U.S. of N/A: Non-Alcoholic and THC Drinks
The U.S. of N/A podcast series is about the people and places putting non-alcoholic drinks and related alcohol-alternatives on the map, one crafted sip at a time. In each episode we'll sit down with founders who are helping raise the quality, profile, and accessibility of non-alcoholic beer, wine, spirits, and THC infused drinks. Brought to you by N/ATION Collaborative, LLC.
Episodes
31 episodes
Building A World-Class Bitters Brand Through Community
After a hospitality career that included stops at some of the most exclusive brands in hospitality, Ian Blessing is no stranger to world-class food and beverage experiences. In this episode, we sit down to talk about how he and his wife,...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 7
•
41:04
Unlocking Hemp's Potential In A Shifting Landscape
It's been quite a year in the U.S. hemp market, which is still just getting started. The explosion of hemp-derived THC/CBD beverages has, not surprisingly, collided with regulations that have come fast and furious at the state level. In ...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 6
•
33:27
.png)
Little Beer V: Celebrating Low-Gravity Drinking
Craft beer's evolution includes a spectrum of new and mindful choices. This episode captures the vibrant atmosphere of the fifth installment of Little Beer, a festival held i...
•
Season 2
•
14:09
From Kentucky Bourbon Country To Your Home Bar: The Spiritless Story
The origin story of Spiritless begins deep in Kentucky Bourbon country, where the trio of co-founders initially bought large quantities of Old Forester at their local Total Wine, while enlisting the services of a sump pump to help power thei...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 5
•
24:57
The Mindful Merlot: Navigating Low And No Alcohol Wines
While the non-alcoholic beverage space is booming, the low and no-alcohol wine category has had its own unique set of challenges. This episode features an in-depth conversation with Brandon Joldersma, CEO of
•
Season 2
•
Episode 4
•
33:15
Bridging The Cannabis Divide Toward A Sustainable Future
While the hemp-fueled THC beverage category may be just getting started, it's been a more complicated path for an over-arching industry still waiting on perceptions and legislation to catch-up with consumer preferences. Today's epi...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 3
•
38:41
Lowcountry Dry Fest: Redefining Wellness & Community
As mindfulness and moderation in drinking continues to become a bigger thing, so too are festivals that celebrate discovery in the non-alcoholic world, along with finding holistic wellness and community. In this bonus episode we recap ou...
•
Season 2
•
19:13
Built To Last: Athletic Brewing's Foundation Of Quality And Culture
While Athletic Brewing may today be known as one of the fastest-growing breweries the craft beer industry has ever seen, its origins were more deliberate and intentional, with a rollou...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 2
•
38:36
Branding and Bootstrapping: The Story of Busty Lush
Entrepreneurial from a young age, Busty Lush founder Laurel Harrop has always been open to trying something new. Little did she know when starting a successful lighting recycling business that her next venture would involve creating a st...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 1
•
35:51
From Road To Retail, The Story Of Wynk
How many beverage companies started by making their product in a 53' tractor trailer that traveled the country? That was the question we asked ourselves upon hearing the origin story of the Wynk THC-infused seltzer brand, which initially...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 22
•
29:35
Crafting The Perfect Cannabis Cocktail
In a category still getting its footing in the consumer consciousness, creating a perfectly flavored cocktail infused with THC/CBD is a task with many layers to it. So explains today's guest, Ben Kennedy, who along with his wife K...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 21
•
41:51
Asheville's NoLo Charts A Sobering Climb From Helene's Devastation
How can a mountain town, hundreds of miles from the ocean, be expected to defend itself from a major hurricane? That's what the residents of Asheville, North Carolina and the surrounding Blue Ridge mountains had to be asking themselves o...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 20
•
31:59
Cannabis Beverages: Growing A House Of Brands
Cannabis beverages have exploded in the market, not coincidentally just as consumer preferences seem to be shifting away from alcohol. In today's episode we're joined by Lehua Brands CEO Sierra Elaina, herself a veteran of the alcohol in...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 19
•
30:08
From Hops To Hemp: A Craft Beer Pioneer
If you've enjoyed an American craft beer over the last few decades, you've benefited from the efforts of our guest today. Keith Villa founded Blue Moon Brewing Company for Miller Coors back in 1995, which would of course become an iconic...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 18
•
57:19
The Past, Present & Future of Non-Alc
The state of the (NA category) is strong, and getting stronger. Today's episode has a bit of a "state of the industry" feel to it, as I'm joined by Laura Silverman, founder of Zero Proof Nation<...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 17
•
55:16
Hop Politics: The Evolving Business Of Beer
"The good news for beer is beer is a non-partisan issue." So proclaims this week's podcast guest, Brian Crawford, President and CEO of The Beer Institute, a Washington DC based trade association representing the interests of the industry primar...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 16
•
34:37
Crafting A Non-Alcoholic Brewery For The Long Haul
The phrase, "slow and steady wins the race" could easily apply to Portland, Maine's Kit NA Brewing. In a category largely defined by rapid growth and headlines around the ramifications of younger consumers not drinking like their older c...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 15
•
31:56
Creating A Dad-Powered Moderation Movement
It all started with two forty-something friends exchanging texts, and suddenly realizing they both were mixing NAs with full-strength beers for a blended ABV at the same time. In our latest podcast episode, we chat with
•
Season 1
•
Episode 14
•
24:33
Building An NA Brand Through Partnerships & Community
Ted Fleming has been in the adult non-alcoholic beverage category since 2013, before many were even thinking about it. He founded Partake Brewing in 2017, but four years prior had launched one of the world's first online non-alcoholic e-...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 13
•
34:39
The Science Behind The Suds: Pulling Back The Curtain On A Nascent Industry
Non-Alcoholic beer is basking in the glow of incredible growth and significant improvements in quality and taste, but challenges that could threaten its trajectory remain. In our most technical episode to date we're re-joined by Reducaholic's T...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 12
•
41:39
Forging An Inclusive And Sustainable NA Community In The Steel City
We travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for this episode, and sit down with the co-owner of Two Frays Brewery, Mike Onofray, and the owner of The Open Road
•
Season 1
•
Episode 11
•
45:05
From Prairie To Planet: How Go Brewing Reset Their NA Sights
In the second stop of our summer road trip series, we take a visit to Naperville, Illinois, home of the taproom and brewery for Go Brewing, and sit down with Co-Founder and CEO, Joe Chura. The brewery has been on a whirlwind of growth since lau...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 10
•
35:50
Propelling The NA Revolution From America's Heartland
Residing in one of the smallest markets in the country currently supporting an AF bottle shop, Lafayette, Indiana's Generation NA has become a leader in the non-alcoholic beverage movement. In this episode, owner Rob Theodorow shares his founde...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 9
•
43:36
