Booze no more.<\/p>\n
Squeezing \u201calcohol free\u201d and \u201cfestival\u201d into the same sentence could be a head-scratcher, but the Big Apple is set to host its first-ever booze-free<\/a> bonanza in Chelsea this Saturday.<\/p>\n Living life without alcohol or simply practicing moderation is more than just a lifestyle; it\u2019s a movement that has exploded across the city<\/a>.<\/p>\n Some scotch guzzling skeptics might wonder when the \u201csober\u201d jig is going to be up \u2014 but the Drinks with Benefits\u00a0festival<\/a> is proof (pun intended) that this movement is here to stay. <\/p>\n The event\u2019s brain trust is on a mission to shake up Manhattan\u2019s social scene and prove that both things can co-exist \u2014 and that the sober curious and non-drinkers can actually let loose on a Saturday in NYC.<\/p>\n Young New Yorkers are itching to find social things to do that don\u2019t always involve alcohol. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n \u201cThe culture is shifting, Gen Z [specifically] is drinking a lot less, and we wanted to create a vibe built around things to do without alcohol,\u201d fest co-creator and VP of marketing at The Daily Pour<\/a>, the platform behind the festival, Amanda Paul-Garnier told The Post.<\/p>\n Nowadays, people looking to have a booze-free night can walk into just about any bar in the city and sip on a \u2014 what some might call overpriced \u2014 $15 mocktail<\/a>.<\/p>\n And in recent years, booze-free bottle shops like Spirited Away<\/a> (177 Mott St.) and Minus Moonshine<\/a> (433 Sterling Place) have even opened, allowing customers to explore a wide range of alcohol-free and functional beverage brands in a setting that mirrors a traditional liquor store.<\/p>\n Spirited Away employees told The Post that many passersby mistake their shop for a regular liquor store because of its familiar setup. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n The booze-free bottle shop carries a wide array of non-alcoholic drinks and many liquor alternatives. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a really exciting shift in the right direction. New York has always been ahead of the curve in food, culture and nightlife, so it\u2019s only fitting that the first zero-proof festival is happening here,\u201d Gen Z festivalgoer Maddie Costantino, 26, told The Post.<\/p>\n She\u2019ll be one of about 1,000 people expected to show up \u2014 a staggering turnout for a city that thrives on selling thirsty customers $60 martinis<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt shows that sober curious living and alternative beverage culture aren\u2019t just trends anymore. They\u2019re becoming part of the city\u2019s norm,\u201d Costantino added.<\/p>\n According to Alex Highsmith, co-owner and general manager of Spirited Away, which opened in 2020, business is booming.<\/p>\n \u201cBusiness increases by double digits organically every year, and we don\u2019t advertise. We will probably do about 40% of our sales in the next three months,\u201d she told The Post about the upcoming holiday season. \u00a0<\/p>\n Highsmith said the shop\u2019s customers are the same people who also frequent liquor stores \u2014 and many look for alcohol options to add to their bar cart. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n While sober living might have once had a stigma attached to it, the point of this weekend\u2019s festival is to flip any negative stereotypes on its head and add to that increasing interest in NYC\u2019s zero-proof culture in a fun and sexy way.<\/p>\n However, Paul-Garnier and Michael DiBugnara, event producer and festival co-creator, were careful not to label the all-day affair as a \u201csober\u201d festival because they didn\u2019t want to exclude or discourage anyone, especially those who drink, from attending.<\/p>\n The six-hour-long ticketed event \u2014 $85 for general admission and $125 for VIP \u2014 will be held at The Altman Building (135 W. 18th St.). <\/p>\n Those who snagged a ticket will not only be introduced to over 60 non-alcoholic and buzzy beverages \u2014 including top, trend-setting brands like Ghia, French Bloom, Saint Buena Vida, Norie, Society De La Rassi, Cipriani, Wolffer Estates and Giesen.<\/p>\n But they\u2019ll also be able to indulge in meditation sessions, listen to a live podcast recording on sober life hosted by a former Bravo\u2019s \u201cSummer House\u201d star, taste food pairings with non-alc beverages whipped up by NYC\u2019s hottest chefs, dabble in a mixology lab, and even check out a designated VIP section for singles looking to mingle.<\/p>\n With backgrounds in experiential marketing and brand building, it only made sense for the festival creators to put their brains together to fill a gap they felt was missing in NYC\u2019s social scene.<\/p>\n \u201cWe noticed a shift towards sober curious, but there was nowhere to incorporate alcohol-free products aside from small parties\u00a0or dinners,\u201d DiBugnara added.<\/p>\n But while the Big Apple is fully embracing this new norm, there are still some challenges.<\/p>\n Aaron Johnson is one of many who appreciate a sober social scene in NYC. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n According to New York\u2019s\u00a0Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Law, liquor stores legally can\u2019t sell non-alcoholic drinks<\/a> \u2014 and supermarkets that do carry these beverages practically hide them in some dusty back corner of an aisle.<\/p>\n To further prove that New Yorkers are ready for fun without the potential next-day hangover, if they have the financial means, they\u2019ll soon have a designated place to go and socialize in a zero-proof way.<\/p>\n Justin Gurland, a 17-year-sober entrepreneur and licensed social worker, has a 2,600-person waitlist for The Maze<\/a> \u2014 NYC\u2019s first-ever alcohol-free, members-only club where folks can connect through events and activities that don\u2019t revolve around booze.<\/p>\n As a private club, however, it does come with a hefty price tag.<\/p>\n After much anticipation, Soft Bar + Cafe finally opened in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Kim Max Photography<\/p>\n After applying and going through the interview process, those accepted into the club, which opens Oct. 15 at 43 W. 24th St., will pay $3,300 per year, plus a one-time initiation fee of $1,500.\u00a0<\/p>\n One big perk: it will also offer open dinner reservations to join others for a meal at the club\u2019s restaurant, headed by celebrity chef Tom Colicchio and his Crafted Hospitality team.<\/p>\n It\u2019ll be the type of place Gurland wished existed when he became sober in his 20s.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned how to be a sober guy in NYC, but there wasn\u2019t really a place to go out and be social while sober,\u201d he told The Post. <\/p>\n He\u2019s not alone in the quest.<\/p>\n Just last week, Bravo\u2019s \u201cSummer House\u201d star Carl Radke, 40, opened the long-anticipated Soft Bar + Cafe<\/a>, an alcohol-free bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn \u2014 only one of a few throughout the boroughs. It\u2019s a concept that Radke\u2019s partying cast members initially rolled their eyes at when he excitedly pitched it to them on the show.<\/p>\n The chic \u201cbar\u201d features a menu full of \u201csoft cocktails\u201d and coffeehouse-inspired drinks that probably blow any Starbucks macchiato out of the water. It\u2019s open 7 days a week and even takes reservations \u2014 how New York of them. <\/p>\n But before Radke\u2019s Brooklyn spot came onto the scene, No More Cafe<\/a>, an East Village zero-proof \u201cneighborhood corner bar\u201d and cafe (352 E. 13th St.) was one of the first of this kind to open back in April 2024.<\/p>\n Radke\u2019s bar serves zero-proof cocktails, coffee, teas and healthy food options. Kim Max Photography<\/p>\n Similar to the purpose of the festival and members-only club, No More Cafe\u2019s owner wanted to create a social place that didn\u2019t revolve around alcohol. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n Its owner, Rodrigo Nogueira, said business is steady and customers wander in for various reasons \u2014 whether it\u2019s to get some work done or to just unwind in a cozy bar atmosphere, minus the next-day hangover.<\/p>\n Its menu is clearly intentional \u2014 customers have the option to order anything from a zero-proof glass of red or an espresso martini-sounding mocktail for $12 to $14.<\/p>\n And clearly, Nogueira\u2019s formula is working and customers can\u2019t get enough of it. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a community here \u2014 the same people come every day. We are a really tight-knit crew,\u201d Aaron Johnson, 39, a sober No More Cafe regular, told The Post.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have intelligent conversations, not that those conversations can\u2019t happen in regular bars, but there\u2019s a more sober reality here.\u201d<\/p>\n Raising the bar(s)<\/p>\n \u200b\u200bSoft Bar + <\/a>Cafe<\/a><\/p>\n 200 Banker St., Brooklyn; (949) 639-2798<\/p>\n \u201cSummer House\u201d star Carl Radke\u2019s Greenpoint venue doesn\u2019t just feature alcohol-free options \u2014 it also offers branded merchandise, including shirts and caps to remember your visit.<\/p>\n No More Cafe<\/a><\/p>\n 352 E. 13th St., Manhattan; (929) 246-2636<\/p>\n This \u201cneighborhood corner bar,\u201d open for a year and a half now, will be taking part<\/a> in the Drinks With Benefits festival on Saturday.<\/p>\n Mockingbird<\/a><\/p>\n 213 Seventh Ave., Brooklyn; (347) 687-0087<\/p>\n Open since \u201cdry January,\u201d the booze-free Park Slope bar<\/a> has hosted events like drag bingo and has planned an Oktoberfest celebration this weekend, through Sunday.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t