Spirited Away

When I opened Spirited Away, I made a decision that went against conventional wisdom: I didn’t ship anything online. Despite some early TikTok virality (and countless shipping requests from people across the country), I decided not to bother with nationwide delivery. Forgoing a revenue stream—especially when potential customers are requesting it—can be difficult. But looking back, focusing on Manhattan became one of my biggest advantages. Here’s why: → It simplified my operations Shipping heavy, fragile bottles across the country is expensive and complicated. By keeping it local, I avoided the headaches of high fulfillment costs and related headaches. → It strengthened my community People don’t just come to Spirited Away for a few bottles. They come for our knowledgable staff, free tasting events, real-world discovery. That's impossible online, which could have diluted the experience of Spirited Away. → It let me double down on the shop's strengths Virtually every non-alc brand sells online. Instead of competing with them (or Amazon, for that matter), I focused on what they don't do: creating an in-person space for customers to explore their products. When you're starting a brick and mortar, many people will advise you that you must be online. You must scale nationwide. You must be everywhere. But what if the primary opportunity is in going deeper, not wider? Focusing on what actually works for you, especially in your business's early days, can be the difference between spreading yourself too thin and building something that lasts. Would love to hear: what’s a decision you made in business that required focus but paid off?

I want to drink every day. Not because I want alcohol—but because I love the ritual. The glassware, the mixing, the slow sip at the end of a long day. For me, it's always been less about the buzz and more about the process. That realization changed everything for me. It’s what led me to explore alcohol alternatives back in 2020. It’s what made me open Spirited Away, and it’s what convinced me that the non-alc movement isn’t simply about cutting alcohol. It’s about rethinking the way we drink altogether. Because when you strip away the alcohol, what’s left? → The habit: unwinding with a drink is second nature for many. But what if the drink itself evolves? → The craftsmanship: people still want a well-made drink. Something balanced, layered, complex. → The social experience: a drink in hand makes a moment feel intentional, whether it’s a wedding toast or a weeknight. Spirited Away has been helping consumers reevaluate this ritual for five years. Now, I'm excited to be doing that on an even broader scale with Dry Atlas.

In 2020, I had zero experience in beverage or retail. So, what did I decide to do? I left my 15-year corporate career and opened a booze-free bottle shop in New York, of course! The idea wasn’t complicated: I wanted to buy alcohol alternatives in person, but they weren't available at wine or liquor stores and there weren't any dedicated shops yet. So, I built the shop I wished existed. It also happened to be America's first. Five years later, it’s safe to say that it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Here’s why: → I started with a real problem. If I couldn’t find a store selling great alcohol alternatives, others probably couldn’t either. → Retail-first made me a non-alc expert. Most non-alc founders start with one product and figure out how to sell it. I did the opposite; launching a store first taught me exactly what customers wanted. → Betting on a new category paid off. Back then, most people didn’t take non-alc seriously. Despite the skeptics, I believed in the shift happening. And now? The market has exploded. Of course, it wasn’t easy. I had to figure out non-alc retail with no playbook, convince consumers to try something totally new, and navigate pandemic uncertainty. But if I hadn’t taken that leap, Spirited Away wouldn’t exist. Neither would Dry Atlas. The best career moves aren’t always the most obvious ones. Sometimes, they feel downright risky. What about you? Have you taken any risks that you’re proud of?

Independent retailers are the backbone of the non-alc movement, says Laura Silverman of Zero Proof Nation. She emphasizes that they're the ones hosting tastings, educating consumers, and giving emerging brands a place to shine. (I may be a bit biased with Spirited Away, but I agree!) This is why Laura teamed up with All The Bitter to create Cherry Coffee Blast, a non-alc bitters sold exclusively at independent bottle shops. I sat down with her to talk about the inspiration behind the product, the role of bitters in non-alc drinks, and where she sees the alcohol alternatives category heading. Want to read our full conversation? You can find the link in the comments below.

Huge congrats and thanks to my Spirited Away co-owner Alex Highsmith. In her two years, we've showcased 57 brands to our community and grown retail sales by 63%. She's been an amazing partner since day one and she continues to level up the operation. We have exciting plans for the next two years and look forward to sharing more soon!

2 years at Spirited Away ?? When I walked into Spirited Away for the first time, I was just a skeptical customer. I had never seen anything like the place and as I tell people often, I got pretty emotional... All this stuff, carefully made and beautifully curated and without alcohol??? For me??? After about 5 years of chugging seltzers, I was back baby. I pretty much asked Douglas Watters for a job on the spot. I could tell this place was special. And although he didn't quite have a gig for me in that moment, he let me stick around and yap about all my ideas for the industry while simultaneously picking his brain... when it came time for his year-long-NA-R&D trip around the world with Victoria W., he asked if I wanted to help run the shop while he traveled and I said yes. I cannot overstate how well being opportunistic and saying yes, even when I really had no idea what I was doing, has served me the last 2 years. Especially in this industry that's so new and often termed "Wild West"... as a millennial, I often feel like I missed the "heyday" times of industries and era's past. But not here, not now. We are right in the thick of it. I have been so absolutely blessed to spend so much time at 177 Mott Street. I can't wait to see what we and the space at large get into next. To all the brands, founders, customers, staff members, hospitality pros, bottle shop owners, Sober Sallies, drink seekers and mixology pilgrims who have passed through our doors: THANK YOU. Thank you for supporting small business, for considering alternatives to alcohol, and for genuinely being some of the best most curious and innovative people in the world. In a dedicated space like Spirited Away, it's easy to take adult non-alcoholic beverages for granted. but I'm here to tell you we have a loooong ways to go. And I'm totally here for it. Shout out to all my other non-alcoholic bottle shop babes and lovers around the country! How long have you been in business and what are you excited for this year? I love u!!

As a career brand marketer, the positioning and visual identity of just-launched St. Buena Vida stood out to me. I wasn’t surprised to learn that consumer marketing expert Ashwinn Krishnaswamy was behind it. Check out his BTS video (linked in comments). It's a fun watch! Was also impressed to see St. Buena Vida's “Cathedral Club,” a membership program offering early access to new releases and exclusive events. While some brands, like Figlia, outsource their community efforts to high-tech platforms like TYB, simpler internal community efforts can be quite effective. If you're in New York, this brand just hit Spirited Away's shelves.

As a non-alc retailer of five years, here's the advice I've repeated to countless founders: your product’s journey doesn’t end on the shelf. It starts there! Retailers can be your biggest ally, but only if they know how to sell your product. That’s where strong retailer relations come in. In this free Dry Atlas webinar, Tawny Lara, Co-Founder of (parentheses), will share her proven strategies to improve your communication with retailers and make sure your product moves off the shelf. Register below to get all her tips. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received about working with retailers?

Celebrity endorsement is everywhere in the drinks world. But what does it mean for non-alc? In this Punch article, I had the chance to weigh in on how celebrity-backed brands are impacting our category. The article also included data on what our Dry Atlas readers think: In our October 2024 survey, we asked about the impact of “celebrity involvement,” and 48% of respondents indicated it would make them less interested in trying a product. That’s up from one-third when we asked six months prior. Still, I'm personally excited about celebrity involvement (when done well) for increasing consumer awareness and adoption of non-alc. Check out the full article below.

Over the years, novel wine occasion beverages have been some of our top-sellers at Spirited Away. Young Stowe's Unified Ferments is one example. More recently, high quality dealcoholized wines like Rachel Martin's Oceano Zero have gained significant traction among our consumer base. Excited to watch these two speak at our upcoming Dry Atlas webinar with Roman S.. They'll be joined by Murray Paterson of MURI (another personal favorite), sommelier Caleb Ganzer, and Jens Christophersen?to discuss the future of wine pairing menus. Register to join live next Thursday at 10 AM EST: https://lnkd.in/gBw7BbjX