Can you enjoy Events Season without alcohol? Hell yes!

Events. Meetings. Parties. And that one inevitable question: ‘do you want a drink?’ 

Alcohol is so deeply ingrained in our social culture that just saying ‘no thanks’ can sometimes make you feel like you’re just not cool enough to be part of the gang, and the immense pressure to agree to a drink can be overwhelming.

That’s a feeling Founder and CEO of The Digital Voice™ Julia Linehan knows all too well. Drinking culture in the digital and advertising sectors is particular abundant, especially at the big events of the season like Cannes Lions, MAD//Fest and DMEXCO. Everyone’s down for a good time, and a good time always seems to mean a lot of alcohol.

But as someone coming up for four years as a non-drinker, Julia is a big advocate of sobriety, sober curiosity, and mindful drinking. In fact, becoming a non-drinker has increased Julia’s options - she never used to drink beer, for example, but now she loves nothing more than to socialise with a tasty non-alcoholic craft ale in hand... And that’s also why she was so excited to catch up with one of Canada’s leading advocates for Alcohol-Free beer – Mitch Cobb. 

Mitch is the co-founder and CEO of Libra - a line of scrumptious (and as close to the real thing as possible) non-alcoholic craft beer in Canada. His mission is simple; to change the way we see alcohol. As Mitch says, “it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can still enjoy social experiences and be mindful.”

So, how did Libra’s journey begin?

Mitch started his first craft beer business - Upstreet Craft Brewing - in Prince Edward Island. After years of running the business, he realised just how predominant a role alcohol - particularly beer - played in Canadian culture, similarly to the way it seems to in our industry.

“There was always an opportunity to have a beer. Everyone who wanted to meet up – whether for an after-work party or an event – always wanted to meet over beer. After a couple of years in the business, I could see it taking a toll on my physical and mental health. So I decided to start being more mindful and reduce my alcohol consumption.”

And while Mitch did reduce his consumption, he also had another idea in mind: he was going to make sober and mindful drinking fun. 

If you’ve ever been sober-curious or mindful about your drinking, then you’ll know just how isolating it can be not to drink when socialising. Firstly, there’s the stigma – the assumption that you must be pregnant or have a health issue (because why would anyone choose not to drink?) Then there’s the feeling of ‘all eyes on me’ that creeps in as soon as you order a can of coke or a glass of water. And that right there is a problem that Mitch wanted to fix.

“I got tired of going out with friends and asking for a non-alcoholic beverage and being given an orange juice. I’m not a kid and being handed a plastic cup of Tropicana just made me want to hide in a corner. I knew that there were so many other people that felt the same.”

Mitch knew people wanted to enjoy the social experience, but they didn’t want to stand out like a sore thumb. He knew they also wanted an enjoyable non-alcoholic beverage. Something that they’d be proud to walk around a room with and recommend to their friends.

And so Libra non-alcoholic beer was created.

“We wanted to launch a line with different flavours and products so that people could experiment and try new things. We’ve got our classic Pale Ale, our hoppy IPA beer, stout, and a cherry sour. Our main goal was to push the envelope, innovate and stand out in the mindful drinking market.”

The great thing about Mitch’s new non-alcoholic line was that it fundamentally didn’t change anything about the social experience that goes with drinking. People could still go out, have fun, and sip on a great-tasting adult drink. 

As Julia agrees, you don’t have to break the habit – you can just change the ingredient. The thrill of consuming a glass of your favourite tipple, at the same time and in the same environment, still holds true today for Julia – it’s just the alcoholic ingredient being replaced.

And for those who want to follow suit and become more mindful themselves?

Mitch suggests baby steps. Switch from the mindset of ‘all or nothing’, and you’ll find it easier to make that change. Ask yourself if it’s really the alcohol you want, or whether it’s just the social experience that comes with it. And of course, choose a non-alcoholic beverage brand that actually tastes damn good (which Libra does!)

So next time you’re at an industry event or a post-meeting gathering at the pub, consider alcohol free – even if it’s just every other drink. Perhaps you’ll surprise yourself with just how much fun you can have.

To hear the full conversation, listen out for the next installment of our podcast - Off Record, On Point – launching on 27th April!

In the meantime, to find out more about AF craft beer or to try Libra for yourself, head over to www.upstreet.ca.