Laguna Beach bottle shop with zero proof options serves those who break from imbibing

By Barbara McMurray, Special to the Independent

Wine is wonderful. Cocktails are a kick. Beer is for bonding. Tradition has it that imbibing is a way to unwind and socialize. But not everyone can or wants to indulge, and since the COVID-19 lockdown, many Americans are rethinking the role alcohol plays in their lives, said Jonny Cummings, CEO of BrightLife Beverage Company. The new bottle shop at 1854 South Coast Hwy. sells only no- and low-alcohol beverages.

Irish-born Cummings and his fiancée, Laguna Beach native Natalia Browne, are aiming to corner this fast-growing niche market. The trend was in play before COVID-19 lockdowns, according to Nielsen research. Although industry watchers noted a sharp increase in alcohol consumption at the beginning of the lockdown, once the novelty wore off, Americans of all ages began using nonalcoholic beverages to limit their drinking at home. In May 2020, nonalcoholic beer sales increased 44% compared to the previous year.

Most of the consumers of these creative mocktails and near-beer (both apt but outdated descriptors that Cummings and Browne wish would go away) are not teetotalers, but average drinkers who want to moderate their consumption.

Where alcohol-free choices were once limited to sparkling water and sugary soda, dozens of intriguing new nonalcoholic beverage brands have entered the U.S. marketplace, obviating the need for non-drinkers to choose between good health and great taste. Many of those brands with artistic, eye-catching labels are sold in BrightLife’s quaint space next door to Sweetwater Car Wash, where customers are welcome to wander in to wet their whistle at the tiny bar in the rear of the store.

The first dedicated alcohol-free bottle shop on the West Coast, BrightLife will soon sell its goods online for shipping nationwide. Conscious of the heavy weight of its goods, BrightLife is also dedicated to keeping its carbon footprint small by using only renewable, recyclable, or compostable materials in its packaging. BrightLife has pledged to donate a percentage of sales to environmental causes and work with as many women and minority-owned brands as possible.

“We’re excited to meet local bartenders, restaurateurs, and shop owners to introduce them to the benefits and appeal of tasty, high-end nonalcoholic beverages,” Browne said. “We’ll offer menu curation, training, and wholesale trade partnerships for restaurants, cafés, and companies. We even have a mobile bar for events.”

They are eager to hold tasting events at the shop, which customers can learn about by signing up at brightlifebeverages.com to receive email notices.

Cummings noted, “Some of our 100 or so products are straight swaps meant to take the place of bar basics like bourbon and gin. Others are botanical infusions unlike anything else you’ve tasted. We carry an Australian brand called Lyre’s that offers a traditional bar setup of gin, vermouth, two kinds of rum, and a tasty coffee liqueur that makes a mean alcohol-free espresso martini.”

The shop sells Kentucky 74, a distilled bourbon, and Buonafide 0.0 wines, both examples of alcoholic beverages made traditionally, with the alcohol removed at the end of the process. This is a plus for people with allergies and sensitivities, noted Browne.

Beer’s bane for weight watchers is in its alcohol content, so at 60 or fewer calories per drink, nonalcoholic IPAs, lagers, stouts, sours, and golden ales, each with its own complex taste profile, are a welcome relief.

There’s another reason Browne and Cummings are staying alcohol-free and on their game. The pair, who met in San Francisco and returned together last year to her hometown, will welcome their first child, a girl, in early December.

“I’m excited to drink bubbly at my baby shower in September,” Browne said.