New sober bars stir up Metro Vancouver, Kelowna social scenes
Expert calls recent openings 'delightful' amid rising demand for non-alcoholic drinks
Bars that offer only alcohol-free options have opened in Kelowna and Metro Vancouver, as they hope to stir up the province's drinks scene with a dry twist.
Bevees in Port Coquitlam and Sobar in Kelowna believe they are the first "sober bars" in British Columbia, with both promising a sophisticated, inclusive bar atmosphere without the expectation — or, indeed, option — to drink alcohol.
"They're [for] the people who want to enjoy Sunday morning as much as Saturday night," said Hanna Spinelli, co-owner of Sobar, which opened in downtown Kelowna on Friday.
It joins a list of sober bars that have popped up around the world, including in Toronto, as demand for non-alcoholic beers, wines, spirits and pre-mixed cocktails skyrockets.
Some experts say the growing trend is happening largely due to shifting attitudes among younger generations, particularly as more evidence of the health impacts of drinking emerges.
Adam Sherk, a scientist with the Canadian Institute of Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria, says it's great to see sober bars offer more options for people choosing not to drink.
"It does seem that we're kind of at a tipping point ... where enough people are either questioning their or, maybe more specifically, society's relationship with alcohol," Sherk told CBC News.
"Hopefully [sober bars will] be done in a really good way that's popular and the idea can spread."
Many bars and restaurants have begun offering dry versions of traditional alcoholic drinks, while some producers, including craft breweries in B.C., have started diversifying with craft sodas and low-alcohol kombucha.
Racquel Foran, who opened Bevees with her husband, says it's great to see low- and zero-alcohol drinks become more popular — but adds that booze-free spaces are important, too.
She says Bevees is meant to be a no-pressure zone for people who don't drink due to religious or cultural reasons, because they are in recovery, or because they choose not to drink alcohol due to health or personal issues.
"Bars are not inclusive," she told CBC's Gloria Macarenko, host of On The Coast, on Tuesday. "We wanted to create a space that was really welcoming and open for everybody."
In that regard, Spinelli says the timing of Sobar's opening is opportune.
"There's a lot of Christmas parties and expectations around alcohol and it gives people an opportunity to find somewhere to go where they can still be social, invite their friends, and it be a place to come … without the repercussions that come with alcohol," Spinelli told CBC's Daybreak South on Wednesday.
Innovations in alcohol-free options
Alex Viol, Spinelli's partner at Sobar, says their new venture is possible because technological advancements have improved the taste of alcohol-free beers, wines and specialty drinks in recent years.
Long gone are the days of non-drinkers being offered simple sodas or juices at bars, he said.
"The kinds of products we've been showcasing are truly products that are crafted with intention for this purpose," Viol told Daybreak South.
At Bevees, cocktail ingredients include hibiscus and rose-flavoured soda imported from the United Kingdom, spicy pineapple liqueur and grapefruit- and raspberry-infused non-alcoholic gin, with much of it available for purchase in the bar's retail space.
Bevees customers are "just so excited to have these options and they're really excited we've offered them a space… to come and order a cocktail," Foran said.
Foran, Spinelli and Viol all say the response to their openings has been "overwhelmingly positive."
"It's a feeling people have been looking for," said Spinelli.
With files from Moira Wyton