Michigan bars offer booze-free options for the ‘sober-curious’

• More people are choosing moderation and exploring the ‘sober-curious’ trend, especially younger generations
• Michigan breweries have taken a hit, says beverage association director Scott Ellis
• Nonalcoholic drinks are surging in popularity as bars give the consumers what they want — more options

0.0%. Spirit-free. Mocktail. Zero-proof. Walk into just about any bar in Michigan, and you’ll probably find one of these phrases on the menu. 

As more people choose to embrace the “sober-curious” trend, bars throughout the state are looking for ways to bring in those who want to drink less by providing nonalcoholic options and taking an alternative approach to happy hour. 

“At this point, if you don't offer some sort of nonalcoholic beverage other than soda or tea, it's almost like you're not cool,” said Paula Laquerre. She’s the founder of Boozeless Brunch Detroit, hosting monthly events at bars and restaurants around the city to give customers a chance to enjoy their sophisticated nonalcoholic cocktails. 

This month’s outing is to a sober happy hour at Dragonfly, where guests can enjoy their house-made nonalcoholic wine or a zero-proof espresso martini made to taste like the real thing. 

It’s the latest in a growing trend of people searching for a way to go out and socialize without the need to drink alcohol. A 2023 Gallup poll found the percentage of adults under 35 who drink had fallen from 72% to 62% in the past two decades.

It might not just be younger people drinking less, though. A more recent  survey, from the industry research group IWSR, suggests that moderation is a growing trend among all age groups. Separately, Gallup reported that the percentage of Americans who said they drink wine, liquor or beer was at 58% in 2024, down from 67% in 2022. 

The result? Wine, beer and liquor sales were all down in 2024. Scott Ellis, executive director of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, said the association’s around 1,000 members, which include bars, restaurants and taverns, are feeling the impacts. 

“We just had a meeting yesterday, and all my members have said they're doing okay, but it's definitely not the same,” Ellis said. “The tabs are less.” 

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Ellis’s own bar, MichiGrain Distillery in Lansing, had to shut down its tasting room last year due to a decline in sales. At first, he thought it was just because fewer people were going out post-COVID. 

He soon realized a growing trend toward prioritizing health and moderation could be to blame as well. In January, the US Surgeon General recommended that alcoholic beverages have a warning label informing consumers on the links between alcohol consumption and cancer. 

“Breweries around the state are taking a hit right now, and I think a lot of it has to do with healthier choices,” Ellis said. 

Spencer Nevins, president of the Michigan Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, said while the association has seen a slight sales decline of around 1% since this time last year, it's too early to tell if this is a significant sales trend that will continue.

“We're not seeing a significant decline in sales numbers,” Nevins said. “They're down a little bit this past year. That would probably be the first time in the 20 years that I've been with the association where we've seen a small decline.”

Move over, ale?

Beer sales in particular have gone down, says Ellis. The Beer Institute recorded nearly 6% fewer shipments of beer barrels this year so far. In response, breweries have begun to offer versions of their beers with the same taste, but none of the alcohol, to great success. 

Nonalcoholic beer is slated to overtake ale to become the second-largest beer category worldwide, according to IWSR, which estimates the total nonalcoholic market in the US will be worth $5 billion by 2028.

In 2023, Michigan-based Founders Brewery released a hop water, Hoppy Mood, that communications director Lindsey Rodarmer said has been far more successful than they imagined. 

“It was originally supposed to be a Michigan-only lot, and then we had requests from distributors and retailers to make it available beyond Michigan,” Rodarmer said. “Just that alone, that case study shows that there is a desire there for that.” 

Rodarmer said Founders wants to expand even more, and has installed a de-alcoholization unit that removes the alcohol from beer. Due to increasing demand, they’re looking to offer some nonalcoholic versions of their beers in time for Dry January. 

The US Food & Drug Administration classifies a drink as nonalcoholic if it contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, so NA beverages may not be appropriate for children or those with substance use disorders. The term “alcohol-free” is only used if there are no traces of alcohol, or 0.0%. 

In Lansing, bar owner Doug Crawford is exploring even more creative options. At Rooted Socialite, instead of nonalcoholic beer, patrons are drinking tea, CBD-infused drinks and kava — a plant native to the South Pacific used for a calming, relaxed effect. Crawford describes it as “loose, but lucid” – enough to ease social anxiety without leaving the drinker significantly impaired.

“I don't like to compare kava to any other commonly known social lubricants,” Crawford said. “Kava allows you to be completely present throughout the experience.” 

Crawford argues that Rooted Socialite fills a niche — the need for a late-night space that does not center around alcohol. His customers range in age from Gen Z to baby boomers, with a wide variety of social interests.

“Oftentimes there’s not a place you can go after 6 p.m. that doesn't serve alcohol or expect you to turn a table and eat food,” Crawford said. 

“There's some people that are looking for an alternative to alcohol or other substances, and there's also a wide variety of people that want a quiet place to work, or they want to just relax and have a kombucha or sparkling water or soda at 9 o'clock at night.” 

In addition to kava, Crawford serves drinks from Casamara Club, a Detroit-based nonalcoholic beverage company that produces self-described ‘botanical sodas.’

Casamara Club founder Jason LaValla said the idea to create a nonalcoholic beverage brand came to him in 2017 when he was searching for a way to enjoy a nice drink after work without having to always choose alcohol.

“I think people have started to realize that they deserve better nonalcoholic options when they go out.” Casamara Club’s drinks are carbonated, bitter with subtle botanical flavors. “The goal is not to be overpowering. We want something that you can enjoy the way that you might enjoy like a good Pilsner.” 

Cans of Casamara can be found across the country — used as a mixer in mocktails at upscale bars or available for purchase at grocery stores. LaValla said the stigma around going alcohol-free has lessened since the company launched. Rather than rejecting alcohol entirely, he said people just want to have options.

“When we launched, I used to get a lot of funny looks from people of, ‘well, why would I want something nonalcoholic? … I don't have a problem,’” LaValla said. “I think what we're seeing now is a little bit more of an acceptance of, you can go out and you can have a cocktail, two cocktails, and then switch to nonalcoholic. You can go out and drink nonalcoholic all night.”

Christina Mariani, 31, is glad to see this stigma go away. A frequenter of Boozeless Brunch in Detroit, she decided to cut back on alcohol in 2017 — but back then, there was “hardly anything” in terms of NA options. 

She’s seen the trend grow firsthand – most of her friends have shifted away from activities involving alcohol, opting instead to go rock climbing, attend yoga class or go to an art exhibit.

“I think it is more common,” Mariani said. “The majority of my friends now, the things that we do together don't include alcohol anymore. … I didn't realize how many activities and things that I was doing that always included alcohol as a default.” 

She still drinks occasionally, but as it becomes easier to choose alcohol-free wherever she goes, she now only has a few drinks a year. 

“Working in social work, I've seen a lot of different experiences that other people have had with alcohol, and seeing how it can impact their life in different ways,” Mariani said. “I want to protect my body as best as I can, and that was an easy way for me to do it.”