(Image: C4 Energy)

C4 Energy is bringing a beer-inspired energy drink to the market just in time for tailgating season, Oktoberfest and Sober October.

The brand has confirmed C4 All Hopped Up, a new zero-alcohol energy drink designed to taste like a light beer with a splash of orange. The drink contains 200 milligrams of caffeine per 16-ounce can and has zero sugar, fat or artificial colors. It is also formulated with vitamin B12.

C4 All Hopped Up will launch Sept. 23 through TikTok Shop and Amazon in six-packs of 16-ounce cans for $14.99. It will become available through C4Energy.com beginning Sept. 30.

The new drink is aimed at consumers who want the social experience associated with cracking open a beer without the alcohol or hangover.

C4 describes All Hopped Up as having a crisp light-beer flavor with orange notes. The brand is positioning it for drinkers, dabblers and consumers exploring no-alcohol options, while adding an energy boost in place of the traditional effects of alcohol.

C4’s launch comes as beverage brands increasingly experiment with products designed to provide alternatives to traditional alcoholic drinks. Rather than creating a conventional nonalcoholic beer, however, All Hopped Up combines a beer-inspired flavor profile with the functional positioning of an energy drink.

The company cites research from Keurig Dr Pepper’s State of Beverages 2026 report indicating that one-third of consumers believe energy drinks can be a good substitute for alcohol.

(Photos: Opius)

All we knew for years was: You drink or you don’t. When you drink, you pick a spirit, beer or wine. When you don’t, the alcohol is taken out of all of the above and you’re left with the (literally) spiritless residual value. What’s left is often of little value to consumers, which is why we don’t find many lovebrands among non-alcoholic. The Daily Pour, however, might have found a brand that could turn the tide.

Non-alc is still often treated as a breakdown of an existing product instead of the build-up of a new one. What we look for in this burgeoning category is a product that is worthy of standing on its own, one that doesn’t need to be masked by mixers or added sugar. In our search to find a brand that redefines the non-alc industry, we met with the guys behind Opius Distillery. 100% Belgian, 100% handcrafted, 100% botanicals — and it just so happens to be 0% alc.

Opius’ philosophy on non-alc is fundamentally different from that of the rest of the industry. Leander Beuckels and Lucas Lambrechts, founders of Opius, are in no way anti-alcohol. They’re not targeting anti-drinkers or softly selling non-alc with images of flower fields and smiling pregnant women. They’re quite effectively doing the opposite.

Opius has mastered the art and craft of extracting flavor from botanicals. It never set out to mimic what you already know. Instead, it engineered a five-week production process combining up to four different techniques to craft four unique flavor expressions from the ground up. Each of these botanical elixirs stands firmly on its own, with a long, lingering bitterness. At the same time, Opius allows you to recreate the cocktails you’ve always loved. Think of your Friday spicy marg, your beloved espresso martini or a dry martini to kick off the weekend.

This is where change in the industry comes in. We’re done treating non-alc as a substitute that doesn’t deserve as much care and attention as the more exciting alcoholic options. This Belgian brand is showing how to bring quality non-alc — by emphasizing craft.

“We ourselves love a drink, but that doesn’t mean we’re always drinking. So when we don’t, we were time after time disappointed by our options. We had to compromise on experience, flavor, length, bitterness and boldness. Just because we’re not drinking doesn’t mean that we’re willing to compromise on all of the above.” says Lambrechts.

What followed was a meet-up between the founders and a Professor in Alchemy, Dr. Benedict Sas, who had been distilling absinthe and whiskey his whole life. Two young men challenged him to turn his wisdom on distilling and botanicals into bottling non-alc for the first time — a challenge worth the journey for Professor Sas. Inspired by ancient recipes rooted in alchemy and complex techniques used in the perfumery industry, the four recipes of Opius hit the market in 2020.

Opius is one of the first brands to bring craftsmanship into the non-alcoholic spirits category. And the care that goes into building this mission peeks through in every detail: sexy bottles and bold, uncompromising branding. Consumers respect the products because Opius treats non-alc elixirs with the same respect as you would for a 25-year-old whiskey.

It’s as true as the oldest rule they teach you when taking wine classes: When a winemaker takes great pride in their wine, that care often extends to the bottle itself. If you’re browsing the shelf for a good bottle, keep an eye out for thoughtful details, from an unusual bottle shape to a distinctive label, illustration or seal, and you may be looking at a wine made with the same attention to detail. The same philosophy applies to Opius. The brand takes such pride in its elixirs that the bottles are designed to reflect the care that goes into what’s inside. The result? Bookshelf-worthy bottles now served at Michelin-starred restaurants around the world.

“If you have to guess the quality of the wine by just checking bottles, check what farmer thought of his wine as a product that deserved care, a nice stamp, a beautiful detail. Check for a bottle that his own farmer thought was worth the respect, and you’ll buy a good wine.” If you apply this principle to the Opius brand you can see the care that goes into these elixirs. The result? Bookshelf-worthy bottles, served in Michelin-starred restaurants all over the world.

Interesting to learn more about the switch in non-alc? Check opius-distillery.com and simultaneously get inspired by their endless book of cocktail recipes.

This sponsored article was presented by Opius Distillery

Drinks with Benefits is in its second year as a premium non-alcoholic beverage festival geared towards consumers and prosumers in the NA space. I attended last year and was energized by the potential for this industry, this niche in beverage.

A note for my colleagues on the floor. DWB has carved out a trade hour, 5-6 p.m., and code DWBTRADE gets you in free. If you run a bar, a restaurant or a beverage program, that hour is the most efficient 60 minutes you will spend on this category all year. No lines, founders at their own tables, and the chance to taste side by side instead of one brand at a time across six separate sales calls. There is no easier way to taste this many top non-alc brands at one time.

As a sommelier who devoted his life to learning about the finer points of wines from all over the world — France, Australia, South Africa, California, New York, Georgia (Republic of) — I understand how daunting a massive category with a seemingly infinite amount of information can be. I appreciated what sommelier Isabel Neuhaus shared recently: “I don’t like the ‘we’re making wine too complicated’ narrative. Wine IS complicated! That’s why it’s cool.” I fully agree, and the same concept applies for non-alc. I love how many rabbit holes one can go down in this industry. Of course, that’s not always a positive, as it can be daunting for any consumer.

Which is why tasting is believing, and Drinks with Benefits is where folks can come to taste. I’m grateful to have been asked to curate a table at the festival, where I’ll get to pour six of my favorite brands/beverages and share what I love about these beverages and why I think they’re so important with consumers and industry folks alike.

Just like it’s hard for a sommelier to say what his or her favorite wine is (it depends on the who, the what, the where, the when and the why), these brands and beverages are some of my favorites because at least one of them can fit into most of life’s occasions.

In alphabetical order, just to keep it fair, here’s what I’ll be pouring:

Aplós Chili Margarita

(Photo: Aplos)

I appreciate what the founders behind Aplós are building and how they’re building it. I got to meet them about a year ago at the Maze, where I helped to launch the opening Non-Alc beverage program. They’re business savvy and know that they can’t compromise on flavor if they’re going to succeed in the NA industry. Aplós’ Chili Margarita is one of those drinks I’m pleasantly surprised to see so widely distributed in New York, from NYC to East Hampton. It’s a casual, canned beverage that overdelivers on flavor and texture and is a well-priced alternative to most of the other NA bevs with comparable reach. From fine dining restaurants to dive bars to breweries, I’ve always ordered it when I see it, and it’s always accompanied a good time.

Kettl Japanese Teas

(Photo: Kettl)

I admire so much what Zach Mangan and the team at Kettl are doing. They’re taking a classic tea-growing country and giving it the platform it deserves. Telling the stories of the farmers behind the tea, but also having fun with tea and matcha as a category (matcha chocolate, anyone?). Their back bar at their Greenpoint location is some of the best tea service you can get in NYC. Their dedicated matcha store, Sen Mon Ten, in Greenpoint: no one comes close to presenting matcha in such a refined fashion to such a wide audience. I imagine most folks attending DWB will have had a matcha latte in their lives. I’m so happy to see matcha, as a tea category, attain such wide success in the market. To me, matcha is like Champagne. Champagne gets to play in spaces most still white or red wines can’t dream of touching. Same thing goes for tea and matcha. It isn’t sencha or gyokuro or da hong pao that you can get at most coffee shops in America these days. And while I can’t always say that the matcha quality you get at many random coffee shops in the U.S. is the best, Kettl is helping to change that by bringing high-quality matcha and other Japanese teas to the widest audience that has ever existed for these traditional products.

NON

(Photo: NON)

One of my first true loves in the wine alternative category. NON, specifically, the sparkling rosé, opened my eyes to how versatile an NA beverage playing in the wine-occasion space can be. Rosé bubbles, it’s hard to go wrong. It’s festive, it’s aesthetically pleasing. And the aroma and flavor and texture are so captivating, it’s giving “I ordered a glass, but you can leave the rest of the bottle here, please. Thanks.”

One of the funniest things about wine is how often it smells like so many other things besides grapes. Wine is almost the original party trick. “So you’re telling me this beverage I’m drinking here, that smells like feet and cheese and cherries and dirt, not only gets me drunk but came from that grape vineyard over there?” “Correct.” And thus began the ~8,000 year success story of a humble fruit and its cohabitation alongside human culture. NON plays on that in the inverse. I do get the raspberry. I get the chamomile. I get the Murray River salt, but it doesn’t just taste like those things, it comes together to be so much more. It pairs well with barbecue, or Thai food, or a roasted leg of lamb. If I see a bottle of NON1 in ice at a party, I know someone here means business. When it’s by the glass at a restaurant, I usually just order the bottle. Put it on a table alongside 11 bottles of real, fermented grape wine and watch it disappear the fastest. I’m a big fan and I can’t wait to share this one.

Vers’eau

(Photo: Vers’eau)

Shout out to my friend Stanton McConnell from undergrad days, who is working his full-time job, in a band, raising babies and bringing this beautiful NA beverage into the world! I was so pleased when he reached out to reconnect and share his latest creation with me. It fills a void in the NA space like nothing else. First, it’s got midwestern roots. And while a lot of great non-alc breweries also hail from the Great Lakes/Midwest area (Go Brewing, Untitled Art’s FLVR, to name a couple), no one is making anything like this. It’s effectively a concentrate of three fruits homegrown in Michigan (cherries, grapes, and elderberries) alongside a unique mix of herbs, roots, and spices that round it out and make it a complex, dynamic, and refreshing base for NA gatherings. My favorite way to drink it is one part chilled Vers’eau to three to four parts chilled sparkling water, in a wine glass. It’s like the most delicious NA lambrusco you’ve never had. It’s zippy enough to be an aperitif, but also textured enough to work well alongside rich, “red wine”-friendly dishes. And that for me is the niche this fills — RED WINE. It’s the holy grail of the NA wine industry. NA red wine is tough. Full stop. And while this is not that, it’s not not that when presented in this way. It’s the chilled red of the NA space, and that is something that has been missing since day 1. I’m champing at the bit to be turning NYC onto this Midwestern bev.

Villbrygg & Cul’Sec

I recently co-hosted a dinner at Chambers, one of NYC’s truest temples to wine and fine northeast U.S. cooking, and it was all non-alcoholic beverages. One course was dedicated to the fine work countries in northern Europe are doing to progress this NA wine occasion category. There are none finer than Villbrygg and Cul’Sec (Shout out to Muri, which is also making amazing moves in this space!) Villbrygg was started by ex-fine dining folks who were (a) seeking more NA bevs in haute cuisine spaces and (b) sick of importing wines from southern Europe to pair with their locally foraged reindeer and sea buckthorn dishes. I get it. What Villbrygg has built is a business that makes ethereal, complex, honest and true expressions of a time and a place and a zeitgeist. Foraged “noro-tropics,” aka things that only grow and taste a certain way as they do in Norway, are picked by an army of local foragers and friends, brewed like a tisane and lightly sweetened. These are transporting beverages that turn casual gatherings into pure elegance and pair nicely from sushi to chicken to cheese course and beyond. I can’t gush enough about how grateful I am that these folks decided to come together and share their brilliance with the world. Thank you, Villbrygg. Keep up the amazing work.

Now for the Dutch. There is something special in the water for these folks at Fruitslagers in the Netherlands to be making Cul’Sec. Unbridled creativity. Pure innovation. Exploration and pushing the boundaries of what NA is, should be, and can be. For better or worse, they mix up their playbook from vintage to vintage. Loved last year’s version? Well, this year they’re making it slightly differently. Similar inspiration, but a new execution. And while product variation can be a four-letter word in the F&B world, that’s exactly the type of organic change many folks love about the wine industry, and certainly within the natural wine industry, and this project feels like it plays most loudly to just that community. From bottle to glass, the vibe is natty wine, yet it would be just as comfortable on a barrel top outside a Parisian wine bar as it would be on a 3-Michelin-star table in New York City. I’d say these are the most challenging products I’ll be pouring, but that’s why I think they’re so important.
If you’re not yet coming to DWB, grab a ticket. If you’re coming, please stop by my table and say hello and taste some of these fantastic tipples.

(Photo: Athletic Brewing)

NFL Quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Drake Maye are the latest athletes hedging their bets on the fast-growing nonalcoholic beer market.

On Wednesday, the players were announced as the new “athlete-owners” of Athletic Brewing Company, the largest dedicated nonalcoholic brewery in America. The news release announcing the partnership doesn’t dive too far into the specifics of what an “athlete-owner” is, though Prescott and Maye have presumably taken on some level of equity in the company, which was valued at approximately $800 million in 2024.

What we do know is that the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots quarterbacks will feature prominently in the brand’s marketing campaigns in years to come. Athletic has hinted at a handful of video concepts which have yet to be released, including one in which Maye transforms a throwing session into a football tailgate and another where Prescott plays second fiddle to zero-proof beer at a backyard cookout.

“Athletic’s growth story and challenger mindset immediately stood out to me,” Maye remarked in a news release. “The company started with an idea that many people doubted, stayed committed to its vision, and built a nationally recognized brand through hard work and determination.”

“As I’ve become more involved in business, I’ve become increasingly intentional about the opportunities I pursue and the people I choose to work with,” Prescott added. “I really admire what Bill and John have built and their willingness to challenge conventional thinking.”

Founded in 2017 by Bill Shufelt and John Walker, Athletic has charted a rapid ascent within the nonalcoholic beer market. The brand’s facilities in Connecticut and California produce nearly 50 different brews and have garnered high-profile collaborations with the likes of Arsenal FC and country singer Walker Hayes.

During a recent interview at the WSJ Global Food Forum, CEO Bill Shufelt said that his company holds an 18% share of NA beer in the country and a 38% share of on-premise sales in bars and restaurants. Other figures suggest that the brand controls over half of the NA craft beer market share in the United States, outselling the next 100 NA craft beer brands combined and leading its closest competitor by 44 points.

The investment represents a minor pivot for Prescott, who was previously best known in the beverage space for his tequila brand, Volteo (a considerably better spirit than most of its athlete-backed competitors on the liquor aisle).

The second annual Zero Proof Choice Awards and first annual Water Choice Awards took place on Aug. 15 and Aug. 16, respectively, both put on by The Daily Pour!

If you’re just discovering Zero Proof Nation by Laura for the first time, here’s the gist: I write about global non-alcoholic beverage culture from the perspective of someone who’s been alcohol-free almost two decades.

Scenes from my trip to NYC

Top row: On the top left, inclusive hospitality advocate, Tedx speaker and Sauna and Sobriety facilitator Jen Veralle and I got together for dinner at Rosie’s (my hibiscus agua fresca is in the middle of the row) and dessert at The Little Cupcake Bakery. Top right: Yours truly with author, cocktail/hospitality educator and Zero Proof Choice Awards head judge Derek Brown, and his partner in business and life, the creative genius Maria Bastasch.

Middle row: Yurs truly with Estelle Bossy, a career beverage director in NYC and my judging bestie both days; the whole group of us at the Zero Proof Choice Awards: Rich Buchanan, Andrew Eisbrouch, Alex Highsmith, Karl Franz Williams, Caleb Ganzer, Maria and Derek, LP O’Brien (Netflix Drinks Master winner and DC hometown girlie) and Abe Zarate. Middle right: my view from Central Park.

Bottom row: I had to go to Times Square just because (actually, my reason was selfish: I wanted to go to the M&M Store and get some goodies). Middle: Water Choice Awards judging panel, comprising yours truly; Ashley Epperson of Salacious Drinks; Cameron Smith of The Little Inn at Washington; Preston Boyer, artist and “the people’s water somm”; and Estelle. Bottom right: on the Amtrak Acela train back home with my Nouvie hat.

What’s it Actually Like to be a Judge?

You’d think it’s all non-alc so there would be no need to spit, right? Wrong. Unless you’re ready to balloon up a few extra pant sizes, you have to taste and spit. My first year, I barely spit and learned my lesson the hard way. Regardless, your palate will get tired. Palate fatigue is real. This is why we had basic water crackers to soak up residual flavors hanging around on our tongues and inside cheeks, and why we also had a lunch break dividing up the day.

Also, contrary to what some might think, you don’t taste all categories as a Zero Proof Choice Awards judge. It’s just not possible to get through all the liquids, give them the attention they deserve, write thoughtful notes that the producers will see, and still have a functioning tongue at the end of the way. My categories were NA beers, NA non-functional RTDs, and wine-occasion beverages (that are not dealcoholized wines).

For the Water Choice Awards, however, I tasted everything. Still, sparkling and flavored waters. Even with a small amount of spitting, I felt hydrated, rejuvenated and like I had just left a spa day .

Some things to consider when tasting a liquid that you’ll be evaluating: appearance (color, opacity), aroma (my AFNA wine and beer certifications came in handy here, thinking of the wine aroma wheel), texture/mouthfeel, flavor and length (Do you still taste the beverage even a minute later, or does it dissipate immediately?). Notes you’ll write can be basic or flowery, depending on your level of inspiration. Most liquids we tasted medaled (bronze = good; silver = really good; gold = incredible; double gold = stratospheric, and all the judges are in agreement). Very rarely, a liquid didn’t medal, and we had to consider several factors including whether something spoiled in transit — or if it just wasn’t well constructed on any level, period. Mindful that someone put their heart and soul into the liquid, we were never mean and always constructive, but I can still imagine a producer’s heartache. Yes, it’s an honor to be a judge at a competition; it’s also quite the responsibility.

Wearing my signature lightning bolt and an Old Navy dress that felt apropos. Also, my nails

This article first appeared in Zero Proof Nation by Laura, Laura Silverman’s Substack. Subscribe here.

(Photo: Trip)

Influencer and entrepreneur Kendall Jenner has signed on as the new global brand ambassador for Trip, a non-alcoholic “calming drinks” brand based in the UK. Jenner has reportedly also taken an equity stake in the company, which is set to hit $200 million in revenue in 2026.

The brand specializes in canned beverages mixed with a blend of magnesium, ashwagandha, lion’s mane and L-theanine, placing it in the fast-growing functional drinks category alongside competitors like Kin Euphorics and De Soi. In addition to its range of beverages, Trip also offers adaptogen drink powders and gummies.

“I’ve been obsessed with TRIP for a while — the product is incredible, and I’ve always loved how elevated and intentional the brand feels,” Jenner remarked in a news release. “It’s my favorite way to stay grounded and present in my daily routine — it tastes great and makes me feel amazing.”

Trip was founded in 2019 by husband-and-wife team Olivia Ferdi and Daniel Khoury, who discovered the benefits of magnesium and botanicals while Daniel was recovering from knee surgery in the weeks leading up to their wedding. The brand says that it’s currently the fastest-growing sparkling drinks brand in the US and has raked in over a billion impressions across Instagram and TikTok over the past year.

Celebrity benefactors have played a large role in its success. Kendall Jenner is the fifth A-lister turned investor to join the team, following on the heels of musician Joe Jonas, “Vampire Diaries” star Paul Wesley and models Ashley Graham and Alessandra Ambrosio.

“Kendall perfectly embodies the way we think about calm today — not stepping away from a full life, but finding moments within it to reset, feel present and be your best authentic self. She truly connects with our mission,” CEO Olivia Ferdi added. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with her, and now launching our brand new campaign together.”

The Jenners are no strangers to the drinks industry. Kendall was an early figure in the celebrity agave boom when she launched 818 Tequila in 2021. The brand moved over 136,000 cases in its first seven months and recently secured a strategic partnership and financial investment from Sazerac, the Louisiana-based firm that just turned BuzzBallz into a nearly $600 million national best seller.

Kendall’s younger sister, Kylie, has gone on a similar trajectory. In early 2024, the socialite forayed into the ready-to-drink category with Sprinter, a canned vodka soda available in Black Cherry, Peach, Grapefruit and Lime flavors. The brand expanded into functional beauty products less than a year after its debut, launching a range of electrolyte drink packets dubbed k2o by Sprinter. (It’s a sign of the times that both sisters originally launched alcohol brands before pivoting into functional beverages.)

Solubrae wines are about showing up for the moment you’re already in: the sunny patio lunch, the golden-hour porch hangout, the fireside dinner, the toast you didn’t plan but suddenly need. That’s the idea behind Solubrae, a California-crafted, alcohol-removed wine collection built around the culinary and spontaneously curated moments that make up those memorable days in our lives. Each expression in the lineup was designed with a specific setting in mind, from flavor profile to food pairing to soundtrack, so that reaching for the right bottle feels less like a wine decision and more like setting the scene.

Born From a Personal Journey

Solubrae’s name is a play on the word “salubrious,” a nod to what the brand is ultimately about: something that promotes health and wellbeing, without ever losing sight of pleasure. That balance isn’t a marketing idea borrowed from the wellness aisle. It came directly from the lives of the people who founded the company.

Solubrae was co-founded by Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Heaton, alongside her husband, filmmaker and actor David Hunt. Their own path toward sobriety is what set the brand in motion. Having lived the shift themselves, they understand that stepping back from alcohol doesn’t mean stepping back from the ritual, the flavor, or the joy of the table. Patricia and David set out to build something that didn’t exist yet: a wine genuinely crafted for people making that same choice, one that never felt like a consolation prize. Solubrae is the product of that lived experience, built by two people who wanted the same elegant and celebratory pour they’d always loved, minus the part that no longer served them.

Daylight: Afternoon, Sunlit, Citrus-Forward

Daylight, made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc, is the wine for the parts of the day when the sun is doing most of the work. Crisp, citrusy, and finishing dry, it’s built for patio dining, fish tacos, fresh salads, ceviche, and light cheeses, the kind of food that wants a wine to stay bright and get out of the way, not compete for attention. Think a long lunch that turns into an afternoon, plates passed around a table outside, yacht rock drifting from a speaker somewhere nearby.

That citrus-driven acidity is also what makes Daylight so easy to stretch into a spritzer, just a splash of soda and a few slices of cucumber or peach, without losing its shape. It’s a wine that was made to be casual on purpose. Nothing about Daylight asks for formality; everything about it is built for the kind of afternoon that doesn’t have an agenda.

Sundown: Golden Hour, Fruit Forward and a Little Char

Where Daylight is midday ease, Sundown, made with Pinot Grigio and a touch of Pinot Noir, is the shift into evening, the point where the light turns gold and the grill’s already going. Sundown was built to stand up to lightly charred meats, charcuterie, and roasted vegetables, with real texture and a lingering fruit and melon character that plays well with a little smoke. It’s the bottle for the back porch, friends pulling up chairs, someone’s main squeeze leaning in close, reggae or a vintage classic rock record setting the tempo and warming up the evening.

Sundown has also picked up real industry recognition, earning a Double Gold medal and 96 points at the 2026 International Non-Alcoholic Competition. That matters less as a badge and more as confirmation that the flavor holds up under real scrutiny, not just around a casual table. Sundown has become the go-to bottle for celebrations precisely because it does double duty: refined enough for the toast, relaxed enough for the cookout.

Moonrise: Candlelight, Barbera, After Dark

Moonrise, arriving soon, is Solubrae’s move after dark. Built from 100% Barbera, a grape known for natural acidity and dark fruit character, Moonrise is being crafted for tapas, pizza, roasted vegetables, and roasted meats, food with a little weight and char to it. This is the wine for a room with candles lit, jazz or blues low in the background, maybe something leaning into electro house once the night picks up. It’s structured enough to hold its own next to a real meal, without tipping into the heaviness that can make a red feel like too much for anything other than a formal dinner.

Moonrise rounds out the collection’s arc from bright afternoon to smoky sunset to something more intimate and after hours, proof that Solubrae’s approach to flavor isn’t about ticking varietal boxes, but about matching a wine’s character to the mood of the room it’s poured in.

Celebrate: Sparkling, Zesty, Built for the Toast

Celebrate is Solubrae’s new sparkling white and made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. It’s exactly what its name promises: crisp, zesty, and dry, with a touch of yuzu that gives it a little brightness and lift. It was made to sit alongside seafood and cheese platters, but really, Celebrate is built for the moment itself, whether that’s the first bottle opened at a party, the toast nobody planned but everyone’s glad happened, or the holiday table that needs something with bubbles in it.

Celebrate exists so that no one has to sit out the ritual of popping something open. It’s meant to be poured freely and shared widely, whether that’s a milestone birthday or a random Tuesday that turned into something worth marking.

A Collection Built Around Real Moments

What ties Daylight, Sundown, Moonrise, and Celebrate together isn’t a shared vineyard or a single winemaker’s signature. It’s the idea that wine should be built around the moment it’s meant for. Daylight’s bright citrus belongs to sunny afternoons and patio lunches. Sundown’s textured fruit belongs to golden hour and the grill. Moonrise’s structured Barbera character belongs to candlelit rooms and late-night music. Celebrate’s zesty lift belongs to the toast, whenever and wherever it happens.

That’s a different way of organizing a wine collection than the industry is used to, one built around culinary pairing and atmosphere rather than complexity. It’s also, not coincidentally, rooted in Solubrae’s own origin story: a wine that never asked anyone to give up the ritual, the flavor, or the occasion, just the alcohol.

Four wines, four moments, one table. Whether it’s fish tacos in the sun, charred vegetables at unset, tapas by candlelight, or a toast that can’t wait, Solubrae was built to be there, made with real care in California, ready to match whatever the moment calls for.

(Photo: BERO)

Tom Holland is having quite the summer!

On Wednesday, the “Spider-Man” star’s nonalcoholic beer brand, BERO, announced that it’s introducing its signature Kingston Golden Pils glass bottle to consumers nationwide for the first time. The move appears to be a concerted push into the bar and restaurant markets, which have long been dominated (in the United States, at least) by Athletic, the world’s largest dedicated nonalcoholic brewery.

“Before BERO launched — before the artwork for our cans was even finalized — we envisioned the brand in a glass bottle,” John Herman, Co-Founder and CEO of BERO, said in a news release. “There’s something distinct about the experience of glass: how it feels in your hand, how it pours, and even how refreshing the beer feels to drink.”

The glass bottles are now available online at $20 per six-pack and can also be found at select restaurants and bars nationwide and throughout the United Kingdom.

When BERO hit the market in late 2024, it kicked off with an Edge Hill Hazy IPA, a Noon Wheat and its Kingston Golden Pils, all available exclusively in canned formats. We were particularly fond of its Noon Wheat, though the Pilsner was nothing to scoff at either. In our review, we complimented the beer for its crisp, malty flavor profile, led by hints of biscuits, sprinkled breadcrumbs and faintly sweet touches of pear and green apple.

Since then, the brand has expanded exponentially — faster than perhaps any other beverage maker in recent memory.

Holland joined forces with “Iron Man” alum Robert Downey Jr. for a limited-edition Coffee Draught, and later paid homage to his wife, Zendaya, with a quintet of BERO shandies that mixed nonalcoholic beer with various lemonade flavors. Both of the actor’s summer blockbusters have gotten the BERO treatment as well: A limited-time six-pack honored “The Odyssey” with images of the Trojan horse and a Greek warship, while a “Spider-Man” pilsner featured an image of the superhero dangling upside down from the top of the can.

The brand’s push into the glass bottle category feels like a different kind of gamble.

In a recent interview at the WSJ Global Food Forum, Athletic Brewing CEO Bill Shufelt claimed that his company currently holds an 18% share of NA beer in the country, and an impressive 38% share of on-premise sales in bars and restaurants. On-premise sales are a particularly lucrative angle for nonalcoholic beer brands, as many bars and restaurants still do not offer zero-proof beers on tap.

By signaling its availability in on-premise markets, BERO appears to be cementing itself as a formidable competitor.

A clearly posed picture of me “tasting.” We were too busy to get the live one.

The words no sooner left her mouth than we all nodded in approval.

“Double gold.”

Renowned mixologist L.P. O’Brien, The Daily Pour co-founder Andrew Eisbrouch and I were certain this non-alcoholic cinnamon whiskey alternative checked every box in its category — red-hot cinnamon spice, oaky sweetness and lingering warmth.

And it was delicious.

Double gold is the highest honor at the Zero Proof Choice Awards, where every spirit is judged and assigned a medal by the top minds in hospitality and beverage.

We judge in triads and either calculate the average or try to reach consensus on the medals. Sometimes that means one person has awarded a gold medal and the others silver, bringing the average to silver, and sometimes we all agree unanimously.

This was the latter.

But what does it mean to earn double gold, which is somewhat rare? At last year’s awards, only one spirit claimed it: Opius Albedo, a non-alcoholic anise and herbal elixir from Belgium. And for good reason. Albedo has an intensity of flavor — star anise, fennel — and a richness that stands up in a cocktail, adding structural depth. Opius, whose range of non-alcoholic elixirs includes Albedo, Amaro, Nigredo and Rubedo, takes a creative approach to non-alcoholic spirits.

As the head judge this year, I wanted to make sure the medals continue to represent the highest standard in non-alcoholic spirits. (You can read more about my judging philosophy here.) That means having seasoned judges who truly understand the range of non-alcoholic drinks and have real experience tasting them — not just tasting alcoholic spirits, which they may be based on but never taste quite the same.

My goal is to be fair to the brands but also deliver the best products to consumers who are already concerned about quality and price when it comes to non-alcoholic spirits. When you see double gold from The Zero Proof Choice Awards, it means that this brand delivers on its promise, whether that’s a creative spirit like Opius Albedo or analog spirit like the cinnamon whiskey we tasted this year.

Every spirit is numbered and tasted blind, which means we only know the category and not the brand.

The thing is, non-alcoholic spirits are only getting better. There were more Double Golds this year (Of course, beating one double gold in the non-alcoholic spirit category from last year isn’t a high bar). I tried a non-alcoholic gin alternative with a fragrant juniper nose, citrusy notes of fresh Meyer lemon and lime and a lavender finish. A smoked agave spirit alternative blew me away with stewed agave, charred pineapple and brown sugar. There were more, but you’ll have to be patient until the medal winners are announced in September.

I’m happy to play a role in shaping this category as every medal we give sends feedback to the brand and signals to consumers what a quality spirit should be. The main takeaway from this year: We want flavor. Anything that was watery or lacked intensity of flavor scored low. Very low.

I’m grateful to my panel and all the judges for their diligent work. And, of course, to Amanda Paul-Garnier, Ashley Faddis, and the entire Daily Pour crew who painstakingly worked to set it up. This may seem fun — and it is — but it’s also hard work. I can’t wait to reveal all the medals in The Very Best of Non-Alcoholic Spirits, Part II.

This article came from Derek Brown’s Substack, “Positive Damage.” Join his newsletter here. 

(Photo: Athletic Brewing)

America’s largest dedicated nonalcoholic brewer is cementing its presence in the sports world with a trio of multi-year partnerships.

Last week, Athletic Brewing announced that it has signed on as a Proud Partner of the New York Giants, the New York Jets and MetLife Stadium. The NFL teams have played since 2010 at the East Rutherford, New Jersey-based venue, which recently hosted the final match of the 2026 World Cup between Spain and Argentina.

It’s been described as a first-of-its-kind milestone for all four organizations. The partnership is Athletic’s first with two professional football teams and a professional football stadium, and the first time that MetLife and its two home teams have aligned with a dedicated nonalcoholic brewer in this capacity. However you cut it, the deal represents a big step forward for nonalcoholic drinks — a category that was all but relegated to niche status as little as a decade ago.

Visitors at MetLife will be able to purchase the brewer’s Run Wild IPA and Upside Dawn Golden beers at various concession stands throughout the stadium, and will see Athletic branding across concourse displays, pylons, LED displays, menus, kiosks and highway signage in the area.

“We’re thrilled to team up with MetLife Stadium, the New York Giants, and the New York Jets to bring Athletic’s great-tasting brews to one of the most exciting venues in sports and entertainment,” Athletic CEO Bill Shufelt remarked in a news release. “This is an exciting step forward in our mission to revolutionize the way the world drinks and make modern moderation more accessible. We can’t wait for Athletic to become the game day ritual fans count on, from the tailgate to the final whistle.”

Athletic’s meteoric ascent over the past decade has redefined both the alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks industries. Founded in 2017 by Bill Shufelt and John Walker, the brand is now the sixth-largest craft brewery in the United States by sales volume, outpacing competitors like Garage Beer, Brooklyn Brewery and Deschutes.

In a recent interview at the WSJ Global Food Forum, CEO Bill Shufelt said that his company currently holds an 18% share of NA beer in the country, and an impressive 38% share of on-premise sales in bars and restaurants.

Its successes have aligned the company with the kind of deals typically scored by old-guard conglomerates like Anheuser-Busch or Molson Coors. In 2024, Athletic playfully appointed Grammy-nominated country singer Walker Hayes as its “Chief Fancy Officer” and released a limited-edition collaborative brew. Months later, Arsenal Football Club announced that it had signed on Athletic as the team’s first nonalcoholic beer partner, establishing the Connecticut-based brewer as a known presence across the pond.

Ron VanDeVeen, President & CEO of MetLife Stadium, says that the partnership will allow the 82,500-seat venue to broaden its amenities to the preferences of all guests.

“Delivering an exceptional experience for every guest is our highest priority at MetLife Stadium,” VanDeVeen added. “Partnering with a non-alcoholic brewing pioneer like Athletic allows us to broaden our beverage offerings, provide greater choice, and further shape the experience for all guests who visit MetLife Stadium throughout the year.”