by Mocktail Mo
Despite the ever-increasing availability of alcohol-free drinks, finding them can prove daunting. If you have ever wondered if that town you're travelling to or even that restaurant you've been interested in has alcohol-free options, then you probably were left wishing there was something better than just Googling "alcohol-free" for the info. Thankfully, the Better Without app and Zero Proof Nation website beautifully solve that problem and might just have you so caught up that locating your next AF discovery could be your new favourite pastime.
Better Without App
Jonny Stevens Launched Better Without in 2020 during the COVID lockdown in England. Like so many in the service industry at that time, work abruptly ended, but life still moved on. Also, like many people at that time, with so much time at home, drinking became more of a daily habit. In response, Johnny decided to quit drinking altogether, which left him still at home with time on his hands and bills to pay. And so, the Better Without app was born.
Remarkably, within a couple of days of its conception, Better Without was online. Today, Better Without boasts over 10,000 users, 2,000 products, and more than 2,500 locations. They have also teamed up with Better Rhodes, an online non-alc retail store in the U.S.
The app delivers a comprehensive experience for the user. Think of it as a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' type of search. On the dashboard at the bottom of the page, start by choosing 'Drinks' or 'Places' from the four navigating icons to begin your journey.
On the Drinks page, beverages are broken into 12 categories ranging from basics like beer, wine, and spirits to pre-mixed mocktails and more. Delve into a category, like sparking alternatives, and an array of drink brand images pop up. Pick your favourite flavour profile on the 'Style and Taste' tab to narrow the search, and you will see just what you are looking for.
Need more information? Click 'check it' on the image of the drink that you find interesting, and you can read the formal description from the brand, reviews from people who have tasted the drink, including a star rating, and where to find it.
Or, click 'Food Pairing' and take that route. I landed on Copenhagen Sparkling Tea* via the 'Cheese' tab. The adventures are infinite, depending on which tabs you choose to click.
And all of this is done within seconds of starting your search.
If you are going somewhere and want to know in advance if alcohol-free drinks are available, click the 'Places' icon and begin your search by typing in a zip code or your current location under the 'Find it' tab. I typed in 90210 for Beverly Hills because…why not?
Continue your adventure by choosing either 'Map View' or 'List View'. List View brings you to a list of location image tiles orderly formatted in two columns. Select where you want to go by clicking on the 'Discover' button on a tile, and information about the type of establishment and the NA products they serve will appear.
The Activity section on your dashboard is where the personalisation happens. In this section, you can create a wish list of drinks you would like to have or places you would like to visit. You can also contribute to the app by reviewing drinks in this section. The reviews you leave will help other searchers make decisions on drink brands and places that serve them. This will earn you badges if you are inclined to mark your achievements that way (and who isn't?)
The final dashboard icon takes you to the notification section, where you will find drink recommendations hand-picked for you, along with news about the NA/AF scene.
Better Without app is easily downloadable through the Apple or Google Play stores or the Better Without website. I invite you to play with the app for a while to fully engage with the robust amount of information provided. The more time you spend, the more personalised your experience.
Zero Proof Nation
For those of us who love to geek out over maps, an alcohol-free world atlas awaits our perusal.
"In 2018, before online bottle shops were plentiful, I started a directory of direct-to-consumer alcohol-free beverage companies. All the information is somewhere on the internet. I decided to bring it all together in a one-stop-shop of curated resources." Says Laura Silverman.
Touting itself as "Your hub for all the juicy non-alc. content out there. Changing the world one non-alcoholic sip at a time", Zero Proof Nation offers an opportunity to find all things non-alc, almost anywhere on Earth.
The website, with its accompanying interactive map, is the brainchild of Laura Silverman, an industry leader whose desire to give people accessibility to the alcohol-free world has come together in an entertaining virtual romp across the globe.
Laura has taken great pains scouring the internet to populate the Zero Proof Nation map. And with 250 global data points and growing, it would be difficult not to find what you are looking for.
Your first visit to the website may very well end hours later after discovering establishments from Dubai to Dublin, Santiago to Singapore, not to mention locations scattered across the U.S.
On the Zero Proof Nation website, you are Columbus embarking on a voyage, finding new worlds of welcoming places to enjoy an alcohol-free drink. And in the name of adventure, it wouldn't be too farfetched to plan an entire holiday around places found on this map. I could think of worse ways to plan.
Zero Proof Nation's comprehensive directory is divided into three overarching categories:
Each category takes you on a deeper dive into the specifics of the section, and all are marked by icons on the global map for easy identification.
If you are looking for specific drinks, click on the Non-Alc Bevs tab and choose from the options listed. Start with beer, then work your way through alcohol-removed wine and wine alternatives and on to Spirits, botanicals, ready-to-drinks, aperitives, and functionals…the list is extensive.
You can while away the hours hunting through each section and clicking links to all the websites of beverage companies and purveyors of the non-alcoholic brands you find. All it takes is a quick click to be transported directly to purchase your desired beverage online.
On both the NA Bottle Shops and Booze-Free Bars tabs, you will discover an almost endless directory of logos to click that leads you to your newest destination. Each category starts with establishments within the United States, but continue to scroll down to find more from around the world.
The accompanying ZPN map identifies each category by colour-coded icons: red shopping carts for retail outlets, purple trailers for pop-ups, and blue bar stools for… you guessed it, booze-free bars. Click on an icon, then hit the arrow at the top right of the banner to see its exact location on Google Maps.
The alcohol-free world awaits your navigation at Zero Proof Nation.
After your global alcohol-free treasure hunting is satisfied, tuck into an article in the blog section to check out the latest trends in the alcohol-free community. Needless to say, the Zero Proof Nation website is an invaluable resource for finding the places and products you are looking for, no matter where on Earth they exist.
Whether you choose your adventure on Better Without or span the globe with Zero Proof Nation, searching for non-alc beverages just might be the new escape you need.
Better Without - betterwithout.app // @betterwithoutapp
Zero Proof Nation - zeroproofnation.com // @zeroproofnation
Mocktail Mo has been at the centre of the Alcohol-Free Lifestyle since 2019 when a developed intolerance to alcohol sent her to urgent care and ended her alcohol consumption entirely. Since then, Mo has made it her mission to bust down the walls that divide those who abstain from alcohol for any reason and conventional hospitality. She firmly believes that there is equal room at the table for those who enjoy a quality adult beverage, no matter the proof. You will find her on Instagram at Mocktail.mo or on her website at Mocktailmo.com.
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