Zero Proof is building a community for Raleighites who want to drink less or ditch alcohol altogether.
Jacqueline Lee feared that if she quit drinking, her social life would end. “I have always been very social,” says Lee. “I love parties and getting to meet new people, but all of those events usually revolve around drinking or meeting at a bar.”
At 25, Lee didn’t know many people who were sober. Searching online, she couldn’t find a Raleigh community built around alcohol-free experiences outside of recovery and treatment programs. So she created one.
Launched in 2020, Zero Proof has already offered a staggering buffet of sober events, ranging from aerial yoga to drag shows. Hourlong hikes at Umstead also have proven popular. But she has also organized a series of alcohol-free concerts, dinners and even an outing at Boxcar Bar + Arcade.
“For years, I didn’t stop drinking because I didn’t know anyone my age who was sober,” says Lee. “When you stop drinking, it can feel really lonely, so anything I can do to provide an avenue for people to connect with other people who are experiencing the same thing is really worthwhile to me.”
Mocktails may be easier to find here recently, but Raleigh falls behind peer cities. Lee quickly discovered Charlotte’s alcohol-free Counterculture Club, while Austin brags the nonalcoholic Sans Bar. Lee may have initially felt like an outcast for ditching alcohol, but her efforts are actually making Raleigh more inclusive and current.
Zero Proof typically hosts three to four events each month, and the schedule is heavily influenced by participants. Some local businesses like Current Wellness are eager to partner with her, but it’s not always an easy sell. “It’s challenging when you’re trying to plan alcohol-free events because a lot of businesses don’t want to do it on Friday or Saturday since alcohol is such a revenue driver,” says Lee. But the Zero Proof trailblazer—whose main hustle is at a marketing firm—hasn’t let that stop her.
Zero Proof isn’t a support group, at least not in the classic sense. Instead, it attracts a wide net, including those who are sober curious or want to drink less. Most attendees are in their 20s or 30s. And that’s partially intentional; Zero Proof is open to all—but Lee, now 27, hopes to create a social community for young people like her that normalizes not drinking.
“I have countless new friends who are also sober,” Lee writes on Zero Proof’s website, “which makes me not feel so alone in a culture where alcohol is everywhere”—proof positive that Zero Proof’s spirited social options are filling a void for the spirit-free community. zeroproofraleigh.com
Whether you are “Sober Curious,” have a boozy holiday hangover, are meeting a New Year’s resolution or just looking to cut some cocktail cals for a bit, the local Downtown scene has expansive options to stay dry this season and beyond.
It’s that “spirited” time of year again… the calendar overflowing with bubbly holiday parties, wine dinners, boozy brunches—a daily deluge of spirits. Enter that familiar holiday hangover—and the inevitable desire to detox and dry out, giving your liver, wallet and waistline a much-needed break.
While detoxes and dry periods are by no means new concepts, especially after the overindulgent holidays—hey, Dry January, which has now been around for almost a decade—what has changed are the spirit-free offerings emerging and expanding throughout the Triangle.
No longer are we stuck in the world of soda water, soft drinks and O’Doul’s (thank God), as local bars and restos have begun embracing alcohol substitutes, like nonalcoholic distilled spirit Seedlip, and incorporating fresh produce, aloe tonic, chai spice tea and the like as tools to devise sober cocktails (aka “mocktails”) that rival their more “spirited” sister sippers.
“I started just messing around with different teas, herbs and spices, and I noticed there was an appreciation for it for people who just wanted to feel included,” says Josh Gagne of Killjoy, a self-dubbed “colorful, comfortable cocktail bar where all drinks are treated with the same exquisite respect.” Adds Gagne, “There was such a bad rap for people who just ordered a soda water or something while they were with a group of people who were ordering drinks. I always want every guest that walks in, no matter what, to feel comfortable.”
That inclusive concept is one you see on the bar menu at Wye Hill as well, which updates seasonally and features sundry delicious zero-proof selects. “This fall we have a really incredible option called What’s Up Doc that our bar manager crafted for us,” says Wye Hill co-owner Sara Abernethy. “It’s a delicious fall treat with fresh carrot, ginger and citrus, and it’s really quite tasty and looks like a carrot. It sounds kind of funny, but the ingredients are just a really nice combination together.”
Abernethy intends to expand the restaurant’s zero-proof options this coming year because, she says, more and more guests are asking for alcohol-free craft cocktails. “I just think there’s been a reckoning with people’s habits and vices,” she adds. “People still want to go out and enjoy a good time, but maybe just want to have a little more flexibility in what’s available to them.”
Beyond Wye Hill, other uberpopular and highly respected watering holes are jumping on the wagon—from Atlantic Lounge’s “Wagon” drinks to Dram and Draught’s highly curated spirit-free cocktail menu. Or simply removing alcohol completely (!), like Carrboro’s Coronato Pizza.
“We have some great products like CBD sparkling waters, craft nonalcoholic beers, bitter Italian sodas and a full list of 0% craft cocktails,” says chef Teddy Diggs of Coronato, who knew he needed to replace alcohol with amazing drinks when he removed it from his menu in September. “We craft our 0% cocktails seasonally, so you can always find produce in our drinks, like our Fizzy Up-Beet, which has juiced local beets, pressed pomegranates and sparkling oolong tea.”
While Coronato is unique in its total elimination of alcohol to create an environment that celebrates zero-proof sips and allows everyone to fully participate in the same experience, the popular pizza spot is clearly not alone in providing sober options—leaving no doubt that drink menus are becoming more inclusive. And to that, we raise our spirit-free ’tails. Cheers!
