Sarah Kate of Some Good Clean Fun is Canada’s only alcohol-free sommelier. As more and more women are intrigued and participating in the sober-curious movement (Blake Lively recently released a line of non-alcoholic beverages), we asked Sarah for her top tips. —Noa Nichol
Hi Sarah! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.
I’m a Torontonian, mom of two littles and recently a dog-mom, too! I’m an energizer-bunny who can’t sit still, and loves to chat with anyone and everyone. A born communicator!
When and why did you launch Good Clean Fun? What’s your vision and mission?
I launched Some Good Clean Fun in April 2021 after spending about a year “re-thinking drinking” and living an alcohol-free lifestyle. I realized there wasn’t a space in Canada that normalized or encouraged the lifestyle choice to be alcohol-free. Alongside that, I fell in love with non-alcoholic drinks as a pivotal part of an alcohol-free lifestyle. The vision and mission of the brand is to empower women with information and choice, when it comes to re-thinking drinking, so they can increase their personal wellbeing while still being the life of the party!
How do you use your platform to impact those who follow you?
I try to demonstrate the joy and “ease” I found in life, once I removed the side effects from a multitude of wine glasses. This is a non-judgemental space and it’s about being supportive of the journey not so much the destination. It really is about highlighting all the things you CAN have if you dabble in the alcohol-free lifestyle more so than it is about what you think you might lose
Why do you think the sober-curious movement is gaining traction?
A lot of people say it’s a response to drinking during Covid, but I don’t think that’s the only reason. We are increasingly becoming a wellness-focused society—social media and digital platforms have democratized information, so the truth about how much we’ve been influenced to drink and how unhealthy it is for us isn’t being kept behind closed doors anymore. It’s become a rallying point for a lot of people who are tuned-in to their wellness and want to be the best version of themselves. It’s also a LOT easier to find something other than sparkling water to drink. There’s a whole world out there of non-alcoholic beer, wine and cocktails that are completely rewriting the rules of socializing.
Pro tips (dos, don’ts, etc,) for mixing and enjoying non-alcoholic drinks?
When it comes to nocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails), you often have to use double what the recipe calls for depending on the spirit, so don’t be discouraged if you make a gin and tonic and it doesn’t taste the way you want it to, make it your own—practice makes perfect. Learn to love bitters. Angostura bitters are available at Loblaws and adding five to six drops into a nocktail or sparkling water will elevate it by adding complexity. Finally, not all palettes taste the same neither do all non-alcoholic drinks. When it comes to non- alcoholic wine, try different brands to see what you like—the same goes for beer. I love certain wines that others aren’t a fan of—it’s all about your personal taste. Wine is also an agricultural product, so like boozy wine, the year it was made and the conditions for harvest vary with each bottling.
Holiday season is coming! Can you give us your fave festive drink recipe?
My signature holiday drink is Sarah Kate’s Almond Amaretti Nog. Using almond milk, light cream, non alcoholic amaretto and non alcoholic whiskey makes a mouthwatering holiday drink that is light on the sugar, and heavy on the holiday spirit!
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