TULSA, Okla. — According to recent figures, an average of more than 2100 deaths in Oklahoma are attributable to excessive alcohol use each year.
Businesses in Oklahoma have seen an increase in individuals trying to lessen or completely stop their alcohol intake, and have started to cater to them more.
Danay Jones is the founder of Sober Girls.
She is originally from Houston and came to Tulsa for the remote program.
She said she had her own battle with sobriety, but was able to get sober during the pandemic.
“I realized that my life can't continue to go this way," she said. "If I want good things to happen, I have to get sober. I have to choose me.”
Jones wanted to make sure she could provide a support system for other women going through what she went through.
“Sober Girls, I just host different events around that you would do with your friends if you were drinking," she said. "But alcohol is not involved. It's about making a safe social experience.”
She's hosted events from yoga and meditation sessions to coffee dates and even mocktail tours.
“You don't have to follow the crowd," she said. "You can do your own thing and still have fun.”
She said it is becoming easier to go out and feel included as more businesses are coming out with things like mocktail menus and zero-proof beer and wines.
One of those locations is Nothing's Left Brewery.
The brewery has its own line of non-alcoholic beer known as Mood Brü.
Abby Emmert is a brewery co-owner who prefers not to drink alcohol.
She said she knows there are many reasons for not drinking, including being on certain medications, pregnancy, health restrictions, and, of course, sobriety.
She is just glad to be able to cater to a whole other group of people by carrying zero-proof beer, wine, and mocktails.
“I definitely think having them in restaurants has really changed the game for a lot of people, even me,” she said. “We've had so many people come forward saying that it's changed their lives and their family's lives.”
The Tavern is a local restaurant in downtown Tulsa that has also curated its own mocktail menu and carries zero-proof beer.
Cameron Heritage is the bar manager of the Tavern and said he has a lot of fun getting creative.
“It's very rewarding, because, somebody will order the drink full strength, somebody will order the drink zero," he said. "They're both cheering, they're both having essentially the same cocktail.”
He said being able to offer this to people so they can enjoy themselves with friends is important, and he's glad to be able to take part.
“Very happy to have our options because we have all the booze, but we like to have all the not- booze as well,” he said.
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