety/stress, gut health, immunity/anti-inflamation), gussy up your smoothies/coffees/teas/zero proof bevs with Apothekary's signature blends. Remember, Self-care is the new Health-care.™



5. Bay Leaf Bitters Co. - Nothing bitter about this bar!

New bar on the block Bay Leaf Bitters Co. is a Washington, D.C.-based cocktail delivery service (within DC city limits) and virtual women’s sports bar. You'll find a space that "celebrates athletes of all genders without shame, fear, or marginalization." Check out the bar's weekly virtual sports and social justice events and if you're not in DC, pick up your goodies directly from owner Laurel Oldershaw.


♀ Womxn-owned


6. Blue Ridge Bucha - So fresh it's brewed from mountain water!

Hand-crafted in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this small business has a BIG impact. Since Blue Ridge Bucha's inception, they've saved over 1 million bottles with their refillable glass bottle model. Taproom is open for curbside pickup; buy (or bring) those growlers!


👏 Family-owned


7. Zurena - Experience the beautiful + joyful melody of this tropical elixir

Founder Nigel Smith named Zurena after his two daughters, Zuri and Rena, whose names come together to form the name of this Silver Spring, MD beverage company (Zuri, beautiful in Swahili and Rena, joyful melody in Hebrew). Mix Zurena into a zero proof cocktail or sip over ice; the flavors are a "rhapsody of tropical fruits and Caribbean spices."


Use promo code BFDC2020 for 20% off your order via Zurena or Amazon.

✊🏿BIPOC-owned | 👏 Family-owned


8. JRINK - Drink up, y'all. Juices for everyone!

JRINK is a DC staple for all juice lovers. Known for its bright colors and bright flavors, this homegrown juicery serves up delicious flavor combinations and gorgeous branding to its devoted clientele. When you need something healthy to sip on, drink JRINK. / 🎤


♀Womxn-owned IG: @jrinkjuicery


9. Icaro Yerba Maté - Artfully brewed, sparkling tea offers up natural energy

If you're fans of Baltimore-based Wild Kombucha you'll absolutely love their Icaro Yerba Maté product line. Signature flavors Hibiscus and Mint deliver in flavor and give you a caffeine boost (derived naturally, of course). This brand gives back too: Icaro Yerba Maté donates 1% of all sales to Living Classrooms to support arts education in Baltimore.


Use promo code BOOZEFREEDC for 15% off and free shipping on your order! (Free DMV delivery when you order 3 or more cases).


10. Everyday Kombucha - A kombucha a day keeps the doc away*

What happens when Yerba Maté and kombucha have a baby? You get Everyday Kombucha, proudly brewed in the District. Founder Chris Williamson is also a personal trainer, so he gets that health starts from the inside out. When your gut is healthy, your mind is healthy. When your mind is healthy, you're more likely to want to move your body....and such is the positive feedback loop. If you love ginger, score that Lemon Ginger. Lime Mint is our current boo.



* not an actual substantiated medical claim


11. Delmosa - Terroir-driven sophisticated NA beverages. Mmm.

You're probably asking yourself, what the heck does terroir-driven mean? Terroir is a French term that basically means everything about the natural environment where a wine is produced. So any drink you can find at Bristow, VA-based beverage importer Delmosa will be the non-alchoholic cousin of wines and ciders. And it'll be damn good. Husband and wife team Bruce and Tammy Blosil are passionate about sharing non-alcoholic beverage elegance with the Washington, D.C. area and beyond.


👏 Family-owned


12. CAnE Collective - Fruit forward mixers up your cocktail game

Baltimore, MD-based CAnE Collective is comprised of Clinton Jackson (CJ) Alexander, Aaron Joseph, and Ezra Allen. They started their brand and mission because they believed there was something missing in the spirits industry. CAnE Collective incorporates bartending education, cocktail/spirits consulting in the Greater Washington / Baltimore metro areas, and the creation of fresh, fruit forward mixers to bring the experience of craft bartending directly into people’s homes.

Shop here! ✊🏿BIPOC-owned IG: @cane_collective


13. Show of Hands - Perhaps the finest of (booze-free) hands

Nick Farrell of Neighborhood Restaurant Group was going open a brick and mortar spot at The Roost this year called Show of Hands, a place that would be known for innovative no and low ABV cocktails. Well, we all know what happened in March of 2020 that kind of derailed everyone's plans. Using the buzzword of the year, Nick pivoted -- and fast. He bottled Show of Hands cocktails and now sells them for pickup and delivery throughout the DMV via Neighborhood Provisions.


14. Columbia Room / Your Only Friend - Birthplace of a movement

Derek Brown of Drink Company and Columbia Room fame is known as one of the ultimate masters of mixology in DC. His book Spirits, Sugar, Water, Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World, published in 2019, is basically like a sexy history book on drinks. But Derek is also known for being vocal about not drinking as much as he used to and his zero proof menu at Columbia Room, crafted with beverage director Paul Taylor, reflects pillars of creativity and inclusivity. When COVID hit, Taylor opened a sandwich pop-up at Columbia Room called Your Only Friend. Besides the delicious between-bread treats, some of the greatest hits of the zero proof menu are available in bottled form.


15. sunōmi - WTF is switchel?

WTF is switchel, you ask? That's the question Nikki Blank's company poses on sunōmi's site. Historically consumed in colonial times as basically the haymaker's Gatorade, switchel is an apple cider vinegar, ginger, molasses, and citrus based drink. You can still sip up post-workout these days, but it's not the switchel of olden days. This one is sparkling and modern and delicious.


16. Mad Magic Kombucha - Sip the stark raving goodness of this magical local booch

This Virginia kombucha darling out of Vint Hill means business -- Mad Magic Kombucha has 19 (we repeat, 19!) different flavors. What's most ingenious is that you can create a custom pack or choose a seasonal pack -- of all different flavors. Or just one flavor. Harvest Spice only? Or Coffee? Or Hops? Or Mint? Or Strawberry? Or....you get our drift.


👏 Family-owned


17. Jícara Ancestral Remedies - Sip on some ancient wisdom

Jícara Ancestral Remedies gives old life -- and we're talking legit ancient -- new meaning. Cultivating the wisdom in wellness practices and serving up kombucha, cacao, and mavi to DMV neighbors is what owners Linaan and Lucas are all about. What we put in our bodies affects not only our physical health, but our mental health too (fun fact: most serotonin lives in the gut microbiome). This is why Jícara exists: to give us healthy options and honor the past.


Shop online here and visit Jícara at Femme Fatale DC open markets!

👏 Family-owned IG: @drinknope


18. HEX Ferments - If it's pickled, we want it

Baltimore-based HEX Ferments are "food alchemists, dedicated to sourcing from local and organic farmers using regenerative farming practices." Once upon a time pre-COVID, we would travel to Belvedere Square in B'more just to pick up batches of multi-colored kombucha and the best kimchi and fermented veggies EVER. But fret not. There are still ways to get HEX into our bellies -- and as we know, our bellies are fans of fermented goodies.


All products available for pickup and local delivery on orders of $95+. Shipping available on all non-kombucha products. More details at HEX Ferments.

👏 Family-owned IG: @hexferments


19. Charismatic Creations - Say hello to zero proof infusions!

Founder Chrissy of Washington, D.C.-based Charismatic Creations, a mobile bartending service, is all about making sure the drinking experience is an inclusive one. That means providing options that have booze and options without -- and her zero proof infusions sound heavenly: Apple Cinnamint and Hibiscus Rose are just a few of her flavor combos. Learn more about her inclusive bartending services & shop here! ♀Womxn-owned | ✊🏿BIPOC-owned IG: @charismaticcreations


20. Blue Henry - Level up your zero proof cocktails

You'll find fruit infused simple syrups, candied + dehydrated fruits for garnishes, and rimming salts + sugars at Blue Henry in Capitol Heights, MD. Be your own mixologist and take charge with these flavors and drink accoutrements that'll have you saying, "I'm a bartender!" in no time.


♀Womxn-owned | ✊🏿BIPOC-owned IG: @bluehenry


21. Main Street Pearl - A bar just for bubbly stuff (no, really!)

If you're into carbonation, you'll absolutely love Main Street Pearl in the heart of historic Takoma Park, MD. As a bubbly drinks bar, Main Street Pearl will feature booze-free bubble tea, scratch sodas, kombucha (and their higher ABV cousins beer, cider, and sparkling wine). As a noshery and tuck shop, it'll have yummy grab-and-go snacks, candies, and treats by local foodpreneurs.


♀Womxn-owned IG: @mainstreetpearl


22. Where the Good Grows - Let your goodness grow - and glow!

This Maryland-based natural wellbeing company offers herbalist-formulated organic therapeutic botanical products, personalized wellness consultations, and fun virtual wellness programs (corporate and private). From calming herbal teas to therapeutic herbal latte blends, herbal infused zero proof cocktail vinegars to botanical chocolate making kits, Where the Good Grows is tasty, fun, healthy, and booze-free!

♀Womxn-owned


23. Nesis Tea - Hibiscus 🌺 Refresca...mmm

Whether you're into unsweetened or lightly sweetened tea, this hibiscus refresher will not only hydrate you -- it'll give you serious island vibes. Another new beverage on the block, Nesis Tea is here to spill the (hibiscus) tea right into your glass. And we are HERE for it all. We don't know about you, but we're already brewing up ideas for hibiscus-inspired zero-proof cocktails...

♀Womxn-owned | ✊🏿BIPOC-owned


24. Salacious Drinks - Like the Cristal of H2O 💦

Think it's just water? Think again. Salacious Drinks makes water sexy -- and we all know hydration is the ultimate aphrodisiac. Just go with us here. If you're into bubbly water, Salacious has you covered. Still water? Yep, that too. Water-based flavored mixers? Mmm hmm. Mix and match your own custom 6 pack -- OF WATER, or order a case if you're feeling lucky. Co-founder Ashley Epperson knows a think or two about H2O, so slide into her DMs if you have any questions about which luxury water you're jonesing to try.

♀Womxn-owned | ✊🏿BIPOC-owned

 

We can't wait to hear what kind of fun you get up to in your kitchen / bar. Be sure to tag us on Instagram (@boozefreeindc / #boozefreeindc) and stay tuned for more goodies.


Until then, take care of yourselves. And each other.

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