CHESTER, NJ — An alcohol-free bottle shop is coming soon to Chester, offering flavorful, fresh drink options for those who don’t drink — or might be looking to cut back a bit.
This is also the first franchise location of a Virginia-based business called Point 5, which sells specialty mixers and non-alcoholic wines and spirits.
Point 5 Jersey is getting set up at 38 Main Street in Chester Borough, which housed Ours Flowers until it closed this June.
Nicolette Siragusa, one of the three co-owners, said the bottles and cans they’ll sell are far from sugary “mocktails.” Brands such as Free Spirits, Little Saints, Tenneyson Black Ginger, Myth, and Immorel (a sparkling drink made with mushrooms) bring all the complex flavors and notes of a cocktail, she said — without the alcohol buzz, and with fewer calories, to boot.
“I do drink alcohol, but there are times when I don’t want to,” she said. “My go-to was always seltzer with cranberry juice — it’s delicious, but I’ve learned there are so many other options out there.”
The team at Point 5 Jersey — Nicolette, her sister Tara Siragusa, and her partner Tom Ireland — hopes to expand people’s ideas of what a zero-proof drink can be, no matter their personal relationship with alcohol.
They plan to open this August, and Siragusa told Patch that curious people have been looking in on their progress and expressing their excitement over what’s coming to the neighborhood.
“That’s been a real unexpected joy of this venture, just how excited people are,” said Siragusa, who is also the pastor of Brookside Community Church.
The three owners will bring a variety of experience to the shop, even though it’s their first retail business together: Nicolette, as a pastor, knows about building community and fostering hospitality. Tara has expertise on record-keeping and logistics, and is working with her sister on design. And Tom has experience building businesses, and has strong local connections.
“So many pieces have fallen into place,” Siragusa said. “It’s been really wonderful the way things have come together.”
Including happening upon the perfect location.
How those pieces fell into place
So, what made these three people decide to open a non-alcoholic bottle shop?
Siragusa said a chance meeting with a vendor, a lost package, and the discovery of the original Point 5 in Richmond helped get the plans moving.
While she was at a wine tasting last October with some family members, one of the vendors there offered her a sample. Siragusa declined, saying she’d had enough to drink that night.
As it turns out, the vendor was offering something alcohol-free: Three Spirits Nightcap. Though she wasn’t interested in trying it at first, the vendor enticed her by describing the warm, woodsy taste of the spirit and its uniqueness.
“I took a sip of it, and I was like, ‘this is delicious, and unlike anything I’ve ever had,” she said.
Siragusa ordered several bottles from Three Spirits to take to a family Christmas party in Richmond, including a bottle of each flavor to give to a family member who doesn’t drink alcohol.
But the package never arrived, having been lost in the mail.
“I didn’t realize it was missing until we had gotten to Virginia,” she said. “I wasn’t sure what to do.”
Ireland suggested that they look nearby, to see if anyone sold Three Spirits. As it turned out, Point 5 RVA was less than a mile away — but they weren’t exactly sure what they were about to walk in to.
“We figured it was a regular liquor store, and it was going to be half a shelf of non-alcoholic options,” she said. “And we walk in, and it is beautiful, really a striking atmosphere. We learned from the sign that everything is non-alcoholic. At that point, (the owner) had over 200 products…I just didn’t know there were that many options in the world.”
What’s more, Siragusa (who is in her 40s) noticed that many of the people coming into Point 5 for non-alcoholic beverages were younger people in their 20s and 30s.
She reflected that this seems to be a shift as younger generations may be turning to more alcohol-free options. “There’s a culture that we expect once you turn 21, you’re going to want to drink alcohol,” she said. “People who don’t choose to drink, for a whole variety of reasons, have a moment of needing to explain why. You can’t just say, ‘I don’t drink alcohol.’ It has to be ‘I don’t drink alcohol, because….'”
Some may not drink because of a certain medication, or a history of substance abuse, or religious beliefs, or not liking the taste or the feel.
“As we’re doing this, I’m finding people my age and older who just don’t like to talk about it,” she said. “One woman said, ‘I haven’t had a drink in years, but I can’t tell my friends, they don’t understand…if you’re just not interested in it.”
One of Point 5’s goals is to help normalize providing adult beverage options that are alcohol-free and reducing the stigma associated with declining an alcoholic beverage, Siragusa added.
“Some people never consume alcohol, but we are also here to serve people who are ‘sober-curious’ or interested in more mindful drinking,” she said. “Since I started talking about the store, more and more people are telling me about their relationship with alcohol.”
Before they left Point 5 in Richmond, Siragusa said she chatted with the father of owner Jody Sidle, who was behind the counter. And wouldn’t you know it — he mentioned Sidle was interested in franchising.
“If any of these things didn’t happen, we wouldn’t be here today,” she said. “If I hadn’t stopped at that table, if the package hadn’t been lost, if we hadn’t been in Richmond…”
Siragusa and Ireland did some research on the way home and found that there are alcohol-free bottle shops in South Jersey and in New York City, as they discussed how they might bring a Point 5-style shop to North Jersey.
Meanwhile, her sister Tara was enthusiastic about the possible business idea before she even knew what it was.
“I texted her and said, ‘Hey sis! Want to open a business with me?’ and she answered back immediately “Hi sis! Always!’ before even knowing what it would be.”
Siragusa said that people have asked her why they chose to franchise instead of venturing on their own. She said Sidle (of Point 5 RVA) has been a “great resource,” and noted the value of working with someone who understands the culture around non-alcoholic beverages and has curated quality brands herself.
“That was who we wanted to be in business with,” Siragusa said. “We really appreciate that she’s owned her shop for two years, and has learned and grown so much.”
Patch will keep you updated on a grand opening date. In the meantime, you can check out Point 5 Jersey on Facebook and Instagram; the website is still in progress.