No Hangovers Either –
April 23, 2019 – His friend Sohang Gandhi, who’s 38 and sober, credits the good vibe to a sweeping sense of relief: Finally, a cool, dry place where he didn’t have to “feel weird” about ordering a seltzer. “People that don’t drink also want a hip environment,” says the engineer. “[They don’t want to be] stuck going to restaurant or a movie.” That makes total sense to Lorelei Bandrovschi, founder of the sober-friendly pop-up party Listen Bar.
“Right now we live in a culture that claims drinking as a default,” says Bandrovschi, who’s 32 and an occasional drinker. Her company takes over otherwise-boozy bars to sling mocktails such as the Ghost Me Maybe (grapefruit, rosemary and tonic; $11). She thinks the rising interest in wellness is driving the trend of alcohol-free fun — although drinkers are free to join her events, too.
