Cocktails without the booze: New festival highlights non-alcoholic drinks in Charlotte
A new event organized by the founder of The Roaring Social is bringing “a day of mindful drinking and wellness” to Charlotte at a time when interest in non-alcoholic options have been expanding.
Drink Less Fest will offer Charlotteans a chance to sample sparking teas, alcohol-free wine, zero-proof cocktails, Delta 8 beverages and more during a “day of mindful drinking and wellness.”
You can participate in a tasting tour of non-alcoholic beverages, learn how to craft cocktails with Ritual Zero Proof products and how to pair food with non-alcoholic wines. Food trucks will be on site for you to purchase lunch, and a happy hour conversation on workplace drinking will follow.
Festival-goers will also hear a panel discussion that includes The Roaring Social founder Casey Dolan, “How to Eat to Change How You Drink” author Brooke Scheller, sober coach Heather Lowe and Zero Proof Nation founder Laura Silverman.
Drink Less Fest comes during a time when non-alcoholic options have been growing in Charlotte. Just a few years ago, you’d likely have to ask for a bartender to craft you something special if you wanted a non-alcoholic beverage other than tea or soda.
Now, groups like Beyond Sober that hold n/a pop-ups and large events like the Counterculture Club’s Counterculture Festival and Drink Less Fest are making headway. Options for people looking to avoid alcohol — whether it be for health and wellness or sober living — are pushing into the mainstream.
At Restaurant Constance, chef/owner Sam Diminich has crafted an entire menu of alcohol-free cocktails that changes seasonally, offering options such as Jack Straw, a blend of Harmony Ridge Farm Strawberry Agua Fresca, kombucha, citrus and aromatics. Bars and restaurants that have added spirit-free beverage options to their standard menus include The Artisan’s Palate, Billy Sunday, Supperland and Yunta, as well as many others.
An entirely alcohol-free hookah bar, The Sugar Lounge, opened up last year in Charlotte, too.
Dolan’s business The Roaring Social started out with pop-ups and a goal to expand into a permanent space, but those brick-and-mortar plans instead took a turn into a second company, Charlotte Beverage Distribution.
She’s working with retailers, grocery stores and other food-and-beverage providers to expand the area’s options with zero-proof brands that were previously unavailable in the area, including Noughty, Tost, Giffard, Botanical Brewing and several others. She also represented the non-alcoholic Spiritless brand as a mixologist at the Charlotte StrEATs Festival this year.
“This is my passion. Out of all the things I’ve done, this is where I feel most at home,” she told CharlotteFive.
The products she represents will be available for sampling at Drink Less Fest.
“It’s not just about the event — it’s about supporting the movement after the event,” Dolan said.
Drink Less Fest
Location: Pine 828, 4100 Raleigh St., Charlotte NC 28206
When: Sunday, June 2, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., with workshops noon-4 p.m.
Cost: $50
