Non-alcoholic spirits shop opens on Grand Rapids’ west side

Non-alcoholic spirits shop opens on Grand Rapids’ west side
A selection of non-alcoholic beverages at the recently opened Alt City NA Bottles and Beer on Grand Rapids’ west side.

GRAND RAPIDS — The mixologists behind a non-alcoholic beverage shop in Grand Rapids’ Downtown Market recently opened a retail storefront with a wide selection of zero-proof cocktail mixers, spirits, beer and wines.

The owners of Alt City Beverage Company Inc., brothers Paul and Chad Clark, brought on Neil DeMeester to open a brick and mortar shop because they saw a demand in the non-alcoholic market. 

Alt City NA Bottles and Beer LLC recently opened at 434 Leonard St. NW on Grand Rapids’ west side. The three owners have sampled all of the spirits alternatives, non-alcoholic beer and wine in the shop and are able to guide customers through their shopping experience, DeMeester said.

“The (NA) market is so new and there are so many different products out there and some are better than others,” DeMeester told MiBiz. “When people stop in they can talk to somebody who has tried the product and we can help them find what they are looking for or what they want to replicate.”

The shop is working with two restaurants to supply non-alcoholic spirit alternatives and they are looking to expand to work with more restaurateurs to help them meet customer demand, DeMeester said.

“Mocktails have always been fruit juice and soda, and more sweet kiddie drinks,” DeMeester said. “But there are a ton of adult alternatives. The things we have in stock are more complex and go beyond the simple, sweet options.”

Alt City Beverage Company was founded in 2019 after the Clark brothers used the Downtown Market Incubator program to help launch their business. They later opened a space at the Downtown Market in Grand Rapids in 2020, serving up a rotating menu of non-alcoholic beverages, smoothies, teas and coffees. 

They attempted selling some non-alcoholic spirits alternatives at the Downtown Market location, but it was an unsuccessful way of marketing the product, leading them to a brick and mortar space, DeMeester said. 

The shop owners worked with CityWide Real Estate Services to secure a lease for the 846-square-foot space at 434 Leonard St. NW. The owners also are planning to launch their own Alt City NA non-alcoholic wine and beer line in about a month. As well, the company is working on a line of cocktail mixers specifically designed to pair with zero-proof spirits.

Even in a city known for its wide range of breweries, the demand for non-alcoholic options has grown, as MiBiz previously reported. DRY Social Sober, a social group that hosts regular gatherings without alcohol, has grown to more than 500 members on Meetup.com and has hosted more than 115 events since 2020.

The shop has been “extremely busy” since opening, and even struggled to keep some products in stock to keep up with demand, DeMeester said. Their customer demographics so far have been about 50 percent people who are sober or taking a break from drinking, and about half looking to provide non-alcoholic options for friends or family, DeMeester said.

An Alt City NA Bottles and Beer grand opening celebration will take place in January to coincide with “dry January,” a trend where many people choose to abstain from alcohol for a month after a boozy holiday season. Alt City NA plans to maintain its Downtown Market location.