HOT SPOTS RIGHT HERE IN NEW YORK CITY, I DECIDED TO CHECK IT OUT.
>> Reporter: MUSIC, EXPERT
BARTENDERS, SINGLE
BARTENDERS, SINGLE 20-SOMETHINGS, THIS BAR HAS
EVERYTHING EXCEPT ALCOHOL.
>> YOU ARE JUST SAYING LET’S
MEET FOR DRINKS, BUT IS IT
REALLY ABOUT HOW MUCH ALCOHOL IS
IN THOSE DRINKS?
I DON’T THINK IT ALWAYS HAS TO
BE.
BE. >> Reporter: WELCOME TO LISTEN
BAR, A ONCE A MONTH POP-UP IN
NEW YORK’S LIVELY BOWERY
NEIGHBORHOOD.
NEIGHBORHOOD. WITH MENUS SPRINGING UP ACROSS
THE COUNTRY, DETROIT, CHICAGO,
AND ATLANTA, IT’S AT THE
FOREFRONT OF THE GROWING SOBER
CURIOUS TREND.
CURIOUS TREND. >> ARE WE WANT TO HAVE MORE
SPACES AND OCCASIONS WHERE BEING
DRY IS SOMETHING THAT’S
ENCOURAGED AND COMPLETELY
CASUAL.
CASUAL. >> Reporter: DRINK OPTIONAL?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> Reporter: THAT’S A NOVEL
CONCEPT IN THIS DAY AND AGE, NO?
>> TOTALLY.
>> TOTALLY. >> Reporter: GOING OUT WHILE
FOREGOING A DRINK IS NO LONGER
FOR THE STRICTLY SOBER OR THE
CURRENTLY PREGNANT.
CURRENTLY PREGNANT. A SURVEY OF CUSTOMERS REPORTED
MOST WERE SIMPLY HAVING A NIGHT
OFF FROM ALCOHOL.
ACTIVE EXERCISERS, HEALTH
CONSCIOUS AND THOSE WHO HAVE AN
EARLY MEETING IN THE MORNING.
>> ALCOHOL REALLY DOES KIND OF
HAVE A MONOPOLY ON HOW WE
SOCIALIZE AND HOW WE HAVE SOME
OF THESE REALLY VALUABLE TIMES
OF BEING LOOSE AND BEING FREE,
BUT A LOT OF TIMES IT ALSO KIND
OF GETS IN THE WAY OF WHAT WE’RE
TRYING TO DO.
>> Reporter: AND THAT’S A
RAPIDLY GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC.
A RECENT SURVEY SAYING PEOPLE IN
THEIR EARLY 20s REPORTEDLY DRINK
20% LESS THAN THE GENERATION
BEFORE.
BEFORE. APPS LIKE LUCID ORGANIZE SOBER
EVENTS, EVEN DATING WITH FELLOW
NON-DRINKERS.
NON-DRINKERS. ACTRESS MAY IS ONE OF THOSE
CHOOSING WELLNESS OVER ALCOHOL
ON MOST NIGHTS OUT.
>> I REACHED A POINT WHERE I
REALIZED THE REASON I WAS
DRINKING WAS JUST FOR OTHERS,
JUST TO LIKE NOT LET ANYONE ELSE
FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE.
FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. SO I JUST DIDN’T CARE.
AND IT WAS REALLY LIBERATING TO
BE LIKE, YEAH, I’M NOT DRINKING.
IT’S FINE.
IT’S FINE. YOU DRINK.
YOU DRINK. LIKE I’LL GET YOU WHATEVER YOU
WANT.
WANT. I AM NOT GOING TO DO IT.
>> Reporter: IS THERE SOMETHING
ABOUT THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE
THAT HAVE MADE A CONCEPT LIKE
THIS MORE POPULAR THAN IT WOULD
HAVE BEEN FIVE OR TEN YEARS AGO?
>> SO MANY THINGS, HONESTLY.
I MEAN, SOCIAL MEDIA IS HUGE.
I THINK THERE IS A BETTER
ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO DISCOVER
SOMEWHAT NICHE THINGS THAT THEY
ARE INTERESTED IN AND CONNECT
WITH PEOPLE.
WITH PEOPLE. AND I WOULD SAY ALSO CULTURALLY,
WE ARE LIVING IN A TEAM WHERE
EVERYONE REALLY WANTS TO
CUSTOMIZE THEIR LIFE TO WHAT
FEELS RIGHT TO THEM.
>> Reporter: TO BE CLEAR THOUGH,
YOU ARE NOT A TEETOTALER, RIGHT?
>> NO.
>> NO. >> Reporter: THIS ISN’T DESIGNED
TO REPLACE THE TRADITIONAL BAR,
IS IT?
IS IT? >> THERE ARE 10,000 BARS IN NEW
YORK CITY, AND I’M UNDER NO
IMPRESSION THAT LIKE THOSE
10,000 BARS WILL GO AWAY, NOR DO
I WANT THEM TO.
TO ME IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING
ANTI-ALCOHOL.
ANTI-ALCOHOL. >> Reporter: THIS IS ABOUT
GIVING PEOPLE ANOTHER CHOICE?
>> TOTALLY.
>> TOTALLY. >> Reporter: AND THE DRINKS
THEMSELVES ARE HIGH ON FLAVOR
AND LOW ON RISK FOR A HANGOVER.
LOOKS LIKE A TRADITIONAL
COCKTAIL.
COCKTAIL. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> Reporter: BASED ON THE
POPULARITY OF LISTEN BURGLARLIS
AND MORE PEOPLE ARE LEARNING
THAT DITCHING THE ALCOHOL, EVEN
TEMPORARILY, DOESN’T MEAN LOSING
THE EXPERIENCE.
THE EXPERIENCE. >> WE HAVE REALLY FUN
CONVERSATIONS AND, YOU KNOW,
START DANCE PARTIES.
WE HAVE KIND OF BEEN TOLD THAT
WE CAN ONLY BE THOSE PEOPLE WHEN
WE’RE DRUNK, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A
SPACE THAT INVITES YOU TO KIND
OF BRING THAT OUT IN YOURSELF