Zero-Proof Cocktails Creating A Buzz At Topside Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It's happy hour at Topside in Baltimore with drinks flowing as freely as the conversation, but the beverages being served at this popular rooftop establishment lack a seemingly key ingredient: alcohol.
They're booze-less beverages that can satisfy any palate.
"Just because you don't want the alcohol, doesn't mean you don't want to connect with people," said Anna Welker, the mastermind mixologist behind the mocktails.
Welker is the bar manager at Topside, where she created "Zero-proof, Zero Judgment," a menu she created for dry January back in 2020.
She knew from personal experience that for some, "dry January" was a year-round event.
"Everything I did before revolved around alcohol," Welker said.
Her journey to sobriety began three years ago when she says she hit rock bottom during a trip to New Jersey to see a concert with some friends.
"I do not recall a lot of that weekend, but what I remember is my friends leaving without saying goodbye, like I just remember them turning back and looking at me and walking out the door." Welker recalled. "To see people who I've known for over half my life, kind of turn my back on me. That was the moment."
Her menu is now offered throughout year, but the shift toward zero-proof isn't just fueled by those like Welker.
"It's not only because you're sober, although it's a great reason to do it," said David Crooch, chief executive officer of Ritual, the maker of non-alcoholic alternatives to tequila, rum, whiskey and gin. "But it's because you're sober for nine months because you're pregnant, or because you're running a marathon tomorrow, it's because you're on a diet, or on call or you're the driver."
Ritual is now sold in grocery stores, liquor stores and bars nationwide.
In January alone, Ritual sold over a bottle a minute. They're numbers that Crooch says show where the zero-proof industry is headed.
"It tells me that non-alcoholic spirits and that choice is not just a moment in time, it's not just dry January, it is a movement," Crooch said.
It's a movement that Welker is proud to be a part of, having recently found out that her "Zero-Proof, Zero Judgment" menu will be offered at all Hyatt Lifestyle Brand Hotels across the country.
"It really is just beyond my wildest dreams," she said. "I'm just so humbled and honored and grateful. I mean grateful is the main word."
She's happy for the opportunity to offer a delicious option to those looking for anything from a zero-proof happy hour to a lifetime away from alcohol.
"I love having this menu as an avenue to get that conversation going, to get people talking to make people feel seen," she said. "I mean, you never know the ripple effect that anything we do has on people."
