Spirits

There’s a Booze-Free Bottle Shop Boom Happening Right Now

Here are three spots to grab alcohol-free options... for Dry January and beyond.

By Jenny Rubé /

As we enter the season of revelry and resolutions, the choice to partake seems to hang over our heads like an unrelenting mistletoe. While the holidays may feel incomplete without eggnog or mulled wine, the option to enjoy these beloved beverages sans hangover has never been easier.

Whether you’re sober or not, the meteoric rise of the non-alcoholic beverage industry is impressive. The market value has grown by 24% in the past year, according to a report by NielsenIQ. The same report notes that revenue of ready-to-drink mocktails alone are up 168%.

It’s a trend driven by the many, many people out there who are re-evaluating their relationship to alcohol—whether it be for health, financial or any number of personal reasons. And lucky for them, the quality of non-alcoholic options is better than it’s ever been, which means staying off the wagon doesn’t come at the cost of taste, experience or ritual.

Finding these great non-alc options is easier than it’s ever been, too. Vancouverites now have access to a trio of charming bottle shops in Metro Vancouver: three alcohol-free oases for thirsty patrons.

3 Places to Shop for Non-Alcoholic Drinks in and Around Vancouver

Mocktails

1250 Commercial Drive

Located across from Grandview Park on Commercial Drive, the store elicits a warm familiarity, with retro bar carts, funky vintage glassware and artful owl figurines (of course) nestled about. But besides an old-school vibe, you’ll find an impressive selection of alcohol-free wines, beers, spirits, cordials, ready-to-drink mocktails and nootropics… the latter of which is a newer entry into the booze-free world.

Nootropics (pronounced “no-uh-troh-piks,” for those who aren’t familiar) bring something very attractive to the sober party that many alcohol-free options currently forgo. They offer a medley of cognitive and physiological boosts by incorporating active ingredients like adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms, vitamins and amino acids. Claimed benefits include reduced stress, sharpened focus, improved mood and increased energy, to name a few. 

Mocktails carries nootropics in both mixer and tonic form. One standout worth trying is Kin Bloom. A rosé-esque refresher from the Bella Hadid co-founded Kin Euphorics. To what degree does the tonic actually elicit calm and elevate mood, and how much is psychosomatic? That’s for the sipper to decide. What can be said for certain, however, is that the drink offers complexity of flavour and a modern take on what it means to drink a ‘mind-altering’ substance.

 

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The Drive Canteen

111 Commercial Drive

Just one block north of Mocktails is The Drive Canteen.

The vibrant shop is so much more than its extensive non-alcoholic selection. Although, that alone is worth the visit. The Canteen has all you’d need for a laid-back night. Bring home a freezer meal (hello Elbo Patties!), house-made freeze-dried candy and an Ish Daiquiri. Or, post up at the snack bar with a Chicago Dog and nachos, washed down with a Dry Goods West Coast IPA. Even your pooches can chill in style thanks to Kona’s Korner—an area of the store that features a thoughtfully curated selection of pet supplies and accessories.

Goodies aside, the staff are always warm and welcoming and share a wealth of knowledge. House “spirits” are available to taste at any time. Saturdays, however, are the day that GM Sam Shayan suggests customers come in to try new products or “whatever he feels like opening that day.”

The canteen is chock-full of innovative and hard-to-find products, as well as note-worthy local libations. Shayan recommends ‘Meadows,’ a lightly effervescent delight from Pamplemousse Jus in collaboration with Dominion Cider Co. The cider marries Okanagan grapes and apples with locally foraged botanicals like juniper, rose hip, sumac and sage.

Bevees

203-2748 Lougheed Hwy., Port Coquitlam

If you’re game for a journey out of Vancouver proper, you’ll find Bevees in Port Coquitlam, just east of Coquitlam Centre. 

The shop is sophisticated, but still approachable—think specialty wine-store meets neighbourhood watering hole. The space houses an extensive collection of non-alcoholic products, a bar and lounge that showcases local art, as well as a room in the back for private rentals. The shop also hosts various community events including paint and sip nights for singles over fifty, live music, karaoke, and mixology workshops.

That bar alone is worth the journey. With around forty open bottles of spirit-free liquors and liqueurs, the staff will happily pour whatever it is you wish to try. Given the novelty of zero-proof spirits, tastings are an opportunity to learn how best to incorporate alcohol-alternatives at home—what better way to discover new favourites and sip on boozy classics without the buzz. Manhattans, martinis and margs await… and you’ll be safe to drive back to the Big City even after a few.