Craft Chats is our series of discussions with people who live and love non-alcoholic beer. This month, we spoke with with Connor Duthie, Managing Director for Soberdry.com, based in Calgary, Alberta.
Hey Connor, thanks for taking the time to chat with us about all things non-alcoholic, and Soberdry! Can you tell us a little bit about Soberdry, and what makes it special?
Soberdry was created based on a matter of necessity. In late 2019, I made the decision to remove alcohol from my life. It was the toughest decision I have ever made in my life, but it turned out to be the best decision I’ve made thus far. When I made the decision, I realized the experience of purchasing non-alcoholic products was not where it needed to be. In my pursuit of finding satisfying non-alcoholic beverages, I encountered very minimal selection in liquor stores, and I was put off by purchasing my beverages of choice beside the Tostito chips in a grocery store. The experience just wasn’t curated, the options were lean, and I felt it took the wind out of my sails even though I was so proud to be on a journey of sobriety. I did some digging and I realized there were a ton of amazing options on the market, and bringing them all together was something Canadians needed.
Soberdry is special, because it was made with love and has something for everyone. It was created based on any spectrum of sobriety on a person’s journey – whether you are sober curious or have many years of sobriety under your belt, for everyone. It is a community, it is a lifestyle, and it is a movement. Just like me, everyone has a story, and we encourage you to tell us! And we are driven by the motto: experiences are meant to be remembered!
We completely agree! Do you drink NA beer? If yes, Why?
I drink NA beer as it is honestly an integral part of my personal sobriety. Enjoying a beer at a hockey game, after a round of golf, sitting on a patio - are all still possible for me - just without the alcohol! Every single experience I had in the past can be replicated with a delicious non-alcoholic option, triggering the same experience - only this one I'll be able to remember the next day:)!
What's your favourite style of NA craft beer?
I love the light lagers. My pallet for NA beer is expanding though - and I love to try whatever is out on the market!
We're hearing more and more that people are making the decision to drink less alcohol. Why do you think that is? What's guiding that change?
I think people are realizing they can have just as much fun and can partake in all experiences without needing the alcoholic content. People are being more health conscious – physically, mentally and emotionally – and there is a sense of movement that is happening! I also strongly believe all of the amazing options which are coming to market are making it much easier for people to branch out! Many people like the taste of alcoholic products as they aren’t necessarily as “sweet” as pop or as bland as soda water with juice (typically substitutes for alcoholic beverages), and many of the NA products on the market hit essentially all of the flavour profiles of their alcoholic content counterparts. We know many people who still consume alcohol who just enjoy the rich flavour profiles of the products we offer!
That’s awesome! We definitely see that a lot of people are realizing that non-alcoholic options are delicious and an awesome alternative. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
We are committed to this. This has been a journey to say the least in the last six months since starting our organization. It hasn't been easy, but we are committed to creating a lifestyle - a movement. We look forward to our future as a company, and where we can take this movement collectively, together. We are doing this for a reason, and will be continuing to create our community!
Huge thanks to Connor from Soberdry for taking the time to chat with us. Libra non-alcoholic Pale Ale is available on soberdry.com. Grab a Libra and tell us what you think!
