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Of the Octave
Commemoration of St. Hyginus, P.M.
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from Inlander
By Eliza Billingham
Anthony Ward was tired of drinking seltzer. He had decided to cut back on alcohol after drinking a few too many beers out of sheer boredom during the pandemic. He felt better physically, but bubbly water after bubbly water still left him feeling, well, bored. "I just wanted something that satiated the urge to drink beer without having a negative effect," Ward says. His father-in-law, Jerry Porter, wanted the same thing, albeit because he had gone gluten-free and couldn't drink beer anymore. A hobbyist brewer for years, Porter started experimenting with making hop water, a sparkling water infused with hops instead of a malted grain fermented with them. The result was alcohol free, gluten free, sugar free, calorie free, and still, somehow, delicious.
One of America's most-beloved bartenders never took a shot with a regular. Sam Malone, heartthrob of the all-American TV show Cheers and owner of the titular bar, was supposed to be a washed-up Red Sox relief pitcher who lost his career to alcoholism, got sober and promptly opened a bar. Perfect setup for a ridiculous '80s sitcom, right? It's not so far out as you might think. A handful of barkeeps in Spokane don't drink alcohol themselves. People behind the bar at downtown places like Ruins, Bowery, Hogwash Whiskey Den and Mootsy's have learned how to control the balance of a cocktail and also the urge to drink one. If you're "sober curious," as the Gen-Zers say, or losing your nerve this Dry January, or skeptical that it's possible to have a fun night out without tequila, a chat with some local sober bartenders might give you something to think about. They don't drink for different reasons, but they've come to similar conclusions — they feel great, they still have friends, and they still love hanging out at bars. And they all want to provide that place where everybody knows your name, regardless of if you're drinking or not.
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from The Spokesman-Review
Newspaper in Spokane, Washington
