Milwaukee Record Presents N/A Beverage Festival

Participating in ‘Dry January’ — a challenge that requires giving up alcohol for the first month of 2023 — doesn’t have to mean foregoing interesting and flavorful beverage options.

In celebration of the new year, Milwaukee Record will invite beverage enthusiasts to raise a glass to peace, prosperity and zero-proof drinks with its second annual N/A Day, a ‘Dry January’ beverage festival.

Scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 7 at The Cooperage, 822 S. Water St., the event will offer attendees the chance to sample non-alcoholic products from more than a dozen vendors including Lagunitas, Athletic Brewing Co., Stella Artois, Lakefront Brewery, Soul Brew Kombucha, Untitled Art, Visitor, System Seltzer, Sprecher Brewing, Top Note Tonic, Guinness, Ceria, Two Roots, ZOA Energy, Liquid Death, Hoplark, Sierra Nevada and more.

DJ Christreater of WMSE will provide entertainment throughout the afternoon, and The Cooperage bar will be open, serving both non-alcoholic and alcohol-based beverages.

In addition, representatives of 4th Dimension Sobriety, a Milwaukee-based sober living house, will be onsite to offer information about the organization to those who are interested.

Milwaukee Record presents the event with sponsors Athletic Brewing Co., Lagunitas, Stella Artois, and Gruber Law Offices. The festival will run from noon until 4 p.m. on Jan. 7.

Tickets ($20 in advance and $30 at the door) are available for purchase online. For more information, visit The Cooperage website.

Now entering its second year, the festival comes amid a wave of renewed interest in low-to-no alcohol lifestyles. Younger generations in particular have experienced a recent spike in sober-curiosity. As a result, trend-savvy bars and brands have moved to create new, alternative options to booze — from authentic-tasting non-alcoholic spirits to beer and even CBD-infused beverages.

Beyond the January festivities, a number of Milwaukee bars offer thoughtfully curated mocktail menus year-round. Check out the options at SlyFox Cocktail Bar, Sugar Maple, HoneyBee Sage Apothecary & Herbal Beverage Lounge, Strange Town, Lost Whale, Boone & Crockett, Bittercube Bar & Bazaar and others for non-alcoholic sips.