Motivated by multiple factors, the non-alcoholic (NA) beverage movement has reached new levels of normal. People testing the terrain are inspired by Dry January, “love your liver” momentum, sober curiosity, or increasing awareness and scientific research demonstrating the link between drinking alcohol and cancer, obesity, diabetes and other serious health conditions. Happily, more and vastly better-tasting alternative no- and low-alcohol spirits, beers and wines are now available. Some purveyors are even using the broader, more sophisticated phrase “adult NA beverages” in place of the traditional word “mocktails.” The movement’s mainstream migration was bolstered in early 2025 by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s recommendation that alcoholic beverage labels should include warnings about the link between alcohol and cancer. Citing evidence showing that alcohol consumption of as little as one or fewer drinks per day can increase the risk of seven kinds of cancer, Murthy expressed concern that most individuals were unaware of the associated dangers. Warning labels currently address drinking before driving, while pregnant and when operating machinery, but make no mention of cancer. Alcoholic consumption follows smoking and obesity as the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S. Good news about drinking comes in data gathered by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism showing a decline in drinking among Gen Zers. The shift is attributed to changing laws—stricter for drunk drivers and looser for recreational cannabis users—more sober bars opening and a surging interest in healthy lifestyles. Science-backed studies show that even drinking slightly less improves sleep, prevents the risk of skin conditions such as melanoma and psoriasis, and reduces gastrointestinal issues, headaches and fatigue. Despite all the scientific support for going NA, people working in the food and beverage hospitality industry report an even more powerful reason the movement extends beyond a one-month resolution or soon-to-evaporate trend. “It’s about the social aspect,” said Hetal Shah, co-owner with his wife, Dhruma Shah, of Walnut Creek’s new Sipeos Café & Bar. “At family milestones or hanging out with friends, everyone else was holding wine or beer for toasting a special moment. We went through lots of situations where we were stuck with bubbly water or sugary juice. People made an effort to make us feel included, but we still felt excluded. Now, I can watch a 49ers game and hold up an NA beer with my buddies when they score a touchdown, and feel included.” NA DRINK OF THE YEAR  Sipeos’ Espresso Marti-No is an addictive blend of coffee, sherry, maple and cold brew. (Photo courtesy of Sipeos) Sipeos, named after Eos, the goddess of dawn in Greek mythology, opened in November 2024 and features a “health-forward” Mediterranean menu with non-alcoholic and low-ABV options for cocktails, beer and wine. Among the curated list of non-alcoholic drinks that mimic classic cocktails or introduce low-ABV options is the Espresso Marti-No, an addictive blend of coffee, sherry, maple and cold brew. Hetal Shah said it’s the most popular. Following closely is the Dirty Bird, made of caper berry and parsley oil drop manzanilla, veso olive vermouth, black lemon and parsley oil. Asked to pair a few menu items with beverages, Shah suggested contrasting spicy and bitter flavors with assorted dips on house-made flatbread and the NA Cosmopolitano, a riff on a Cosmopolitan made with white port, grapefruit mommenpop, honey, cinnamon, tahini, lemon and clarified milk. Another contending team; kale salad, pesto/eggplant flatbread pizza and the low-ABV Modest Adonis. The drink’s strawberry veso, urfa pepper, amontillado sherry, accompani sweet vermouth and orange oil result in a rich, sophisticated, smoky drink, without the full alcohol content. [Read this week’s WTF column for Jeffrey Edalatpour’s review.] The Shah’s 70-seat establishment benefits not only from the couple’s decision nine years ago to stop drinking alcohol, but also from their hi-tech career backgrounds. His includes product management and development at Uber, Ebay and others; hers, decades as a project manager and product developer in the biotech industry. They worked extensively with an e-commerce company to refine the concept and brand before choosing to open a brick-and-mortar business. Hetal Shah said that behind the operation is a desire to make everyone feel welcome. “It wasn’t about alcohol being bad for you, which is why we have low-alcohol options,” he said. “Honestly, people love the food, the surprise of new NA products, the taste of drinks based on traditional cocktails they recognize and new creations we make that they won’t get anywhere else.” While selecting beers was simple because more breweries offer products that met Sipeos’ quality criteria, finding the wines proved tough. “Many we tested tasted like grape juice and didn’t have the body of wine,” Shah said. “Sparkling wines were easier [than reds] because their acidity is closer. If you’re a connoisseur of red wine, it’s only with food and our lighter, non-alc red that you’ll have the same experience.” ZERO-PROOF POSITIVE Sipeos’ Pica Pica is a non-alcoholic cocktail featuring Seedlip Grove, house sangrita verde, lime, ginger, chili oil and habanero salt. (Photo courtesy of Sipeos) The user experience for novices navigating the NA scene is equally important to Julie Ziegler, founder of Ripple Mocktails based in Oakland. Long employed in the healthcare industry, she made a choice based on family and personal health to kick inebriation and alcohol addiction out of her life completely. Her catering and event company’s origins are revealed in her Breaking Up With Booze blog. In an interview on the first day of 2025, Ziegler said, “Today I’m celebrating my 1,000th day of sobriety. I have a whole community cheering me on. It’s amazing because it took me years, and there were a lot of doubters. It shows the tide is changing.” Like Hetal Shah, Ziegler said new products such as the hemp-based Pathfinder and Drømme’s zero-proof spirits increase the taste and quality of today’s NA cocktails. Even in France, she has noticed more interest in developing new product lines with no or less alcoholic content. “The information is also out in pop culture, social media, magazines and newspapers,” she said. “It’s normalizing non-drinking, after drinking being seen for so long as cool, normal, essential to certain rituals and celebrations. Also, once people see the health benefits and feel the community support, they sign on.” Ripple’s most popular drinks include the Spicy Margarita, Prima Pavé wine and seasonal specials, like a Spice Cranberry Poloma featuring an NA tequila, cranberry syrup, star anise, cloves and cinnamon. Ziegler continues to use the mocktail term, but isn’t precious about language. “It doesn’t matter what you call it; going NA is about benefiting the greater good,” she said. “The words and the choice are about being OK with your decision, whatever the motivation.”