Food & Drink

New year, new attempts at health. Whether you’re diving into Dry January or just rethinking your drinking, there’s never been a better time to experiment with an alcohol-free lifestyle. With America’s drinking habits on the decline, a wave of new non-alcoholic options is shaking things up. But still, about 30% of the LGBTQ+ community faces alcohol use disorder. Yes, there’s plenty to drink about these days, but thankfully queer-owned non-alcoholic drink companies are stepping up to create spaces where connection doesn’t cause hangovers. Ready to sip with pride? Check out these fabulous non-alcoholic LGBTQ+ beverage brands that are shaking things up.

Woodnose Sacré

Founded by husbands Justin and Roger, Woodnose Sacré is a non-alcoholic spirit made from a blend of barrel-aged maple syrup and coffee. The main ingredient, fermented maple syrup, is made at Justin’s family farm in North Vermont. Every batch is handcrafted and offers a wonderful flavor that’s delicious right out of the bottle. 

Aplós

Born from the philosophy that simple things add more substance to our lives, Aplós offers a range of functional non-alcoholic spirits and cocktails. Co-founder and reluctant drinker, David Fudge, was inspired to reimagine the adult drinking experience and the social connection it provides. Infused with natural botanicals like hemp and adaptogens, these bevies offer the sensory experience of a cocktail without the hangover. 

Solbrü 

After quitting alcohol in 2017, founder Leanne Kisil set out to support others seeking to reduce or eliminate their alcohol intake. Inspired by nature, Solbrü is an alcohol-free apéritif crafted with apple cider vinegar, organic mushrooms, and herbal extracts. This thoughtful blend is designed to promote connection and well-being, combining flavor with functional benefits.

Modica

Co-founders Eric Wentworth and JD Mitchell launched Modica after noticing a shortage of flavorful, health-conscious options for cocktail and mocktail mixers. Modica’s mixers are made with naturally-sourced ingredients, a low-calorie sweetener, and fortified with vitamins and electrolytes for a special boost of health. The duo recognizes bars as vital spaces for the queer community, and these flavorful mixers offer drinkers a chance to enjoy alcohol-free options or simply reduce their alcohol intake. Each bottle offers a mocktail recipe printed on the label for easy alcohol free sipping.

Are you experimenting with an alcohol-free lifestyle or just cutting back? Tell me all about it along with your favorite tips, tricks, or mocktail recipes! If you’re thirsty for more queer owned beverage brands, get brewing with this list of LGBTQ+ coffee. Cheers, queers! 

To better support the LGBTQ+ community, I’m on a mission to spend more of my money at LGBTQ+ owned businesses. Coffee is a huge part of my life and one of my favorite daily rituals is brewing coffee in the morning. I love starting the day slowly with a cup of coffee and I’ve been interested in supporting more queer owned coffee brands. If you’re a coffee drinker and looking to do the same, here’s a list of LGBTQ+ owned coffee brands bringing more diversity to the coffee industry.

2 Queens

Charles Wilkin and Martin Higgins are the queer royals behind 2 Queens, a shop in Narrowsburg, New York that offers coffee, tea, and honey. The venture is an opportunity to unite Martin’s 25 years of coffee roasting expertise and Charles’ devotion to honeybees. All their coffee is hand roasted to perfection by Martin. While their tea is carefully curated to be all-natural and support honeybees and other pollinators. To celebrate pride every morning, they even offer a special Queer Coffee blend in gorgeous packaging that’ll look great on your kitchen counter. You can visit their Catskills cafe in person or shop their online store.

Equator Coffees

Brooke McDonnell and Helen Russell founded Equator Coffees in 1995 in a Marin County garage. They set out to build a coffee company focused on quality, sustainability, and social responsibility. In 2016, Equator Coffees won National Small Business of the Year by the Small Business Administration, the first LGBTQ+ owned brand to earn this award. Today you can shop their coffee online or visit their cafes in the Bay Area and Southern California.

Queer Wave Coffee

Cheyenne Xochítl Love is the founder of Queer Wave Coffee, a coffee brand with a mission to disrupt the colonial supply chain. All their caffeinated coffee comes from Catracha Coffee Co. in La Paz, Honduras, a social enterprise which allows small coffee farmers to access and profit from the specialty coffee market. Through coffee, Cheyenne, an Indigenous, two-spirit, non-binary trans woman, is committed to dismantling patriarchy, white supremacy, and other oppressions. Every bag of Queer Wave Coffee proudly displays “1312” in the bottom corner.

Uncommon Coffee Roasters

In 1994, Guy Darienzo and Stephen Keye founded Uncommon Coffee Roasters in Saugatuck, Michigan, where their cafe Uncommon Ground quickly became known as, “the local gay coffee shop.” The company takes pride in celebrating diversity, giving back and sustainability, striving to work with companies that share their values. If you’re looking for more novelty products, they do offer a Pride Blend and a Love Wins blend.

To continue supporting the LGBTQ+ community, Uncommon Coffee Roasters donates to the Uncommonly Fabulous Fund, which offers financial support to LGBTQ+ youth and adults in need in the Southwest Michigan area. Visit their cafe in Saugatuck, Michigan or shop their coffee online.

FiNCA To FiLTER

Inspired by her work with coffee producers for Habitat para la Humanidad Guatemala, Kayla Bellman started FiNCA To FiLTER to combine her passions for coffee and social justice. This queer woman-owned business has a commitment to radical transparency, sharing the amount paid to growers, and fostering a sense of kinship and safety for their community, even partnering with ARC-Southeast to serve as a Plan-B outpost.

You can visit one of their cafes in Atlanta, Georgia, or purchase their coffee online.

Queer Coffee

Sourcing high-quality, organic, and fair trade coffee beans, Queer Coffee is a novelty coffee brand that supports LGBTQ+ causes. $2 from every bag sold goes to support the Campaign for Southern Equality, which works to promote full legal and lived LGBTQ+ equality in the south. If you’re looking for pride-themed coffee products, the brand’s logo features fun rainbow colored coffee beans to bring some joy to your morning cup.   

I’m always on the lookout for more LGBTQ+ businesses to support and would love to know your favorite queer-owned coffee brands. Not only that, but queer friendly spaces have been so important to my life over the years, what are your favorite LGBTQ+ inclusive coffee shops? Let’s talk about them!