GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A new bottle shop in Grand Rapids is stocked with items to support a sober lifestyle.
Alt City NA Bottles and Beer is located at 434 Leonard St. NW.
Co-Owner Neil DeMeester said the store may be the first of its kind in the Midwest.
"I think there's a ton of people that want to be sober for different reasons, whether it's just taking a break for a week, or a month for like dry January, or whether it's a medication or a life event, that they just want to be sober," DeMeester told FOX 17 News. "The demand has been overwhelming."
The business builds off the popularity of the "sober curious movement" and those wanting a selection to support a sober lifestyle.
"We've got a number of wines that are all de-alcoholized, so they're made as a regular wine and then they've gone through a process to remove the alcohol. We have spirit alternatives that are meant to be mixed like your favorite cocktail. We also have plenty of ready-to-drink options," he said. "Keeping product on the shelf has been the biggest challenge so far. We'll get product in bottles in that are popular, and they'll sell out in a couple of days. So it's been an overwhelming amount of support from the community that's looking for these options."
DeMeester met his co-owners, Paul and Chad Clark, through their original location Alt City location in the Grand Rapids Downtown Market.
"They started playing around with the nonalcoholic beverages from a retail perspective and mixing some really cool drinks down there," said DeMeester. "We've got the common thread that all three of us are sober. ... When the nonalcoholic space really started to take off during COVID, we started talking about the different stuff that they were carrying and the different stuff they were doing with the nonalcoholic beverages that we're stocking here. So, just talking to them and this idea kind of was born and we we decided to start this business."
Alt City NA Bottles and Beer opened just before Thanksgiving, but the shop is celebrating its official grand opening Friday, Jan. 13 from 4–8 p.m.
DeMeester said he and his co-owners are working on their own line of cocktail mixers and de-alcoholized wines.
To learn more about Alt City NA Bottle and Beer, visit the store's websiteor Facebook page.
READ MORE: The 'sober curious' movement is growing among young adults
