SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DRY Soda Company, creator of beautifully-flavored, lightly-sweet non-alcoholic beverages, today announced a strategic investment and partnership with Sans Bar, the first sober bar in Austin, Texas. With a mutual goal of creating meaningful connections and social options for sober communities, DRY’s backing will help further the financial and operational development of Sans Bar Austin and strengthen its partnership as title sponsor of the Sans Bar x DRY 2020 National Pop Up Tour. The tour commences on January 10 in Seattle to celebrate Dry January and will visit 15 cities across the United States.
As one of Sans Bar’s first early supporters, DRY’s investment will not only help further the infrastructure and growth of Sans Bar in Austin but nationally through operational and marketing support. Sharelle Klaus, founder and CEO of DRY, is also assuming a new role as a strategic adviser to guide business development and expand Sans Bar’s reach nationwide through curated and experiential pop-up events.
“We could not be more excited to team up with Sans Bar to bring community events nationwide to people looking to socialize and experience nightlife without booze,” said Klaus. “As an active ally in the sober curious movement, I felt the synergy between our two companies from the beginning, and together we forged a relationship to help bring elegant, refreshing non-alcoholic libations to Sans Bar patrons. We are honored to partner more closely with Sans Bar to help bring our collective mission to life. Together, we’ll help give people across the country the means to connect without alcohol and foster deeper relationships.”
Klaus has been working to elevate non-alcoholic options for years and believes that everyone should be celebrated, and that every party, bar and restaurant should be working to improve how they serve, host and toast those who choose to not drink alcohol. She founded DRY in 2005 as a mom who recognized the absence of refreshing, clean, non-alcoholic options in the market and became determined to create the first line of less-sweet botanical bubbly beverages that were worthy of meal pairing and premium non-alcoholic mixology. She crafted the first batches of DRY Sparkling in her home kitchen and officially launched DRY a few months later.
Founded in 2017, Sans Bar provides Austinites with a brick-and-mortar location that fosters a sober community, as well as pop-up events in select markets across the country to help people connect and socialize sans alcohol. Sans Bar first embarked on a historic sober bar pop-up tour in 2019, which stopped in nine cities in the United States as well as Toronto, Canada. Sans Bar’s rapid rise was sparked in large part to early product and marketing support from DRY. The Sans Bar x DRY 2020 National Pop Up Tour will visit 15 cities starting in January, including: Seattle, Wash. on January 10, Atlanta, Ga. on January 18 and Washington, D.C. on January 25. Additional dates will be announced for events in: San Francisco, Calif.; Boston, Mass.; Portland, Ore.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Houston, Texas; Albuquerque, N.M.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Birmingham, Ala.; Des Moines, Iowa; New York, N.Y.; Reno, Nev.; Chicago, Ill.; and New Orleans, La.
“Technology can give us this false sense of being more connected, but more often than not we are feeling more distracted and isolated from our friends, family and even strangers,” said Chris Marshall, founder of Sans Bar. “Sans Bar is not just about sobriety; it is about authentically connecting in a meaningful way to other people. We are excited to partner with DRY and believe this is a natural evolution of a genuine relationship that was built out of common values. There’s a real demand for Sans Bar nationally, and we need both financial and organizational support to scale quickly while staying true to our style of upscale, intimate events. Our partnership with DRY will enable us to amplify what we’ve created in Austin and continue to share it with the world.”
Marshall, a formerly licensed Substance Abuse Counselor, opened Sans Bar in 2017 after noticing that his patients were struggling to make connections with others after they stopped drinking, as local nightlife was overwhelmingly centered around booze. To fill the need for a sober socializing space, he opened a bar with an intimate environment, and most importantly no alcohol, to give local residents a place to make memories and form connections without the haze of alcohol. Today, Sans Bar is a permanent fixture in Austin and hosts pop-up events across the country.
Available in eight culinary-inspired flavors like Lavender, Ginger, Vanilla, Fuji Apple and Cucumber, DRY Sparkling is crafted with just four ingredients and is inspired by the real flavors of fruit, herbs and spices. Easy to sip solo or mix into a zero-proof cocktail, all flavors are Non-GMO Project Verified, caffeine-free, gluten-free, OU certified kosher and sodium-free, with only 45-70 calories per 12-ounce serving and about half the sugar and calories of sodas and juices. DRY Sparkling is available in over 10,000 specialty, natural and traditional grocers, restaurants and bars nationwide, including Kroger, Safeway, Ralph’s, Raley’s, Fry’s, King Soopers, Fred Meyer, QFC, Giant-Carlisle, Shnuck’s, HEB and many more, as well as online at Amazon.com. To learn more about DRY, please visit www.drysoda.com. To learn more about Sans Bar, please visit www.thesansbar.com.
About DRY Soda Company
DRY creates beautifully-flavored, lightly-sweet non-alcoholic beverages made with just a handful of ingredients. Founded in Seattle in 2005 by mother of four Sharelle Klaus, DRY Sparkling’s botanical bubbly was created to be an exciting, refreshing and sophisticated beverage that tastes great, looks perfect in a party setting, and feels as elegant as a cocktail or glass of wine – so everyone, even those who aren’t drinking, can enjoy the party and feel celebrated. The DRY Sparkling line features eight non-alcoholic, culinary-inspired flavors that are sweetened with a touch of cane sugar and available in 12-ounce glass bottles, slim 12-ounce cans, four-packs and seasonal 750-mL Celebration bottles. DRY Sparkling is sold in thousands of retail stores, restaurants and cafes across North America. For more information about DRY, please visit www.drysoda.com.
About Sans Bar
Sans Bar was founded by formerly licensed Substance Abuse Counselor Chris Marshall in Austin, Texas in December 2017. Marshall began to develop the sober bar concept while working with patients who struggled to form new social connections after they stopped drinking. He quickly realized that Sans Bar spoke to a greater societal need for social spaces that were not centered around drinking. For more information about Sans Bar, please visit www.thesansbar.com.
