Episode Summary:
Dry January isn’t just a trend — it’s a wake-up call for the events industry. In this candid Fun Table conversation, Alysse Bryson and Libby Sundgren are joined by Amy Liz Harrison, Dele Downs Kooley, and Kristin Graham to unpack what the sober-curious movement really means for modern events. From zero-proof cocktails and inclusive bar setups to the power of sober allies, this episode challenges outdated assumptions and offers practical ways to design gatherings where everyone feels welcome — no hangovers required.
Takeaways:
- Dry January highlights a larger cultural shift toward mindful drinking and alcohol-free living.
- Sober allies play a critical role in normalizing alcohol-free choices at events.
- Zero-proof options should feel intentional, celebratory, and equal to alcoholic offerings.
- First impressions matter: water and NA options should be available the moment guests arrive.
- Inclusive events aren’t about removing alcohol — they’re about expanding choice.
Timestamps:
[01:26] Welcome to The Fun Table + why Dry January matters now
[04:00] Sober allies and neutralizing the sobriety conversation
[07:00] How event consumption patterns have changed
[10:45] Why zero-proof menus deserve equal footing
[14:00] What planners get wrong about inclusivity
[18:30] Designing events without next-day regrets
Resources & Links:
-Meet The Fun Table: Kristin Graham, Dele Downs Kooley, Amy Liz Harrison
-Alysse & Libby: Bios & LinkedIn
Connect with Us:
-Website: www.beatsworkingpodcast.com
-LinkedIn: @Beats Working Podcast
-Instagram: @beatsworkingpodcast
-Facebook: @Beats Working
-YouTube: @beatsworkingpodcast
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Beats Working is a platform on a mission to redeem work—the word, the place, and the way. We believe that work is the most honorable act in the universe, and through inspiring stories and practical insights, we want to transform the way people think about work and help them discover greater fulfillment in their lives. We invite you to join us as we build community through sharing and actively demonstrating what we learn.
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Transcript
The following transcript is not certified. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. The information contained within this document is for general information purposes only.
[00:00:00] I’ve lost track of how many people will come up to me as if this is brand new information and be like, I had no idea I was gonna sleep so good. My skins never look better. And I’m like, yeah, I know, right? Like so I think it’s great from that perspective for people that actually have a real addiction to alcohol.
[00:00:24] I’m a binge drinker and so what always happened, I would fall off like a ski jump. Like I cannot stop. I either have to black out, run out, or pass out. Like that’s the only way I can stop. And so what happens when someone like that goes 30 days without is the aftermath can be really bad and have very severe consequences.
[00:00:53] Welcome to BEATS WORKING, winning the Game of Events where we share stories and strategies to turn any [00:01:00] event or life moment into something Unforgettable. Events are wild and the people who work in them are some of the most resilient humans on earth, if you know, you know. So come with us behind the curtain for a look at their most memorable experiences, as they say, the show must go on.
[00:01:19] So let’s get on with the show.
[00:01:26] Alysse Bryson: welcome back to the Fun Table and welcome to 2026. Okay. Saying that out loud is wild.
[00:01:38] It’s wild. I
[00:01:40] can’t, I’m not sure what happened. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t blacked out, but like it’s just wild. It’s just wild. So today is going to be a deliciously. Dry January type of episode. We’re gonna dive into all things dry January.
[00:01:58] We could even give you the [00:02:00] background history on it, what it means to be sober, what it means to be a sober ally, how to host events that don’t need alcohol, and will still be amazing. So whether you’re sober, sober, curious, or you’re just looking for new ways to party without next day, regrets. This episode’s for you. We’re talking real talk, zero proof, fun, and how to create spaces where everyone feels seen, supported, and celebrated. So grab your favorite mocktail and a comfy spot and let’s get into it. Now, you should all know the fun table participants by this point, because I’m sure you’re all loyal. Listening to you every episode, but just in case you’re new here, I would love to go around the table and have each gal introduce themself.
[00:02:52] And I’m Alysse Bryson, and I’m gonna pass it to my co-host, Libby Sunrun. I.
[00:02:57] Libby Sundgren: Well, that’s my name, Libby [00:03:00] Sunrun, co-hosting this with Alysse Bryson. My first guest is two. My left on the screen, Ms. Deli.
[00:03:09] Dele Kooley: I’m Deli Downs Cooley. That’s right. It’s Cooley with a K. ’cause K is the cool.
[00:03:17] Kristen Graham: Well, speaking of Ks, I’ll go next since I’m Kristen with a K, and so Kristen Graham and I am also powered by Dr. Pepper and over to Amy.
[00:03:29] Amy Liz Harrison: I’m Amy Liz Harrison. I don’t have a K in my name, but I have an.
[00:03:34] Entire family of a.
[00:03:37] Libby Sundgren: That’s right, the
[00:03:39] A team.
[00:03:39] Alysse Bryson: right. The A team baby. And okay, for those of you also not following along, both Alysse and Amy, I don’t know why I’m talking about myself in the third person. , Identify as being women in long term. Recovery from substance use disorders. That’s right. We’re alcoholics and we’re not afraid to say [00:04:00] that word. , And what’s really cool is Deli, Libby and Kristen have been by my side. And then once Amy was pulled into the crew by her side as amazing sober allies, uh, which. I actually think sober allies are like the most important people because they kind of help neutralize the topic between the people that are sober and the people that like have a really hard time, or talking about sobriety makes them really uncomfortable. Because it brings up their own issues, usually with, with the substances. So I think sober allies are great because they had just helped neutralize the conversation. So I’m super excited to get into today’s conversation. You guys can ask myself and Amy any question. We have no filter as you know. So I guess the first thing I would like to know is. [00:05:00] From the outside looking in. What do you guys think about the sober movement that’s been happening online in the last, last, let’s call it decade ish? Uh, ’cause it was definitely not there in 2006 when I got sober and I was hanging out with Tom on MySpace. So it’s a whole different kind of place. , And I’m just curious.
[00:05:23] What, what that has looked like from your perspective and in your feeds, because I know that you’re all avid readers of the sober curator, which means you probably now get targeted by sober influencers. I know Libby does. ’cause we’ve talked about it many times. So, okay. Enough out of me. I wanna hear from each of you of what it’s been like to watch this movement from your particular seat at the table. Kristen, you wanna go first?
[00:05:51] Kristen Graham: happy to. Thank you. , So it’s interesting that you talk about the evolution because as somebody who did corporate events for over 20 years. [00:06:00] I’ve definitely seen this swing as well and as a frequent, uh, contributor to events. Now, I think that there’s more in than just the sociological elements of curiosity.
[00:06:13] I love that word of it.
[00:06:15] One of the things that’s always worth considering is that calendar courtesy. So anybody in the Vince business is gonna be looking at major holidays, et cetera. I think there’s a lot more integration now between that element of the. Global cultures of different places and who choose to drink or not drink.
[00:06:37] And at different times, there’s also an economic swing, not just from the party planners in the event host, but from individuals themselves who are thinking, why would I go out for a $20 cocktail when I can do that differently somewhere else? So I think we’re definitely seeing, . Maybe the social tariff hit in terms of the [00:07:00] economics of it.
[00:07:00] And then finally, I think you’re seeing a lot more from the health and medicinal field of people choosing either for extended periods or at certain timeframes how to abstain or diminish their reliance on alcohol. And a big component of that is this glide phase of how there’s a lot of interaction now on a broader scale with people.
[00:07:24] Having interactions with alcohol and choosing just to opt out.
[00:07:27] Alysse Bryson: Well said. Libby, what about you? You’ve been doing this by my side for the longest of this group.
[00:07:33] Libby Sundgren: The longest, and we’ve moved from just serving sodas at events to serving actual zero proof cocktails, which. It’s fun and na beers and NA wine. I mean, it’s just been really, I mean, I personally find it refreshing. I think after I, you know, was in a semi forced sober [00:08:00] state when I was pregnant with my first child and then breastfeeding and I really just kind of didn’t ever really get. That into it
[00:08:12] again. I love a beverage, but I just, I don’t know, I just kind of prefer a diet Coke. I, it’s a different kind of addiction. , And so it’s, for me, it’s personally refreshing. Um, and I think just knowing so many people in the sober community, you know, my husband and I have a lot of friends who are sober. Um, you know, either. You know, by, out of necessity or just out of choosing to live a different lifestyle? You know, I have, we have one friend who told me, he said, I’ve done every single thing you could do drunk, and I wanna do every single thing I can do sober. I just wanna live a completely, I want [00:09:00] experience all those things and remember them and be able to share that with other people. And it’s just, I don’t know. It’s refreshing and it’s also so common., I will say that the alcohol, um, consumption formulas that I used to use 15 years ago, no longer track. Um, I don’t need that much. We end up with excess always. Um. It’s really, you know, we, even when there is this idea of an open bar, which 15 years ago would’ve meant people going bananas and me literally having to wheelbarrow people out of an event.
[00:09:44] I’ve done that before. , Now they don’t, they don’t even touch, you know, they don’t even get close to the, the drink minimum that I think that we’re gonna get to. And, you know, I think the, the best thing [00:10:00] is that it gives people the freedom to just not overconsume. You don’t feel that pressure to drink alcohol or drink as much alcohol as the next person. , And you can still wake up the next day feeling great and you don’t, you know, have any reg regrets? No reg regrets. People.
[00:10:21] What about you, deli?
[00:10:22] Dele Kooley: I love the evolution to where we are today because it creates space for conversation that’s not uncomfortable. It used to be that if you weren’t pregnant and you said, I’m not drinking, there would be this big deep dive into what is wrong with you? What is wrong with you as a human being because you’re not drinking, and now. As we have normalized not drinking and the sober, curious, sober movement, it creates space for connection in meaningful ways. That’s what I love most about it, is that that [00:11:00] shift, and I just went to a parent’s weekend at Ohio State, my daughter’s roommate, her dad doesn’t drink and. It wasn’t an uncomfortable conversation.
[00:11:13] What’s wrong with you? Are you an alcoholic? Are you recovering alcoholic? It was just, oh, good for you. And then we were able to have conversations about health goals and it just, it wasn’t about drinking, it was just about connecting. And that’s what I really enjoy is we don’t have to have those uncomfortable conversations.
[00:11:32] If someone is not drinking, it’s no big deal. I also love, as you said, Libby, when I was pregnant, you. You just didn’t drink and as you should not drink when you’re pregnant. Now my daughter is, is pregnant and we’re, it’s more inclusive. She, if she wants to, if we’re all having beverages, we can give her a mocktail very easily and she can still feel like she’s part, whatever the [00:12:00] experience is.
[00:12:00] I love going to our favorite restaurants and they have non-alcoholic options on the menu, so it’s. I love Dr. Pepper and I love Diet Coke. I also love to explore the Mocktail menu and see what’s available so that I feel like I’m just part of the group and, and doing what everyone else is doing, and also honoring my health priorities and what’s important to me.
[00:12:27] Libby Sundgren: And you know, a lot of the mocktail menus now are just, as long as the alcohol included menus. I am insane. And I’ll always be taking pictures and sending them to Alysse, like she doesn’t know about it. But, you know, so we live in different areas, so I go to different restaurants and I just, I’m always so excited and she’s like, huh. Thank you for sharing, but Alysse and Amy, I wanna know what, um, you know, as two women in long-term sobriety and living in [00:13:00] that world full-time, like what makes a good sober ally at a party or a professional event? Like if, for planners, anyone who’s in the event industry, who’s listening right now, which is probably everybody, what can we do and keep top of mind to make sure that. We are inclusive and supportive of everybody who comes to the event regardless of what they choose to drink.
[00:13:25] Amy Liz Harrison: Thing for me. I feel badly, kind of like a broken record. I feel like I talked about this exact thing the last time we recorded, so I’m sorry, but it’s just top of mind because it’s just something that I haven’t seen change yet personally. Now that being said, the disclaimer is I don’t get out much anymore, so maybe this is out there and I just haven’t seen it. But when you first walk into an event. And there are servers standing there with trays of wine and champagne. This is [00:14:00] my biggest, um, gosh, I wish they wouldn’t do that. IWI understand why. Um, but I wish they would have. Water available too. So maybe it’s a red wine. A white wine and water doesn’t have to be sparkling, just has to be something. This is my biggest challenge at events is trying to make my way to the bar line simply to get. A water or a club soda. It is so annoying. And also a lot of times there’s that bottleneck when you first walk into an event, you see somebody you know, or your spouse or your partner knows, and then boom, you’re sort of stuck while everybody else is standing there imbibing. You’re kind of stuck there. And I’ve got nothing in my hand and nothing to drink and. It gets [00:15:00] old. It just really gets old. And what’s funny is. I’m trying to get to the root of why that bothers me so much, and I really think it has to do a little bit, at least with the way we try and make things accessible these days.
[00:15:17] You know, we actually have laws, right for a d, a compliance, for example. And yet this something as simple as offering water. You know, at the onset of an event and making that available, it’s just like not a thing that I’ve seen anyway. Um, and, and I will just say one last thing. I think having a sober ally, I mean, that is the best ever for me personally. Um, I, in graduate school, when I first started, we had a week of residency and Alysse hashtag. On this recording right now came with me [00:16:00] and it was the best. Ever because every night these people were going out to the bar, which I did not want to do. I just didn’t feel comfortable doing that. And people were even, and these are adults giving me sort of a hard time about it.
[00:16:15] Not like, Hey, come out and party with us. It wasn’t a pressure thing, but it was like, oh, well I’m Mormon and I can go to the pub. Or Oh, um, I don’t drink and I go to the pub and, and it was like. Yeah, no, I, I just needed somebody who understood that feeling of feeling like, I don’t, I have no business going inside a pub, none. And she provided that friendship for me. And so we did alternative things like go to Walmart and go dancing in the aisles.
[00:16:48] Libby Sundgren: How do you two feel about one thing that I, and Amy just makes me think about it ’cause you brought it up, but, um, I, how do you [00:17:00] feel about there being. The non-alcoholic and zero proof drinks separated from the bar because I’ve seen it different ways. Sometimes it’s included, sometimes it’s separate, and for some reason when I see them separate, in my mind I think you’re like othering the people, but it might not feel like that.
[00:17:24] So I’m curious what your take is on that. Should they be included at the bar or should they be separate?
[00:17:30] Amy Liz Harrison: If I gotta stand in line for a non-alcoholic beverage, I say thumbs down, I’m out. I
[00:17:35] really don’t wanna do that. That’s me personally, though.
[00:17:38] Alysse Bryson: I don’t have a problem if they’re combined or separate. I can actually argue both camps because unfortunately I have heard from many people that, uh. Products get mixed up and they accidentally get served a drink that has alcohol in it. , And most people that are conscious of it, just like someone [00:18:00] who has a peanut allergy, you know they’re gonna smell it before they put it down their throat.
[00:18:05] They, I mean, they’re not, they’re, they didn’t come this far to come this far and have a oopsies, right? So, uh, most people will take their own self precautions, but it has happened so. From that perspective, I can see separating them. But I also hear what you’re saying is it makes you feel like, oh, you’re over here.
[00:18:25] And that was my big thing over all the years. And it is better now with, with, uh, a lot of places having so many options, but it was like. I would always wanna try to blend in as a non drinker to not make it a topic because people will still very much make it a topic. , It, even if it’s cool now, it’s not that cool.
[00:18:46] Sorry. It, it’s just not, that’s not, not from the way I’ve, I’ve experienced it. And so we would always get this special glass, right, A glass that was like different than everybody else. It’s like, why don’t you also put me at the kids table? [00:19:00] Like that’s what it felt like or you know,
[00:19:02] for a long time. pretty much.
[00:19:05] Pretty much. So, I, I, if I had my choice, I’d say put it all together. But I also hear Amy, like, I don’t wanna wait in line ’cause there’s never a line for the non-alcoholic drinks. Like, never. Never. So if, if that means I can get my beverage quicker because I don’t have to wait behind the people, um, getting a drink, then I’m, I’m all for that.
[00:19:28] Kristen Graham: Yeah, I’d love to add on a couple thoughts that I’ve seen done recently, especially for the event planners or, uh, kind of creative thinkers. One is ex, one is going back to what Amy said, and as things are being passed, having, um, that is just part of a, a non I call, but certainly water, even with a nice lion in it.
[00:19:49] . And what Alicia said too, from the economics of it, there’s nothing wrong with a grab and go station if it’s, maybe it won’t be in a fancy thing. But if you have just the bottled waters, the Cokes or [00:20:00] the sodas, that is actually efficiency within an event for the people who maybe wanna go to the bar for that and the water.
[00:20:08] So, think. Through your space and layout, everybody can probably use an extra water and it doesn’t cost you more. Having a bartender manage it actually is more of that bottleneck and dilutes the experience, pun intended. The other thing that I saw recently that I thought was. Brilliance is when you are having the past trays have a different color tray for in a beverages and include that in your pre communication or maybe a legend somewhere within the event so that, uh, you can just walk up and know that the blue tray is that and the server had a pin that just said in a tray.
[00:20:48] And so it’s one of those if you know, you know, if you don’t, you don’t, but it just becomes part of, it’s inclusive, it’s identifiable. And again, it’s sufficient.
[00:20:57] Libby Sundgren: That’s
[00:20:58] Alysse Bryson: I really like that. I like that a lot. [00:21:00] One thing I wanna talk about with the group is the whole concept of dry January or dry July, or sober October. Right. Um, ’cause this is actually, can. I have some strong opinions about it. I think overall it’s great if people that wouldn’t normally take 30 days off of drinking, give themself those 30 days, I can’t tell you I’ve lost track of how many people will come up to me as if this is brand new information and be like, I had no idea I was gonna sleep so good.
[00:21:37] My skins never look better. And I’m like, yeah. I know, right? Like, so I think it’s great from that perspective, I think it’s super great and I think that it’s that in the long run it’s doing more good than harm, but where I believe it’s doing harm. And, and Amy, I’d love for you to chime in on this, is for people that [00:22:00] actually have a real addiction to alcohol. To go 30 days. First of all, it could be dangerous to just go cold Turkey, 30 days, depending on how much you’re drinking, the quantities and what you’re drinking, that could actually be dangerous. You could have a seizure. Okay. , Also for someone like me, I’m really glad these, these, these, these months, these special, not drinking months, didn’t exist in 2006 or 2000 because I’m a binge drinker. And so what always happened, what always happened, I never made it 30 days before, but I would, I could make it like two weeks and then what would happen is I, I would fall off like a ski jump. And so for someone who has a, an addiction and a binge drinking as. Part of what they do. ’cause you see, once I start, I cannot stop.
[00:22:52] Like I cannot stop. I what? I, I either have to black out, run out, or pass out. Like that’s the only way I can [00:23:00] stop. And so what happens when someone like that goes 30 days without, is the aftermath can be. Really, really bad and have very severe consequences. And so I don’t think that that PSA is talked about enough.
[00:23:20] And Amy, I’d love to know, I’d love for you to chime in on the on, on the topic.
[00:23:25] Amy Liz Harrison: Yeah, I completely agree. I think since everybody is at a different place and at a different level, has different reactions to alcohol, has different genetics, all of that. I think it can be a little bit dangerous. I’ve actually heard some kind of not great stories, and also I would say my personal opinion is that sort of 30 days. It’s not really long enough. Yeah, you’re gonna see a few [00:24:00] benefits,
[00:24:00] right? But it’s not really long enough to just go, oh, this is who I am as a sober person. For me, that unfolded over multiple months of sobriety and years of sobriety, and it certainly wasn’t something that I was going to achieve in 30 days or see in 30 days. That being said, I mean. I guess if it, you know, is something that will spur somebody on to change or adjust habits or even just to look at. Curiosity, posture of who am I without alcohol? Like, who’s the person who walks into a party and stands there without, you know, liquid courage? Who, who, who am I as that individual I, I think is interesting. Um, but I think it definitely could be. A situation where it’s dangerous for a lot of [00:25:00] people if they’re in that heavy drinking to alcohol use disorder slash alcoholic drinking. I think that that’s a much different proposal.
[00:25:11] Dele Kooley: I love that you share that because from a sober ally perspective, there are things that we just don’t know or can’t know because we haven’t been to that point yet. Therefore, we just don’t have the awareness, and it’s not until we have conversations like this that we can be aware. So I love that we’re having this conversation on the podcast. I do dry January. Invest in it as a form of self-care and recovery after a long season of what day is it? How much cheese have I eaten? Have I had any water today? I don’t know. So I use January as that opportunity to reset and invest in my own health. That’s. My [00:26:00] experience because I don’t have a different one.
[00:26:01] It’s super helpful to know that maybe the people around me dry January, may or may not be beneficial to them and may actually have adverse results because of their relationship with alcohol. So thank you both so much for sharing that. And that’s the thing is we learn more when we learn. We know we can do better.
[00:26:27] Alysse Bryson: Well, and I, I do wanna emphasize, I have also heard many, many stories of people who start a dry January and then they. They have such a positive experience with it. It turns into dry February. It turns into dry March. It turns into dry April, and the next thing you, they know they have a year and then they’re like, and then they’re like, I’m actually done forever. Like I’ve heard that story many, many, many times. So I do think the [00:27:00] overall, um, effect of these dry months is fantastic. Absolutely, but they really only work for a certain sect of drinker, , a certain gray area drinker. And I am of the camp that believes that if you do truly have a substance use disorder, that it is progressive, that over time it’s only ever going to get worse.
[00:27:24] Meaning if I were to go to drink tonight after not having a drink in 19 and a half years. Tonight might not be terrible. It probably would be, but it might not be terrible. But within a week, easily, I would be worse off than I was. Far worse off than I was 19 plus years ago because my insides are pickled and once a cucumber becomes a pickle, it’s not going back.
[00:27:49] Right? That’s just math, that’s just science. Right? It’s not going back. And so, , it would actually be worse. And so that’s why, and you know, there’s not some. Identifying [00:28:00] the as an alcoholic or substance use disorder, someone with problem drinking. There’s not some tests you can go take. Yes. There’s like question tests.
[00:28:10] You could go. I took a million of those,, before I stopped drinking. Newsflash, if you take the test, even once you, you have an issue with alcohol, like, sorry, I just ruined it for you, but like, it’s not like there’s a, a stick we can go pee on and says, yep, this one’s an alcoholic. Like that doesn’t exist.
[00:28:27] It’s a self-diagnosis. No doctor can even officially tell you. What it is. So it’s all a self journey, but in my experience, people that can take it or leave it that, don’t think about it at all, don’t talk about it at all. Right? They just don’t,
[00:28:46] , They don’t, like a dry January would never occur to them ’cause they probably only have one or two drinks a year, if ever. So, what I love overall is that these months have. Opened the [00:29:00] conversation and continue to help neutralize the conversation and chip away at the stigma. , But in my experience in the year of 2026. Stigma is still very much alive and well. And you will very much be treated differently once you ouch yourself,
[00:29:21] uh, and people know that you’re identifying as someone who had a problem with it in the past.
[00:29:26] The stigma is still alive and well. Kristen, I think I saw your hand up.
[00:29:30] Kristen Graham: I think that’s really, really fair and I so appreciate the insights that you all are bringing to this. I think there’s a lot of nuance in learning here. One of the other things that I’ve seen over the last few years, especially if I studied a lot more in the psychology of habits and neuroscience, because we are this dopamine nation.
[00:29:47] Actually globally. Right? And we’re also kind of addicted to multiple things these days, whether it’s technology or community or the rest of it. These, um. [00:30:00] These curated cohorts are giving people permission or a reason to try something that otherwise they may not necessarily regulate. When you think of all the things that are more off the charts these days, and so I know it is trendy sometimes to do health sprints.
[00:30:18] But one of the things that I’ve seen, what you were just saying, Alysse too, is to figure out, I don’t even know what type of drinker I am, because if I go to X event, I just do what the other people are doing. I really like, there’s also some of that emotional sobriety that comes along with, I love how Amy said it.
[00:30:34] Who am I in this space? And there is something in the habit. Ecosystem that’s around time boxing. So if you say, I’m not gonna, I’m gonna do seven days of this or two weeks of X, there’s something about that permission to the brain to say, now I have a socially acceptable boxed reason to say this is what I’m doing.
[00:30:57] And what gets us started may [00:31:00] not be what helps us continue, but there is something to the social. Clues and cues that might be beneficial for those that have trouble regulating in the peer pressure space as well, or the personal pressure.
[00:31:13] Alysse Bryson: Well, as we start to wind down here, I will go ahead and give a shameless plug to the sober curator where Amy and I and many others curate and contribute original content that is targeted specifically for the sober, sober, curious, or those on the long-term path. Of recovery and we have a very robust section of NA beverage reviews.
[00:31:38] We’ve reviewed over 130 NA beers. There are. More than that, but that’s how many we have reviewed. That column has even made the top 100 beer blogs, and it’s the only one on the list that only does NA beers. We’ve also reviewed the alcohol free spirit botanical [00:32:00] brands and the wines and the ready to drinks.
[00:32:03] I mean, we’ve, we’ve sampled a lot so we can tell you what’s worth your time and what’s not, because one other thing that I hear a lot of people talking about is. Well, why do these drinks cost the same? Right. Why, why is this drink just as expensive as a normal cocktail? There’s no alcohol in it. , And so there are lots of reasons for that.
[00:32:24] I’m not an expert on that, so I’m not going to speak to that. But there are lots of reason, reasons for that. And if you’re curious, there are so many places, , outside of restaurants that you can go. Now, many metropolitan cities have, uh, non-alcoholic. Bottle shops where you can go and guaranteed the people running those shops are very well versed in all the different options that are out there and the health benefits, et cetera.
[00:32:52] You will even find pretty robust sections at places like Whole Foods and Total Wine and More, and the [00:33:00] BevMo of the world. And then there’s a ton of places online that are offering all of these offerings. So if you’re curious. About the a beverage space, uh, the sober curator.com is a great place to go and check out what your options are.
[00:33:15] And I will just wind that with saying, if you’re throwing parties at your house, think about the non-drinker when you’re shopping. , ‘Cause that is still a place that I see that people don’t think about it. I am seeing now at corporate events and large events. That it is a consideration. But then I get to, you know, somebody’s house.
[00:33:36] Not any of my friends ’cause they’re very well-trained and very thoughtful. But, other people, you get to their house and there’s, they haven’t thought of it. And the only thing that’s available is soda. Coffee or water, which is fine as a Diet Coke lover. I’ve never been offended. Um, but again, make sure you’ve got glassware that makes them feel included and not like they’re at the kids’ table. Um, that’s just [00:34:00] kind of my 4 1 1 on hosting. Amy, I see your balls in the air.
[00:34:04] Amy Liz Harrison: My balls are in the air. I just had to jump in and tell a very quick na story, na beverage
[00:34:11] story that is, and um, this was on a mobile mural tour of Seattle that I took somewhat recently, um, with, Alysse Bryson, uh, was kind of one of the people in charge of it, and it was so much fun. And my seat mate. On that excursion, so we’re on this bus.
[00:34:32] Okay. My seatmate was Libby. Now. I pointed out to Libby after Alysse had so graciously passed around mocktails for everybody in cans. I was thrilled to get a watermelon mocktail because I love watermelon. It’s one of my favorite flavors on the entire planet. And I turned to Libby and I said, look at this can, [00:35:00] because the mocktail said watermelon twist, but the font chosen for this. Marketing, uh, endeavor was kind of one of those scrawled slash cury kind of fonts, and I said, does Libby, does this look like it maybe says. Watermelon Taint instead of watermelon twist. And we both agreed maybe somebody should have given some feedback prior to production of those cans. Um, because watermelon taint is a very different flavor than a watermelon twist
[00:35:36] and
[00:35:36] Libby Sundgren: We
[00:35:37] Amy Liz Harrison: not one that I
[00:35:38] Libby Sundgren: We
[00:35:38] Kristen Graham: Speaking from experience. Yeah.
[00:35:41] Alysse Bryson: Mm. Mm-hmm.
[00:35:42] Amy Liz Harrison: So that’s all.
[00:35:42] Kristen Graham: what what page is that reviewed on?
[00:35:44] Well.
[00:35:45] Libby Sundgren: of your fonts, people.
[00:35:47] Alysse Bryson: Fonts matter. Fonts matter.
[00:35:51] Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
[00:35:53] Well, I,
[00:35:54] as we’re wrapping, does anybody have any last final questions? Not that you don’t know where to [00:36:00] find myself and Amy to ask any questions that you have. And, and for our listeners, if you have any questions, our inboxes are open to you.
[00:36:08] I will happily always have this conversation with anyone that will let me talk to them, like pretty much, , as will Amy. But does anybody have any last questions for this conversation?
[00:36:18] Dele Kooley: Can you do party reviews? I would love to see that. Like I just threw a baby shower with a mocktail bar. I, I would love to have someone come and rate my event. Like, could we do that? Have people message and say, come to our party and rate our
[00:36:35] Alysse Bryson: like a Yelp score, uh, like a Yelp score, or like a, um, like an Uber score. I, I could do that and I could pair that with a service of, I will capture content at your event video and still images. And then I’ll put together your social media postmortem of the event, and then during that process, I would be happy to score you.
[00:36:57] I will always happily, happily give [00:37:00] my opinion when asked.
[00:37:01] Kristen Graham: I will pay
[00:37:02] Dele Kooley: like I would like that maybe other
[00:37:04] people would do that
[00:37:05] Kristen Graham: no. I will pay to not have a rating. So the.
[00:37:11] Amy Liz Harrison: too.
[00:37:13] Dele Kooley: Yeah, I don’t know. Yelp can get pretty, uh, wild. But
[00:37:18] Alysse Bryson: You know, I never actually understood Yelp, because why do you care about opinions of people you don’t know? Like it if you, what? If you didn’t like that person? Their opinion would not really matter as much to you. So I, I personally never understood
[00:37:34] Dele Kooley: but
[00:37:35] yours does your
[00:37:37] Alysse Bryson: my, my opinion, yes, very much so. No,
[00:37:41] Libby Sundgren: I found that most people. Don’t really take the time to leave a review unless they’re mad about something. So
[00:37:47] it is hard to take Yelp reviews very seriously
[00:37:51] for me. I know other people who treat them like.
[00:37:54] Dele Kooley: But I would take a sober curator, Alysse Bryson review.
[00:37:59] Like [00:38:00] I would feel honored
[00:38:01] Alysse Bryson: That has some
[00:38:02] Dele Kooley: and I actually was just think, I’m thinking back when I, when I have an event. How good did I do? I have opportunities to do better. So this was a really informative and helpful conversation. Even as someone who thinks about it, now I have new things to add to my toolbox.
[00:38:20] Alysse Bryson: All right.
[00:38:22] All right. Libby, take us out.
[00:38:23] Libby Sundgren: Alright, well if you’ve got an idea or you wanna reach out, email us at info at BEATS WORKING show. Remember that every detail matters, every moment counts. And no matter what the show must go on.
[00:38:35] Alysse Bryson: Cheers.
[00:38:37] Thanks for listening to BEATS WORKING, winning the Game of Events where we explore what it takes to make moments unforgettable. If you’re leaving with a little more inspiration, a little more perspective, and a big side ache from all of the laughing at our funny jokes, then we’ve done Our Job BEATS WORKING is a work P two P production.
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