WEST LOOP — After a successful first run in 2023, a popular alcohol-free tasting event is coming back this month with the capacity for twice as many attendees looking to enjoy a sober social outing, organizers said.
NA Day is Jan. 13 at Loft on Lake, 1366 W. Lake St. in the West Loop. It’s organized by Chicago AF, a group dedicated to providing community, support and sober events in and around the city.
This year, the group has doubled the number of tickets split between two tastings. For $25, attendees can choose between a noon-2 p.m. or 3-5 p.m. time slot, which gives them access to samples from at least 20 vendors with non-alcoholic offerings, including beers, wines, cocktails and spirits.
Local drink suppliers include Ritual Zero Proof, Visitor, System Seltzers, Revolution Brewing and Lagunitas, as well as non-alcoholic bottle shops Bendición and In Good Spirits.
The decision to boost capacity to 400 attendees was in response to intense demand from the public, said Kerry Tuttle, assistant director of Chicago AF. Tickets sold out quickly last year, leaving sober and sober-curious hopefuls thirsty for more, Tuttle said.
“The strides that Chicago has made and the normalization of not drinking just in the past three years has been insane to watch,” Tuttle said.
About half the vendors this year are returning “fan favorites” from 2023, plus new options to give first timers and returning fans something new and something familiar to look forward to, Tuttle said.
Attendees can also enter a raffle to win a goodie box filled with beverages, bottle shop gift cards and other swag.
“It’s important to show up to in-person events and connect with like-minded people,” Tuttle said. “There are so many options for drinkers when it comes to wine and beer festivals, bar crawls, tasting events, etc. Carving out a bit of space for people to be social and have fun without alcohol helps to further normalize not drinking — both for people who have stopped drinking forever and for people who are tired of much of their social events revolving around alcohol.”
Tuttle said when she stopped drinking three years ago, she could rarely find non-alcoholic options at bars and restaurants. Most often, she’d have to order alcohol-free beverages from London.
But the booze-less movement has exploded in recent years. Particularly with the addition of Chicago AF to the local social scene, exploring sobriety and non-alcoholic options has become much more normal and accepted, Tuttle said. That’s reflected in the demand for the group’s events, including an alcohol-free bar crawl, no booze cruise and sober Oktoberfest, Tuttle said.
“The coasts get a lot of attention with the sober movement, but don’t overlook what’s happening in Chicago and the rest of the Midwest, in places that are drinking towns through and through,” Tuttle said. “There’s definitely a societal shift happen where it’s almost cool to be sober or sober curious now.”
While cutting down or cutting out booze tends to be most prominent in January, Tuttle said it appears the food and beverage industry have begun to rally behind offering more inclusive alcohol-free options long term. That will continue to make it easier and more enjoyable to go out and have fun without alcohol, Tuttle said.
“My hope is that many of these options become yearlong mainstays and get the same continual treatment and attention as their alcoholic counterparts,” she said. “Club soda and lime is fine, but it gets boring after a while.”
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