Verbena Free Spirited Cafe, on the corner of Cleveland's W. 29th and Church Street, looks like any other modern cafe with a chic twist. The walls are filled with artwork from local artists and the shelves are decorated with pink flowers and various bottles, cans and glasses.
Unlike most other cafes, Verbena also serves as a sober bar for people looking to limit their alcohol intake.
Molly Cheraso is the shop's owner. On one particular day, she's behind the bar, making a new mocktail for the autumn menu, mixing ice and ingredients in a stainless steel shaker. The drink has hints of ginger, sage and jasmine, with the heat of a zero-proof gin.
Verbena serves a wide range of beverages, from standard teas and coffees to non-alcoholic spirits and mocktails.
Cheraso grew interested in "going dry" during the pandemic. She said she and her husband began drinking more than usual, and they became concerned over their alcohol consumption. Her husband suggested a "dry January" in which they'd try a month of sobriety, so Cheraso began looking for alternative products for their drinks. In 2023, she opened Verbena to sell some of those products.
Cheraso also wants Verbena to be a place where people can build community without having to drink.
“There are not a lot of places you can go in the evening and just hang out and not feel like you need to order a drink, an alcoholic drink, to be there,” Cheraso said. “So I did want to create a third space where people could come and meet other people that are maybe not interested in drinking alcohol either.”
Verbena isn’t the only place where sober-curious people can mingle. UnBar Cafe in Cleveland's Larchmere neighborhood has grown a very loyal — sometimes even possessive — following since its opening in 2020. Customers are so passionate about the space, owner Melissa Garrett-Hirsch said she hasn’t had to spend money on marketing.
“A lot of my regulars say things like, ‘I hate telling people about UnBar because I don't want it to change,’” Garrett-Hirsch said. “Like they’re being selfish about it.”
Patrons of UnBar said walking in feels like a hug. Garrett-Hirsch described her shop’s style as “a loved one’s living room,” adding that she wanted an environment where folks felt cozy, comfortable and safe. The walls are painted green and purple with posters featuring inspirational quotes about love and family.
Like Cheraso, Garrett-Hirsch said her goal is to create a community that prefers a different relationship with alcohol. The venue does serve alcohol, but also hosts a number of community events for sober audiences, including comedy shows, game nights and karaoke nights.
“They can actually bring their friends here and have a good time,” Garrett-Hirsch said. “They can participate in karaoke, trivia, play cards, and their friends can have the alcoholic beverage, but they don't have to. It's not a vibe where they feel like it's all about alcohol.”
Sober-curious youth
After the pandemic, Americans began to rethink their relationships with alcohol. A 2023 survey from NCSolutions showed that two in five Americans said they're trying to drink less this year.
Larger companies are also starting to respond to a growing sober-curious audience. Flagship beer brands like Guinness, Corona and Budweiser have all released non-alcoholic beer in the last five years. Experts believe non-alcoholic beer can control up to 20% of the beer market in the next decade.
This trend toward sobriety is popular among young people, who are drinking less across the board. A 2020 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that more than one in every four U.S. college students abstains from alcohol use, compared to one in five students back in 2002. The 2023 NCS survey showed that 61% of Gen Z and 49% of millennials surveyed said they’re looking to cut back on their drinking.
Young adults may want to reduce their alcohol consumption for a variety of reasons. Some are prioritizing their mental health and clarity. Others are transitioning to a healthier lifestyle.
John Ellis, a professor at the University of Akron’s School of Social Work, specializes in addiction and mental health. Some of his students may also be worried about patterns of addiction that run in their families, or the possibility of overdose or overconsumption, he said.
“I do a presentation where I have a class of incoming freshmen, [and] one of the first things I ask them is, 'How many of you have lost a friend or a family member to a drug overdose?'" Ellis said. “I usually have about two-thirds to three-quarters of the hands go up.”
More interest in cannabis
Young people may be switching one vice for another: cannabis. More than half of all U.S. states have legalized marijuana for recreational or medicinal use. As fewer young adults are drinking, a recent survey found that cannabis use is at record highs in adults ages 19 to 30.
However, federal research, regulations, and policies haven’t kept up with its growing popularity.
Researchers have had issues studying cannabis and its effects due to the drug’s federal classification as a Schedule I substance. Schedule I is the harshest classification and includes other drugs like heroin, LSD and ecstasy. Researchers often have a hard time getting samples to study due to strict regulations.
This can be dangerous, especially in cases where cannabis is medically prescribed, Ellis noted.
“Even on the label for multivitamins, it's going to say how many to take, what age you should take it at, those kind of things,” Ellis said. “But yet, marijuana — there's people prescribing it and there's no dose and intensity or counterindications at all.”
A recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine called for better understanding of cannabis’s health benefits and risks.
Finding community in sober bars
The point of sober-friendly bars and cafes is to encourage a more mindful approach to alcohol consumption. Both Verbena and UnBar are looking to expand their menus and their reach.
UnBar aims to open a second location closer to Shaker Square, while Verbena is engaging with the community more, adding different events like bike rides and book clubs.
Rachel Hohe, a Larchmere resident, said she works out of UnBar during the day and attends some of the events there. She said she enjoys the karaoke nights in particular, adding that places like UnBar provide a space to connect with her neighbors.
“I think here, although there is alcohol, there's never any pressure to partake in it,” Hohe said. “I think people are just happy to talk about themselves, their experiences and their culture.”
Cheraso said that no two sober journeys are alike, and to take it one step at a time.
“We're not asking anybody to commit to anything here," she said. "It's really just about exploring your own relationship with alcohol and figuring out what works best for you.”
If you or a loved one is suffering from substance abuse, call the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988 for support and resources.
