Alcohol-free doesn’t have to be boring. Gigi Arandid, Binge Bar “Curious Elixirs, Seedlip, Lyre’s, Athletic Brewing Co., Mountain Valley Water, Mocktail Club [and] Sweet Crude: major shoutout to the reps and owners of these delicious [nonalcoholic] beverages. Their stories are so inspiring and continue to fuel my passion for the culture that will soon be represented once Binge opens its doors to the public ..read more

Name: Tony Powell From: Washington, D.C. Neighborhood: Silver Spring, MD IG: @tonypowell1 Business: Tony Powell Images Q: Do you consider yourself booze-free? A: Heck yes and it's totally the best! Q: How long have you been off the sauce? What does this lifestyle mean to you? A: 12 years! Q: How has COVID-19 affected you (and your business, if applicable) and the way you relate to DC? A: I really miss the nightlife -- the galas, live events and the performing arts. Q: What do you love most about DC? A: It’s not only the seat of power for the nation it’s also home to some of the most important ..read more

Let's be honest. This holiday season is MUCH different than any other season we've seen in our lifetimes, holiday or not. We started 2020 with hope for a new decade and are ending it with hope for a new year, except now we're wearing face masks, elbow bumping friends, and Zooming with family. That is, of course, if we're lucky enough to still have all our family with us. The stark reality is that 281,000+ Americans died this year of COVID-19 out of a global 1.53+ million deaths. While there's no way we can get those precious people back, we can do our part and listen to public health guidance ..read more

Name: Lauren "LP" Paylor O'Brien From: I am originally from the Bronx, NY. I moved to Washington, DC in 2010 when I started nursing school. I have been in DC for 11 years. Neighborhood: Wheaton, MD IG: @lpdrinksdc // @fohealth Business: LP Drinks // Focus on Health Q: Do you consider yourself booze-free? A: Not totally but I *love* supporting the lifestyle! Q: Why is it important to be a booze-free ally? A: I believe living a life of moderation is important and living mindfully is a great way to get started on this journey. I am a booze free ally because I believe that there should not be sha ..read more

Name: Vergie "Gigi" Arandid From: I'm originally from the Philippines and migrated to the U.S. back in October of 2002 Neighborhood: Union Market, DC Instagram: @bingeongigi Business: Binge Bar Q: Do you consider yourself booze-free? A: Heck yes and it's totally the best! Q: How long have you been off the sauce? What does this lifestyle mean to you? A: Off the sauce! I love that. It has been a little over three years for me. My sobriety date is June 26, 2017 and it has truly transformed my viewpoint in life and made [me] fearless enough to venture into opening a booze free bar in our nation's ..read more

It was a gorgeous, crisp October day in 2018. I wandered around a fall farmer’s market at the Mosaic District in Fairfax, and stumbled — by pure happenstance — upon two fellow pioneers of the booze-free movement in D.C.: Charlie Berkinshaw of Element Shrub and Pauline Idogho of Mocktail Club. As we geeked out about the burgeoning non-alcoholic beverage movement, we couldn’t have imagined the DMV’s transformation into an oasis of inclusive beverage options just three years later. I recently sat down with Pauline to talk about Mocktail Club and her reasons for starting a non-alcoholic beverage ..read more

This just in: Booze is not needed for dates. A pint of beer. A glass of wine. A classic cocktail. Not so long ago, alcohol defined these beverages. But now the tides are turning, and you can partake in the social ritual of drinking — whether in a group of friends, on a romantic (or awkward first) date, or at a happy hour — sans booze. The nonalcoholic beverage is fast becoming ubiquitous. Publications ranging from Forbes and New York Times to Oprah and Good Housekeeping continue to buzz about the sober curious movement ..read more

Whether you’ve been in the DMV for 15 years or are brand new to town, one thing is certain: D.C. has become a wellspring of booze-free sips. But it wasn’t always this way. I started my time in Washington fresh out of college in 2005, bar-hopping, rabble-rousing and getting lit regularly. But two years into my time here, I faced a stark reality: My life was spiraling down the drain. After getting hospitalized for alcohol poisoning twice in 18 months, I checked myself into an intensive outpatient program for substance use disorder ..read more

Name: Nancy Moustafa From: I'm officially from Egypt* and grew up all over the word. I've been pretty consistently in the DC area since 1999. Neighborhood: Fairfax City, VA IG: @carefree2beme Business: NancyMoustafa.com *fun fact: Nancy and Laura went to high school together in Cairo. Small world! Q: Do you consider yourself booze-free? A: Heck yes and it's totally the best! Q: How long have you been off the sauce? What does this lifestyle mean to you? A: I decided to go booze free in order to fully observe my faith. This lifestyle makes me feel rebellious at a time where drinking for in occa ..read more

By now, you’ve probably noticed Washington, D.C. is becoming a more inclusive hospitality hotspot. Our town’s first-ever booze-free bar, Binge Bar, recently opened. Umbrella Dry Drinks, Alexandria’s non-alcoholic bottle shop, just celebrated its one-year anniversary. And now we’re coming off the heels of another successful Mindful Drinking Fest in D.C. So, what is mindful drinking, you ask? It’s essentially the practice of being aware of why and how much alcohol one drinks. While it’s related to sober curiosity, it’s not the same thing. Mindful drinkers may still drink alcohol, but they usual ..read more