
Photograph by Martha Williams
While no- and low-alcohol beverages are an almost $10 billion global industry, there’s no one-stop shop in Atlanta for the sober and sober-curious—but that’s changing. Earlier this year, restaurant-industry veterans Lissa Eubanks and Savannah Rainey launched Zilch Market, a series of citywide pop-ups selling nonalcoholic beer, wine, spirits, and elixirs, plus original cocktails.
“I’ve always loved the creativity behind crafting a cocktail or the routine of a nightcap,” Eubanks says. “When I cut out alcohol, I wanted to keep these things, but the lack of options [in Atlanta] was stark and honestly surprising.” The monthly pop-ups feature the pair’s favorite nonalcoholic brands—including WithCo mixers, Ritual and Monday spirit alternatives, and beers from Georgia’s own Rightside Brewing—plus zero-proof cocktails served on-premise. Zilch debuted in February at El Patio; follow @zilchmarketatl on Instagram for future outings.
Eubanks and Rainey hope to launch a brick-and-mortar bottle shop and bar in the next year—a gathering place, Eubanks says, “for people who aren’t drinking for whatever reason, where they can get dressed up to go out on a date or have a girls night and still have a really nice craft cocktail.”
In the meantime, here’s how to up your booze-free bar game at home—with suggestions from Eubanks, Rainey, and other local bottle-shop reps.
The Nogroni cocktail pack, assembled and sold by Elemental Spirits Co. in Poncey-Highland, contains the ingredients needed to replicate the iconic Italian cocktail, including Lyre’s Rosso (for sweet vermouth), Wilfred’s Aperitif (for Campari), and GinISH (for gin). $98
Jesse Kirkpatrick, Elemental’s assistant general manager, says the bitter orange notes and bright hue of Wilfred’s Aperitif make it a “perfect substitute for Aperol or Campari” even beyond a Negroni: Top with Fever Tree soda, fresh citrus, and a sprig of rosemary for a simple, warm-weather spritz. $32
At Zilch markets, Eubanks and Rainey sell spirits from Ritual—a Chicago-based distillery whose products include a warm and spicy “rum” ($30)—and Monday, whose “whiskey” ($45) they mix into a riff on the classic sour called the Whiskey Sunshine.
Sarah Pierre, who owns 3 Parks Wine Shop in Glenwood Park, loves the ease of ISH canned drinks, which she says are “the closest product to a true cocktail.” Chill and then drink the SpritzISH or DaiquirISH from the can, or pour into a fancy glass over ice and garnish with citrus. $5.50 each
How to make a Whiskey Sunshine
1.5 oz Monday Whiskey
1 oz orange juice
2 dashes All the Bitter orange bitters
Shake and strain into a collins glass over ice. Top with Rightside Brewing Citrus Wheat beer.
This article appears in our April 2022 issue.