I am glad to share an episode with Noah, not just because of all the amazing n/a serves he's been sharing all across the internet, but because his story is added among those who thought they'd have to leave the industry but instead are shaping it for future generations. Thank you Noah for sharing your journey, and for helping to bring so much positivity and flavors to future conversations. Noah heads Club Soda’s cocktail program for the Tasting Room at 39 Drury Lane in London. Coming ori...
Apr 26, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jordan Valls saw promise in himself, and took charge. But that didn't happen in one fell swoop. Listen here to find out what he had to see within himself, and what it took to make a forever change. Jordan Valls is an Industry Professional and Jiu-jitsu athlete. Former Bar Manager of the renowned Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library in Portland Oregon Jordan is passionate about fine spirits, cocktails & everything in between. Now running the cocktail program of the celebrated Cuban-inspired cocktail b...
Apr 05, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Andrew is local to Columbus, Oh the city I call home. I met him via Instagram after he took home one of the meditation cards I created for a Dry January event earlier this year. He asked himself the questions, and answered them through a social media post revealing some things to himself out loud. It was great to hear Andrew's story, and to hear the ways he checks in with himself to keep feeling his best. Andrew Hash was a daily drinker whose whiskey "hobby" became an unhealthy coping mechanism ...
Mar 22, 2023•34 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Elizabeth is everything exciting with the n/a movement. She read a room, left it, and created a better one. In these rooms, you find excitement, noise, conversation, people enjoying themselves, and great non-alcoholic cocktails. I was thrilled to chat with Elizabeth, who recently took Absence of Proof full-time, and contributes more than just events to the community. Elizabeth Gascoigne is found and CEO of Absence of Proof- a non-acloholic event curation company and online bottle boutique. Eliza...
Mar 08, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast A chat with someone like Ian will always be refreshing. I was cooled by the way he spoke about his journey through sobriety, and held in a suspension in how exciting life can be when we reward ourselves with more time. Founded by two former French Laundry sommeliers—who quit drinking after they had kids—All The Bitter is a lineup of non-alcoholic cocktail bitters that lift the spirit. Made by hand from organic, wild-foraged, and functional botanicals in a process that takes nearly two months, ou...
Feb 22, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast I was looking forward to my conversation with Whitney not just because they were sent my way via our pal Laura Sanders, but because of what they contribute to the world. I'm fascinated by the humor and honesty that lies within their comics, and the way they play with the weight of the subject of sobriety. Please enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Whitney Wasson (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist and performer, originally from Fort Smith, Arkansas who lives in Chicago. A standup com...
Feb 08, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Chad and I share a few things: sobriety, running, a love for Jason Isbell, and our time at Eat Clean Run Dirty Magazine. I was excited to continue a conversation with Chad that we started during an editorial meeting recently. It was incredible to hear what it took to become honest, and begin a sober journey. We chat about the immense and supportive community that comes with ultra running, and how those in sobriety find their way to it. Chad Sullivan is a father, husband, writer, and ultra-runner...
Jan 25, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast A special thanks to Greg for being the final episode of no proof of 2022! Such a great way to close out the year with a conversation about being hopeful, becoming your best self, and looking forward to bigger mountains and challenges. Greg is a Virginia resident who worked in the restaurant industry during college. After graduating from Boston University in 2019, he transitioned into working in the legal world as a paralegal/legal assistant. He is slated to attend law school in the near fu...
Dec 21, 2022•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast I was fortunate enough to meet Sarah through our mutual pal, and co-founder of focus on health, Alex Jump. Our conversation is an enlightening look at the journey many within the hospitality industry experience with alcohol, and sarah's efforts to change her path. I thank her for her honesty and for sharing her story. If ever in Chattanooga, stop in and say hello. Sarah Tuttle is an award-winning bartender who has been living sober for almost 6 years. She lives in Chattanooga, TN, where she is t...
Dec 07, 2022•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast I'm fortunate to know someone like Derek Brown. His writing, books, and expertise have been influential in what shaped me as a bartender. I've learned recipes, techniques, and storytelling from someone like Derek, and now as I continue life without alcohol, he has found a new way to influence me. His own journey has afforded him the pause it took to look at the way his life was being lived and the decision to change it. It's incredible to see Derek take his new direction and do what he does best...
Nov 23, 2022•55 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast Before I met Rudy, I had sipped both versions of Parch, a n/a canned cocktail, and quickly became a super fan. The mix gave me pause when I sipped, and unlike many citrus, sugar, and soda combinations I've had in the past, this cocktail built a picture in my mind. I had to know more. Meeting Rudy has been fulfilling in so many beautiful ways. I was thrilled to discover he's also a passionate runner, and that he too uses his trots as a form of meditation. I'm thankful for the time he spent tellin...
Nov 09, 2022•49 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast I was glad to have had this chat with Geo. We met at Camp Runamok where I got to see his personality on full display, a character, someone you like to be around. One day on social media I noticed Geo sharing updates from a hospital. It wasn't my business to pry, so I followed along and watched as a man hospitalized started his epic comeback. Now, his sharing is in the form of gym selfies, and positivity. This was my first time hearing of Geo's epic bounce back and the man he'd get to become. Tha...
Oct 26, 2022•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jackie and I grew up relatively close to each other, but we didn't meet until we both lived in Columbus. It's almost strange to think now, that two people could live such parallel moments in their individual lives so close to each other without those moments ever meeting. Jackie is in her sixth year of sobriety, and I in my fifth, and this was the first time we chatted about it. It's truly great to chat through the growth that is possible, the revelation of a life that's right in front of your e...
Oct 12, 2022•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast I met Steven Gonzalez during a virtual portion of the Patrón Perfectionists cocktail competition. He was genuine, suave, had a good story, and a good drink. Many put on faces or fronts when competing, but when I met Steven in person I met the same, soft, personable person from the video. I didn't know at the time that he also didn't drink. I loved this opportunity to sit with Steven and chat about our decision to love an industry fully while removing what some would think is a crucial portion of...
Sep 28, 2022•53 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast Jill is someone, like many of my guests that I met on the internet. Luckily, I got to meet Jill in real life and bask in her energy while we were both at Tales of the Cocktail. In this episode we chat about what it takes to become sober, and what a support system can look like. Jill and her husband decided to remove alcohol from their lives at the same time, and she talks about what it's like to have a co-pilot while making that transition. I loved this conversation. I'm so lucky to share in the...
Sep 14, 2022•40 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast Molly makes delicious n/a drinks in Seattle. With her history in coffee, she finds new and expressive ways of bringing creative drinks to people. It was so nice chatting with her about the importance of finding your own words as you forge your own path. It's fascinating to find similarities in these conversations, but I am equally as interested in the things that make our journeys unique. I enjoy the gentleness that Molly brings to the conversation about sobriety, I liked hearing about the way h...
Aug 31, 2022•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dre is passionate about bartending. His work at Clavel in Baltimore brings a deep love and understanding for Mezcal, hospitality, and forward-thinking cocktails. The way he speaks of n/a drinks is one of inclusion and precision. It was exciting to chat about where the industry and the world are at with no proof offerings, how he's changed his mindset since giving up alcohol, and what's next all around. Thanks for your time and your story, Dre. Dre Levon is a New York-born Baltimore-raised barten...
Aug 17, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast I'm lucky to know Dave Conway. We met when we were both working for a distillery, I, a bartender for the attached restaurant, and Dave one of the distillers. We hit it off with our similar sense of humor and quickly created a weekly Instagram show called 'Distilling with Dave!" that included brief bonehead check-ins that were hilarious albeit not helpful to actual distillers. One day in September Dave seemingly disappeared. When he returned he had stories of strokes, a heart attack, and the road...
Aug 03, 2022•43 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast Sasha was open as she told me about her decision to leave alcohol behind. Getting to hear about her past, and how she came up as a chef was illuminating, but what really struck me was the way she talked about the future. The way she communicates with staff, the way conversations are changing, and the respect every individual gets along the way. I really appreciate her honesty, and for sharing her story as she navigated early stages, and what it felt like to decide to stop drinking in a pandemic....
Jul 20, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Chatting with Sarah was such a delight. She embodies physical and mental strength learned as she began her sober journey. There's also orchestrated poetry about her. The way she described finding her higher being or the importance of being who she is today is delivered with such honesty. Her story is fascinating to hear, and I really appreciate her taking the time to walk me back to the struggles she faced, and the person she got to become in sobriety. Sarah is an Oregon Pinot Noir winemaker who...
Jul 06, 2022•50 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast about the guest: A wild gal turned sober-curious, Fay Behbehani is a London native living in Los Angeles, and a beverage entrepreneur in both the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic space. As former head of marketing for a California-based brain tech company, she discovered her passion for natural stimulants, plant medicine and their therapeutic properties for mental and physical optimization. This was catalyzed during her time as the co-founder of Uncle Ed’s Damn Good Vodka where she became sober-c...
May 25, 2022•21 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast about the guest: Jason founded Casamara Club back in 2018, because he was tired of non-alcoholic drinks that tasted like an afterthought. He grew up in New England, spent his 20s in New York City, and now lives in Detroit. about the brand: The project started in my kitchen, building up a collection of dozens of homemade botanical extracts; learning to blend and make bitters and amaro ; and eventually creating the recipes for our original lineup of leisure sodas to remin...
May 11, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast about the guest: Alex developed a specialty in Hospitality, Food & Beverage - advising many of the UK’s leading brands. It was here - while working on a project for one of the UK’s largest bar chains - that he discovered the vast shortcomings in the mixer category and came up with the idea for AVEC. Growing up in the UK, but of Australian & Canadian heritage - he has always been obsessed with flavor. Always mobile and exploring new foods and cultures - Alex loves to cook and will talk ex...
Apr 27, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Madison sent me a message on instagram following an article I was featured in on TheKitchn in January of 2020. That article was my first time speaking publicly about my journey with sobriety, so it felt strange that my story would resonate with someone. It’s been a privilege to ride along via social media on Madison’s journey as she’s such an inspiring voice and advocate for herself. I can’t thank you enough for opening up and sharing your story, and I’m excited to see what’s to come for you. Af...
Apr 20, 2022•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast My chat with Andrew reveals what is possible in a kitchen with communication and understanding. Brought up through the old school kitchens, Andrew now leads a staff through positivity and creating a work environment people are excited to arrive to. Andrew recently celebrated 5 years sober, a milestone he's able to celebrate in Asheville, a place he calls home. I really appreciate him taking the time to chat with me about where he was when he decided to make the change, and the person he gets to ...
Apr 13, 2022•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Chatting with Hope was a splash of effervescence. She brings such positivity to what is possible in a life without alcohol. Like me, she doesn't preach that everyone must become sober to enjoy life to the fullest, but that you should at least be looking at your relationship with alcohol. Hope lives in NYC and it was exciting to hear about the ways that she enjoys her city, and how she gets to show up in it. After becoming alcohol-free, Hope began doing open-mic stand-up comedy, that sentence was...
Mar 23, 2022•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast I was excited to chat with Josh because of all the buzz I've seen around him and his cafe in San Francisco. His reviews of n/a drinks on his youtube page brings a fresh voice, and a seasoned palate to some of the exciting items coming down the pipeline. He was a hoot to talk to when we chatted about the enrichment our lives possess in a life free of alcohol, and he was an inspiration in hearing about what is possible in the n/a drink space. This episode has great tips and talking points for thos...
Mar 09, 2022•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast I recently learned of Ashley Mac through an interview I read on https://drinkbaijiu.com/ where she spoke with such excitement about the category and the industry that it was inspiring to see someone thriving in the industry while sober. During our conversation I was floored to hear so many parts of my own story being told back to me. Starting life in the industry at 15 in a corporate restaurant, stopping drinking at 29, and the ways we're able to truly live life now that we're sober. I really ca...
Feb 23, 2022•39 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast I had seen the label for Slow Luck begin showing up in feeds from some bartender friends but didn't know much about this new n/a spirit launched in Austin. I was excited to chat with owner Tacy Rowland to understand more about how this no-proof product borne of Austin with a bartender's flavor profile came to be. It's always exciting to see new products join the already delicious and inventive n/a space, and I can't wait to see what Slow Luck does next. Tacy Rowland has been a part of the Austin...
Jan 19, 2022•34 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast I was thrilled to chat with JdB after the monumental years he had with 2020 and 2021. More than that, I've always found him to have such an inclusive outlook on the industry, and a fascination with that his voice brings to the overall conversation. Interviewing someone with the number of accolades his bio holds is always intimidating, but his warmth, grace, and hospitality made for a great conversation. In this episode, I chat with JdB about his decision to not drink alcohol in 2020, why he chos...
Jan 05, 2022•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
