01/17/2023
Something has been scratching at my brain for the past few days...
shared a post with the message, "Boston restaurants and bars need to normalize offering quality non-alcoholic drink options." I thought, right on!
I went to leave a comment and saw the cesspool that is the internet show its true nature:
"Vegan restaurants should add meat options."
"Get a sprite and be quiet."
"Chinese restaurants should normalize chicken parm."
I dealt with these kinds of comments, directed at my face rather than hiding in a comment box, while I did pop-ups and markets. I mainly focused on the positives because what else could I do?
After being featured in the Boston Globe, a wonderful couple stopped by who had seen the feature came and told me they had specifically come to the Seaport market to shop Sobrailte and meet me. (I'm sorry you came here just to meet me? 🤯). We had a great chat, and I felt like I was walking on air. Sobrailte was getting seen. People cared. People were excited.
Then about ten minutes later, an adult man told me, "drinking alcohol-free wine is like taking a shower with your socks on" (I will never forgot that comment). He then went on to make several other ridiculous comparisons. I understood what he was trying to say, but I also wanted to tell him to f**k off while I stood there silently with a forced half-smile.
These hostile, uneducated, insensitive, crude, ignorant, and downright stupid comments drive me mad.
📣 So listen up. Just because someone lives a different lifestyle (that does not affect you in any way whatsoever) doesn't mean they don't deserve the same opportunities as you.
By introducing non-alcoholic alternatives to their menus, bars and restaurants are embracing greater accessibility and accommodating a wider range of customers. What may come as a surprise to some, there is a great deal of enthusiasm for these options!
Check out the second image to see the love for mocktails and sober options 💛
If you are a restaurant looking to expand or add NA options, we have some great recommendations or can help make intros to the fantastic brands elevating this movement!
✌🏼
Sobrailte Founder, Katie Manning