From Nashville to Paris, Zero-Proof Bottle Shops Cater to the Sober and Sober-Curious

The explosive growth of zero-alcohol cocktails, beer, and spirits has spurred a corresponding rise in the places selling them. Beyond grocery stores and liquor retailers, a new category has emerged: zero-alcohol bottle shops, where every product offered is alcohol-free or low-alcohol.

As Dry January kicks off in 2025, the sober and sober-curious will have more options than ever. But as with any small business, these non-alcoholic bottle shops are facing their own share of challenges as they grapple with turnover.

In April 2023, Stephanie Styll opened the cleverly named Killjoy, a tiny boutique in Nashville selling all manner of non-alcoholic drinks such as Ghia, De Soi, and Three Spirit. Given Music City’s reputation as a party town, Styll was taken aback by her immediate success — serving beverages at country music industry events, as well as many bridal and baby showers and other celebrations.

Related: 5 Non-Alcoholic Aperitifs For When You Need a Break from Booze

This past fall, Styll celebrated the grand opening of an even bigger version of Killjoy, this time in East Nashville, one of the area’s trendiest neighborhoods. And her shelves and coolers abound with everything from canned cocktails to beer and bottles of non-alcoholic wine.

That same year, Quenjana Adams launched 2048, named after its Chicago street address on West Chicago Avenue. The move followed a series of pop-ups that Adams put on beginning in 2022. Unlike other bottle shops, however, Adams focuses solely on wines, some of which cost north of $50.

Styll and Adams are among dozens of entrepreneurs worldwide capitalizing on the booming market for zero-alcohol beverages. Fueled by strong consumer interest, these shops have sprung up in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Paris, as well as non-Alpha cities such as Perth, Australia, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

According to a survey by IWSR, which tracks the global beverage industry, overall volumes of zero-proof drinks in the United States rose 29% in 2023, the latest year for which information is available. Non-alcoholic beer accounted for 81% of servings, followed by wine, spirits, pre-mixed drinks, and the emerging category of cannabis-infused beverages made by the links of Calexo and Nowadays.

Despite rising demand, some bottle shops are going through a bumpy time. Bendición Dry Bar, which entered the Chicago market in 2022, closed its brick-and-mortar shop in June 2024 and transitioned to online sales. Meanwhile, Boisson, which had eight stores in places like Brooklyn, Miami, and Los Angeles, also gave up its physical locations and shifted its focus to e-commerce.

Big stores get in on the action

Jason LaValla, founder of the botanical soda brand Casamara Club, sees increased competition from major retailers as a factor. Chains like Target, Whole Foods, and Total Wine now stock zero-alcohol products, which creates opportunities for brands but challenges for independent shops.

“They’re figuring out that it’s something worth investing in,” says LaValla, whose Detroit-based company benefits from the expanded market. “This is a much bigger market than anybody ever expected, and that’s exciting for us.”

Styll shares LaValla’s optimism. Her expanded Killjoy location offers more inventory and more space for customers to relax. “We have a sitting area and a bar,” she says. People are welcome to hang out with us, whether they buy anything or not.”

In Chicago, Adams has noticed a shift in attitudes, seeing a spike in customers who come in looking for wines they can bring to non-drinking friends. “People are more confident and comfortable in not drinking now. The stigma is a lot less. Not drinking [alcohol] is okay,” she says.

Related: We Tried 16 Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine Alternatives to Find the Best — Here's What We Chose

Adams credits the growing variety of non-alcoholic beer for normalizing alcohol-free choices. Before she opened, Adams conducted pop-ups, and her focus on wine emerged because it brought her a customer base willing to spend more than a few dollars on a can of beer.

Former wine drinkers, who gave up alcohol for health reasons, come to her “looking for quality wine, because [they] were a wine enthusiast,” she says. “With a great bottle of alcoholic wine, price isn’t an issue.” Her wines, priced between $40 and $70, attract customers eager to rediscover the experience of wine without the alcohol.

Surprisingly, many customers visited her 800-square-foot shop to welcome guests who use non-alcoholic wine as a gateway to learning about wine in general. “They say, ‘I don’t know anything about wine.’ I tell them, non-alcoholic wine is still wine,” Adams explains.

Adams, who is the primary investor in her business, personally curates every wine in her shop. When customers ask for recommendations, she confidently replies, “All of it,” since she doesn’t sell any beverages she doesn’t like.

Marketing to a Diverse Audience

Shops and brands say that their clientele often includes people who still consume alcohol. This dual audience poses unique marketing challenges, says LaValla.

“For a long time, it has been really difficult to figure out our role and how to market this product when we know the vast majority of the people who drink our product are people who drink alcohol sometimes,” he says.

So, in response, Casamara Club introduced its first pre-mixed cocktail in 2024: Superclasico, an Italian-style aperitivo inspired by the annual soccer match played between Brazil and Argentina. Think: Campari and soda with just a touch of sugar — but no buzz.

Bartenders had expressed frustration at relying on juices to create zero-alcohol drinks — spurring the product’s development, which was years in the making. “I’m so optimistic about this category,” LaValla says, looking ahead at the non-alcoholic category. “Maybe more so than I’ve ever been.”

"Running a small business is never easy, but it’s so encouraging to watch this space blossom as more and more people embrace using these products in their daily lives, whether they are sober or not."

Stephanie Styll

Collaboration in the industry

Despite the entrance of large retailers, LaValla doesn’t believe they pose a threat to independent shops like Killjoy and 2048. “We’re all still so small,” he says. “Even the biggest drinks in our category are tiny compared with a mid-sized alcohol brand.”

For now, LaValla likens the current state of bottle shops and zero-alcohol brands as being on the same side the way craft beer makers were a decade ago, when independent producers banded together to grow their niche against major breweries. “The more energy directed toward this cause, the better for all of us,” he says.

In Nashville, Styll agrees. “Running a small business is never easy, but it’s so encouraging to watch this space blossom as more and more people embrace using these products in their daily lives, whether they are sober or not.”

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