“Sober curious”. “Dry January”. “Sober sometimes”. “Sober October”. Since 2018, these terms have become more ingrained in our society - thanks to recent books published about the topic and social media. 

But what do they mean? And why is there a growing trend of people identifying as one of the terms or something similar? 

Abby Tofte stopped drinking alcohol two and a half years ago, after realizing that she simply wasn’t the best version of herself when she would drink.

“I wasn’t excessively drinking. I just didn’t feel good after having a drink or two, so I decided to quit,” she said.

Tofte is not alone in giving up alcohol for this reason. The sober curious (a term for people who are interested in the non-drinking movement, but have not gone completely sober) or dry “month” trends are growing, especially in younger generations. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, participation in “Dry January” peaked in 2022 after a rise in alcohol consumption throughout the pandemic. These are people who may not identify or be diagnosed with alcohol addiction or as an alcoholic - reasons society often thinks of when we learn someone doesn’t drink. 

However, just because the non-alcoholic (NA) movement is growing doesn’t mean the decision to reduce or cut out drinking isn’t met with some resistance from others. “Even though it’s a growing trend, it’s something people still don’t talk a lot about because drinking can be so ingrained in our society. There really isn’t a big community for those who fall between alcoholic support groups and those who actively drink, or even those who are sober curious,” Tofte shared. 

 Photo by Laura Durenberger-Grunow

The search for others like her led Tofte to open Lady Superior Bottle Shop - the first non-alcoholic bottle shop along the North Shore. She shared that she had no idea if it would even take off, or if there would be an interest from others. However, the response has been surprising. “I’ve been shocked at the number of visitors and locals who have come in and shared with me that they too have stopped drinking. I couldn’t believe how many people were out there like me,” she said. 

When people find out that she doesn’t drink alcohol, they ask why even bother to find NA alternatives. Abby tells them that some people actually do like the taste of beer and wine, or they like the traditions, celebrations, and participating in social events with their friends and family. But there can be barriers to buying NA alternatives because it can be expensive - especially if you aren’t able to try before you buy, and a lot of options aren’t available locally so people have to shop online or order in bulk.  

In May of this year, Tofte visited Marigold, a non-alcoholic bottle shop with locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. There, she was able to try different beverages to find things she actually enjoyed. “I bought a bunch to bring back up to stock up for the summer,” she shared with a laugh. 

Trying all different kinds of non-alcoholic wine and beer may not seem like the worst part of the business, but it’s something that Abby says is really important. “I don’t want someone who is sober curious or has already stopped drinking to come in and buy something that tastes really bad and be turned off by it. We want to be a resource for those who want beer and wine alternatives.”

 Working at Unplugged - photo provided by Abby Tofte

The process of sampling everything so that what’s available is good has been paying off. Lady Superior Bottle Shop was asked to have a booth at North House Folk School’s Unplugged event in September. Tofte says that her staff received so many ‘thank-yous’ from people who were attending who had an NA option available to them that they could enjoy during the concert. “That’s where the magic is in this - when people feel seen,” she said.

In addition to comments at Unplugged, they’ve also had tons of feedback from people visiting the area who were excited to find non-alcoholic options they could enjoy during their stay, and they’ve even had people drive up from Duluth specifically to visit the store and purchase NA drinks. 

Lady Superior Bottle Shop offers NA wine, beer, and mixed drinks, as well as a variety of CBD and THC beverages. Photo by Laura Durenberger-Grunow 

Currently, the bottle shop lives within The Big Lake shop in downtown Grand Marais (which Tofte also owns), but she shared that she’s looking for a bigger space so they can expand. “We are offering a curated experience with the bottle shop. When you go into any traditional liquor store, you can often ask questions and get suggestions from employees. But it’s harder with non-alcoholic beverages. We’re offering that.”

When asked what her favorite non-alcoholic beer, wine, and mixed drink was, she answered without hesitation (and with detail about the companies and flavors of each drink): the hazy IPA from Athletic Brewing, Prima Pave’s version of a sauvignon blanc, and any mixed drink from Nope - all of which the shop carries.

Physical expansion is not the only future goal. Abby shared that they are also looking to be able to offer an NA alternative at more events like they did at Unplugged, as well as hosting happy hours, tastings, and special guests - one of which they have coming up on October 12. 

 Image provided by Abby Tofte

In celebration of Sober October, author Lydia “Nibs” Noble will be signing copies of her new graphic novel: 365 Lessons: A Year in Early Recovery at The Big Lake from 4:00pm - 6:00pm. A non-alcoholic happy hour will also take place, where people can sip and shop throughout the store. 

“There are so many different reasons that people are sober curious or decide to cut out drinking. We want to make people feel seen and offer a community of people who are in the same boat, as well as non-alcoholic beer and wine options that they weren’t able to find locally before,” she said.

For more information about the book signing and sip & shop NA happy hour on October 12, 2023, visit the event page here. 

You can learn more about Lady Superior Bottle Shop at: https://www.instagram.com/ladysuperiorbottleshop/ and The Big Lake: https://thebiglakelife.com/

To learn more about having Lake Superior Bottle Shop host a booth or table at an upcoming event, you can email [email protected]