Staying Dry: Nonalcoholic beverages are having a moment

By Jessica Koslow

In 2022, Elizabeth Levitt was in an unusual predicament. She was a graphic designer in the alcohol industry and her husband decided to stop drinking.

“My job no longer aligned with my lifestyle,” she said.

Levitt eventually stopped drinking alcohol, too. She decided it was time for a change, which led her to develop Dri/kit. She launched the mocktail kit company online in March 2023.

“I started the online company just as I was adjusting to my personal lifestyle,” Levitt, who lives in El Segundo, said. “I was seeing these amazing non-alcoholic brands gaining popularity and the industry taking off. The non-alcoholic space is having a moment.”

Levitt and her husband shared her product at events, and in December 2023, they participated in a holiday artisan event in DTLA where they met Kimberly Fox, who previously occupied a pop-up shop on Playa Vista Runway with her Epic Mega Cookie Co. Little did they know, Fox’s lease would soon be up. Once vacant, Levitt applied for the space with Runway, and Dri/kit Bottle Shop was up and running by mid-February.

Levitt explained that people have various reasons for cutting down (or out) on alcohol intake, and they are not always for sobriety and recovery. They want to be healthier, are young parents who cannot afford to be hungover or take medications.

“The non-alc space is here to stay,” she said. “It is significantly rising year over year. Younger generations are not drinking as much, and they are the future buyers. About 25% of Gen Z does not drink. That is a staggering statistic compared to the generations before them. I feel validated.”

It used to be that the only options at a party were drinking alcohol or bubbly water, Levitt said. Now there are so many nonalcoholic drink options out there to enjoy, as well as information available about the effects of drinking.

“Many people are not aware that alcohol is a known carcinogen,” she said. “My eyes are now open to the possibility of not participating in drinking but still feeling like I am not missing out.”

Levitt went on to say that since she stopped drinking, she has experienced less anxiety, better sleep, weight loss, and clearer skin. Yet, she still enjoys the ritual of pouring herself wine in a long stem glass.

The Dri/kit pop-up bottle shop offers alcohol-removed wines, spirit alternatives, mocktails, and CBD and THC beverages. The store has a small refrigerator with cold grab-and-go cans for parents to sip while their kids play and people to take to outdoor events.

The pop-up shop has enabled Levitt to learn more about her customers’ needs and their reasons for not drinking. Many customers ask a lot of questions because they are not familiar with non-alcoholic beverages and the different brands.

Levitt uses a few factors in deciding what to stock, and because the space is small, she has the luxury to carry only the brands that she likes. The No. 1 factor is taste and quality. The second is that she sells some products that do taste like the real thing and some that do not. Her customers are split.

For instance, pregnant women might choose alcohol-removed wine because they miss drinking wine, but someone in recovery might be triggered by the real thing and want a fun, bubbly drink or mocktail. Levitt also aims to support businesses with women at the helm.

“The alcohol industry has lots of companies owned and operated by men, and I am happy to see female-owned businesses in the non-alcoholic space,” she said. “I believe women are great leaders, and women start businesses with a purpose and with more heart and soul.”

As a graphic designer, her final factor is aesthetics, because she is a “sucker for nice packaging.”

Word-of-mouth has spread, and the Dri/kit shop now has local regulars, as well as South Bay residents who come every Saturday to restock. Tourists often take a card to order their products online, which are not often available in their hometown.

Dri/kit is stocked floor to ceiling with brightly colored and uniquely designed bottles and cans. The wine section features Joyus, a female-owned and operated brand based out of Seattle that has won awards competing against non-alcoholic and alcoholic categories. Weekday Vibes is a one-woman female-owned company based out of Venice that makes non-alcoholic wine-based cocktails and was created by a mom who could not drink on weekdays. Levitt said that the bitter orange spritz tastes like an Aperol spritz.

Melo is a female-owned Australian kava beverage, which has calming effects, according to Levitt. She recommends passionfruit, orange and guava or banana cream. The celebration sets, to mark sobriety, pregnancy, or an engagement, include a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling wines by Joyus, a star sparkler, confetti bomb, and instant champagne cocktail cubes that can be dropped into a glass of sparkling water and transform it into a strawberry mimosa.

“The non-alcoholic market is booming,” said Sabrina Duong, CEO and founder of SemiPlume, a Champagne alternative made from a blend of teas that Dri/kit carries. “The worldwide non-alcoholic market is worth over $13 billion. Eighty-three percent of consumers are now drinking less alcohol or actively seeking out non-alcoholic beverages regularly, and the regular drinker is now alternating throughout the week/month/year between alcoholic and non-alcoholic adult beverages depending on the occasion.”

SemiPlume was launched on March 8, 2024, International’s Women Day, by Duong and Julie Dupouy, two French female entrepreneurs who are both mothers to young children.

“I believe that the future will see a shift towards non-alcoholic beverages, with alcoholic drinks eventually carrying warning labels similar to those on cigarettes,” Duong said.

Dupouy, who finished third in the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale’s Best Sommelier of the World contest in 2016 (it is held every three years), spent two years testing hundreds of trial recipes until she and Duong found the perfect blend of teas to create SemiPlume: green tea, brewed rooibos herbal tea, hibiscus herbal tea, and chamomile herbal tea.

According to Duong, tea offers diverse flavors, aromas, and textures — all characteristics analogous to the finest champagne — and various health benefits from antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. She suggests drinking SemiPlume extra chilled and in a champagne glass. It can also serve as a base for mocktails or a spritz.

Levitt hopes to have a bigger store presence one day, hopefully in or near Playa Vista, which has been extremely supportive of Dri/kit.

As for the website, Levitt will continue to offer gift sets, single bottles, and four-pack cans. Her goal is to overhaul her gift set options and be a destination for corporate gifting.

“I have had people stop in and tell me large corporations want to move away from HR violations,” she said. “Gifting alcohol is not as well received anymore. People have been offended by alcohol gifts.”

This summer, Levitt plans to extend the shop’s hours for summer events like the Summer Concert Series and Movie Under the Stars. Dri/kit will offer chilled grab-and-go cans and occasional Friday night wine tastings, which she posts on her Instagram, @dri.kit.

Dri/kit
12746 W. Jefferson Boulevard, Los Angeles
shopdrikit.com