MIDDLETON, Wis. (WMDX) – A new shop offers margaritas, whiskey and beer. None of it has alcohol. Sober Social is the first nonalcoholic bottle shop in Wisconsin.
Kristi Tanner never expected to be a business owner. She’s a single mom of four, with a busy fulfilled life.
She’s also almost five years sober.
“I was really scared to get sober because I thought if I get sober, I’ll never be able to socialize again,” Tanner said. “Where will I do this? I live in Wisconsin, the land of cheese and beer. Where am I going to go and not feel othered?”
Years later, that idea inspired her to create Sober Social. She carries nonalcoholic spirits, beers and wines.
“It’s for anyone who is looking to really own their relationship with alcohol rather than alcohol owning you,” she said. “If you’re looking to drink less, you can have the same tasting things from my shop without the alcohol. You love an Old Fashioned, I’ve got a nonalcoholic whiskey and nonalcoholic orange bitters.”
This is a bold move in Wisconsin, which is home to 41 of the nation’s 50 drunkest counties.
People with all kinds of reasons for preferring a cocktail have come into the shop so far. She had one customer who loves a classic Old Fashioned, and liked the idea of a nonalcoholic one afterward. Nonalcoholic products can help people drink in moderation.
“What I’m hearing is not stories of lack. I’m not hearing stories of addiction,” Tanner said. “I’m hearing stories of people wanting to live, wanting to participate. And this is how they know how to do it.”
Sober Social is open Wednesday through Saturday in Middleton.
Pike Lake Annual Fun Day
9/6/2024 | Austin Brumet
The Pike Lake Volunteer Fire Department hosted their annual Fun Day, bringing in crowds of attendees in support of the department.
Lugerville Church Set to Close
9/6/2024 | Austin Brumet
Park Falls, Wis. (WCQM/WPFP) – Our Savior’s Episcopal Church in Lugerville, will be closing. They were the first established church in Lugerville when they were first founded in 1938 and moved locations several times until 1949 when the church acquired the former South Fork School. The building was then moved ten miles to Lugerville, where […]
Governor Tim Walz Discusses Rural America and the 2024 Election on The Chad Holmes Show
9/6/2024 | Teri Barr
The Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee talks about his rural roots, bipartisanship, and what he orders at Culver’s on WXCO Radio.
Wisconsin’s long-term care crisis: Staffing troubles, low Medicaid rates prompt closures
9/6/2024 | Addie Costello / Wisconsin Watch and WPR
Low state reimbursement rates through Medicaid have depressed provider revenue and worker pay at assisted living facilities.
Madison Police Chief Calls for Police Officers to Return to MMSD Schools
9/6/2024 | Savanna Tomei-Olson
MADISON, Wis. – Madison’s police chief has called for resource officers to return to the city’s schools. On Wednesday, a 14-year-old boy shot and killed four people at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Nine more were hurt. School resource officers were able to find the shooter within minutes, and he surrendered. Madison Police Chief […]