The Mindful Drinking Fest returned to Washington, D.C. this past weekend, bringing together over 1,200 attendees and nearly 220 adult non-alcoholic products in a Dry January celebration that has grown 10 times since its first iteration three years ago and 40% since just last year. Brewbound’s sibling publication BevNET stopped in for the second year in a row and saw the energy and acceleration brought by the sober curious crowd firsthand.
“We’re still calculating all the metrics but the trend is obvious… or to say, this is no longer a trend. Year-over-year, we are seeing steady growth,” said Derek Brown, co-founder of Mindful Drinking Fest. “Consumers want more options to drink and they want more events where fun can share the stage with wellness rather than leave one behind at the door.”
Functionals For The Future: While alt-spirits seemed to saturate the show last year (and there were plenty still on display this go-around) functionals showed up as the future of the ANA movement.
- Brands including Aplós, Do’Mo and Little Saints touted nootropic-boosted new products while Keef and Brez sampled (uninfused) iterations of their cannabis-containing creations.
- Category newcomer 1:11 sampled an RTD sparkling Kava cocktail set to debut at retail later this year. The brand was founded by NA bottle shop owner Jamie Sabat (more on that below) and former hemp industry lobbyist Ben Droz.
Women-owned Brands Show Up: Nootropic and adaptogen-infused Huzzy, a new brand from hair care company CURLS founder Mahisha Dellinger, made its debut with a four-SKU line of cocktail-adjacent products. The second-time entrepreneur founded the brand after her first business was acquired and subsequently “destroyed” by its buyer, pushing her to struggle with her mental health and rely heavily on alcohol.
- Elsewhere, Little Saints showed off its new St. Juniper NA spirit and Revvl debuted prototype cans ahead of the launch of its mixologist-crafted mocktails later this Spring.
Retail Ramps Up: Union Market’s first NA bottle shop, Plant Magic, opened at the beginning of the month to celebrate Dry January with shelves stocked to the brim with euphoric, nootropic and adaptogen packed products. The store operators said not much education has been needed thus far as those curious enough to stop have already been seeking out these items.
- The rise of the ANA movement at retail is one to watch. A handful of attendees noted the beneficial boost Total Wine and Spirits has given the space having dedicated, at times, full aisle to alcohol-free products.