Outposts of Mindful Drinking
Beans & Bananas, an upscale general store in the Belhaven neighborhood of Jackson, Mississippi, has only been open 12 weeks. Already, they have a display of non-alcoholic beers, wines, and spirits, flanked by cocktail making paraphernalia and some regional craft beer. Kay Buckner, who directs the food and beverage program at the shop, explains how the store’s grand opening during Dry January really got people interested in the products.
“Whether physical health, or mental health, everyone has their own thing,” he says, speaking to the individualistic approach to mindful drinking. It is his individual preference to take a bottle of 0% abv wine to social occasions as a non-alcoholic substitute. But, he says, the bottle invariably elicits curiosity from the rest of the night’s attendees, regardless of what they are drinking.
Buckner recognizes one problem in the NA space: it’s hard to find a good bourbon substitute out there to satisfy the typical Mississippi drinker. Many of the wines and spirits in the NA space are herbal, vinegary, or bitter. Buckner says that NA options can require an acquired taste, just like their alcoholic counterparts. Especially given that Mississippians have a famously sweet palate.
But, in a state where abstinence sentiment is alive and well, it is curious to note that the customers at Beans & Bananas are often the same customers who are drinking craft beer next door at Fertile Ground Beer Co. This mindful drinking outpost is at the cutting edge of modern and craft beverages in the state of Mississippi.
Meanwhile, on King Street in Charleston, South Carolina (a busy drinking district,) a new bottle shop called Sèchey sells only non-alcoholic bottles. Elise Nelson, the bottle shop’s Creative Director, imagines a world where drinks are like salads, “When you order a salad, you add protein, that’s how it should be with a cocktail and liquor.” As window shoppers drift in off the street, Nelson launches into a welcoming spiel that explains what the shop is. Some pedestrians have heard of such things as non-alcoholic whiskey and shop around. Others are confused and politely take their leave.
About 80% of the customers at Sèchey still drink alcohol. The shop is just focused on expanding the availability of other options and providing more alternatives. Nelson says that NA drinks are a good tool for pacing drinks throughout the night, and their functional offerings with “euphorics” can elevate moods without booze. At the same time, the storefront in Charleston’s busy drinking district is a great example of face to face education on an emerging category.
Beans & Bananas is on board with the education too. They endeavor to offer cocktail classes several times a year. Half of the classes will focus on non-alcoholic mixology.