U.S. of N/A: Non-Alcoholic and Mindful Drinking

The Quiet Pour, with Vicente Ruiz

Today's guest on The Quiet Pour is Vicente Ruiz, whose relationship with alcohol was shaped early by family gatherings well before he realized it had stopped serving him. Those experiences caused him to decide to stop drinking alcohol entirely. In this episode, Vicente talks about what led him to sobriety, and how that shift sparked an unexpected career move — first helping NA beverage brands with distribution, then co-founding his own kava beverage company with a close friend. Mentioned in this episode: Lacuna Kava Bar [https://www.yelp.com/biz/lacuna-phoenix] (Phoenix, AZ) Better Days Kava Bevs [https://www.betterdaysbev.com/] Want to be featured on this new series? Let us know [https://www.nationbeer.com/contact]! We'd love your feedback! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2305451/fan_mail/new]

Last Call For Hemp Beverages? The Path Beyond November

Unless something changes, a looming November 12th deadline threatens to upend the entire industry surrounding psychoactive hemp. With such an existential threat on the horizon, we asked Dani Baranowski, Executive Director of the Florida Hemp Beverage Coalition and founder of Highspitality, to join us and break down the high-stakes legislative battle that will ultimately decide the future of hemp-derived THC drinks. We explore the reality of a federal "total THC" cap, what lawmakers get wrong about hemp, and how these shifts threaten the rising crossover between non-alcoholic and functional wellness beverages. Key Topics: * The 0.4mg Cliff: The federal push that could decimate the category and whether an eleventh-hour fix is realistic. * Educating Lawmakers: The biggest misconceptions legislators have about hemp versus traditional cannabis. * The Three-Tier Debate: Whether regulating hemp beverages like alcohol protects consumers or simply hands control to a frequent adversary. * The NA & Hemp Convergence: How a hemp ban directly impacts the wider non-alcoholic and mindful drinking movement. Mentioned in this episode: Florida Hemp Beverage Coalition [https://floridahempbeveragecoalition.org/] Highspitality [https://highspitality.com/] We'd love your feedback! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2305451/fan_mail/new]

The Quiet Pour, with Cindy Pokriefka

Today's guest on The Quiet Pour is Cindy Pokriefka [https://www.instagram.com/gingergonerunning/], an avid (and accomplished) distance runner who re-discovered the sport in her mid-twenties, having completed six marathons in the past six years. In this episode, Cindy shares her thoughts on how running helped her during COVID, why it's so important to mental health, and how mindful drinking has helped her be present in social situations without feeling like she has to drink alcohol. She also shares her favorite (and simple) sparkly NA beverage that anyone can easily create.  Want to be featured on this new series? Let us know [https://www.nationbeer.com/contact]! Referenced in this episode: Ginger Gone Running Podcast [https://open.spotify.com/show/3q52Xfxbuq53bLG4fLx7m8] We'd love your feedback! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2305451/fan_mail/new]

The Quiet Pour, with Dave Zalatoris

Our next guest on The Quiet Pour is no stranger to the craft beer scene, particularly in his hometown of Chicago. Dave was an early adopter of NA options when the quality took a big jump a few years ago, and he likes to rotate them in with his full-octane brews. In this episode, Dave shares his thoughts on why he enjoys talking about beer (listen to his podcast, Beer In Front [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beer-in-front/id1500155339]), what's in his fridge, and how mindful drinking has impacted his drinking habits.  Want to be featured on this new series? Let us know [https://www.nationbeer.com/contact]. We'd love your feedback! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2305451/fan_mail/new]

The Expanding Occasions For Non-Alcoholic Beer

The occasions for non-alcoholic beer are ever expanding, but so, too, is the competition. Best Day Brewing [https://bestdaybrewing.com/] founder Tate Huffard has spent the last five years working to build a brand to last. We dig into what's been the secret sauce to their growth, from the brewing process to the retail shelf, and what has helped them to stand out in an ever-crowded field. We cover Tate's surf-culture origin story behind BDB, how the consumer occasion for NA beer has shifted since 2021, and where Tate sees the brand fitting in a market that's increasingly defined by wellness and fitness positioning, or celebrity fame. Key Topics: * The Founder Story: Why a group of surfers missing morning sessions became the unlikely starting point for one of the country's few NA-only craft breweries with national distribution. * The Evolving Occasion: How and where people are actually reaching for NA beer in 2026, and why the answer might surprise you. * Crowded Market, Distinct Identity: With fitness brands and celebrity labels flooding the space, where does Best Day's long-term positioning actually live? * Cracking Retail and Hospitality: The misconceptions distributors still hold, and how close we really are to seeing significant NA variety on restaurant menus. * What's Next: After the launch of Wild American Pilsner, what's ahead for this Sausalito-based brand? Mentioned in this episode: Best Day Brewing [https://bestdaybrewing.com/] We'd love your feedback! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2305451/fan_mail/new]