Time to ween off alcohol?

INSIGHT (what we need)

Alcohol’s detrimental effects don’t have to prevent you from having a good time!

We all know the detrimental effects of alcohol in large quantities. Not to be a party pooper, but its looking like even a low amount of alcohol over time (ie. one drink a night or a few on the weekend) negatively impacts the brain and body; even with varying levels of tolerance. The way alcohol is metabolized in our bodies is in effect, a poison, that leads to cellular stress, damage and neurodegeneration. If you really want to get depressed (but fascinated and well informed), watch this episode by the Huberman Lab to deep dive into the biology of inebriation.

As going teetotaler has become more popular with clean consumption waves swelling, so have the non-alcoholic options. The tired sugary wannabe mocktails of the past (have you ever seen anyone after 1960 drink a Shirley Temple?) are getting a sublime makeover. And with the shifting trends of a younger generation opting for other “highs”, a ten-year prediction of consumption to surge at a 11% CAGR to boot. So that begs the question: how will bars start to not only shift their options, but also the cultures around what drinking is and why we do it?

INSPIRATION (what we want)

Ghia: a non-alcoholic aperitif made with the purest ingredients that doesn’t make you buzz or snooze.

Order your mocktail in style without the sugary overload that tends to come with non-alcoholic drinks. Benefit from pure ingredients that offer a delicious taste that’s also good for you.

• A bitter yet refreshing aperatif that combines a selection of botanicals that kickstart one’s appetite.

• To be mixed with soda, tonic, or kombucha.

• No artificial flavors, added sugars or caffeine.

• Vegan

• Alcohol-free

INNOVATION (what we wish for)

Tinc: a bar where you can go for a no or low alcohol herbal tincture that allows you to pick your positive, not your poison. (Also spun off as a product line available at regular alcohol establishments).

• An environment that is designed for all the reasons bars exist as a watering hole: a place to be social (or in solitude with people around) to enjoy a different ambiance, blend into the vibe, be removed from your troubles, and let loose with great drinks, music and company.

• Similar to cannabis lounges, choose from a variety of plant medicinal tinctures for various common ailments or dispositions.

• Prepared by soaking fresh or dried herbs, flowers, roots, leaves, berries and bark from an alcohol menstruum (soaking solvent) that then uses vacuum distillation to extract the alcohol. Once the process is complete, this concentrated extract is added to a high quality honey, syrup or vegan glycerin to then add to sparkling water with a garnish.

• Bar selection supports a physical need: like a digestif (calendula, chamomile and peppermint) or an emotional one: like anxiety (lavender, cbd, valerian) or an energizer (abhwagandha, cordyceps, and ginseng) to replace your espresso martini.

• Tinctures are clearly labelled and distilled at safe doses to provide functional support with minimal or no contraindictions. Mixologists are functional medicine experts to ensure you’re selecting and dosing correctly.

• Make going to the bar a healing visit where you can kick it with a natural high as an every day excursion and not a clinical one.