January will mark our 2nd birthday as a podcast, and like most restless toddlers, we're really only getting started. But before we turn the calendar to 2026 we first take a look back at highlights from just a few of our favorite Season 2 episodes, focusing on the many founders we've featured sharing why they're passionate about mindful drinking. Here's seven of those founders / leaders, talking specifically about their 'why':

Laurel Harrop, Busty Lush

Lauren Chitwood, Spiritless

Ian Blessing, All The Bitter

Mark Ruf, NA Beer Club

Carl Radke, Soft Bar + Cafe

Gary Long, Botanical Sciences

Mary Bernuth, Pharos Brands

Special thanks to our sponsor, Go Brewing / Easy Man, makers of delicious craft beer and infused brews! Use promo code NATION15 to take an additional 15% off your online order.

We'd love your feedback!

When signed into law on November 12th, 2025, a bill ironically known as the "Government Shutdown Prevention Act," included language that would all but shut down the multi-billion dollar hemp industry, of which beverages are a major piece.

In this bonus episode we dive into seven questions that define what's next for an industry picking itself off the mat, and how consumers might respond. Questions we address include:

1) How will the hemp industry, accustomed to playing defense against state legislative banning efforts, shift their focus to going on offense? 

2) With November, 2026 as the timetable for the new restrictions, will that allow enough time to lobby the federal government to change course? 

3) Will a large number of consumers pursue a medical cannabis card to continue access to products they have become used to buying in traditional retail stores? 

4) How might this impact efforts to re-schedule cannabis from a Schedule I controlled substance? 

5) Will hemp beverage brands turn to other functional ingredients to try and fill the void? Ashwagandha, l-theanine, Lion's Mane and other nootropics have been promoted for their functional benefits, which aren't nearly as obvious as THC.

6) Are unhappy consumers likely to turn their focus toward legalizing recreational cannabis in more states?

7) How might this impact the overall non-alcoholic beverage space?

Want to comment on our LinkedIn discussion? 

Also mentioned in this episode:

Free Spirits Podcast (interview with HBA's Chris Lackner)

Gary Long, Botanical Sciences (past U.S. of N/A episode)

We'd love your feedback!

We know mindful drinking supports wellness and healthier choices. But has it also finally become something the cool kids are into? That was the question we posed to Sam Bail, Founder of Third Place Bar, who has been running pop-up events in New York City for three years. What's been different lately in her business? Getting calls from brands in fashion and beauty, wanting to feature non-alcoholic drinks at various industry and launch events. It's part of a broader trend of NA continuing to show up in places beyond the dusty cabinet where bars and restaurants used to keep the O'Doul's.

Mentioned in this episode:

Third Place Bar

Anti Hangover Drinking Club (Sam's Substack)

Where To Drink When You're Not Drinking? (IG video series)

We'd love your feedback!

A lot can happen in eighteen months, and we re-visited our season one conversation with The Modern Substitute's Myles Faulkner to discuss the state of the non-alcoholic category. In a follow-up to that original interview we talk about the rise of hemp-infused beverages, a continuing stream of celebrity-backed brands, and a mid-strength category that probably isn't getting enough attention yet. We also talk about some of Myles' faves, what he'd like to see from a hospitality perspective at the bar and restaurant level, and we end with a little global football talk less than a year away from the World Cup coming to North America.

Mentioned in this episode: 

The Modern Substitute (home page)

Asahi 0.0

10 Barrel NA Apocalypse IPA

Almave Blanco and Ambar

Tweedle

Lucky Frog Repose

We'd love your feedback!

Repeat entrepreneurs who have just entered their seventies, Pharos Brands' co-founders Mary Eggers Bernuth and Rhyno Stinchfield are no rookies to starting something new. They're equally unabashed in their enthusiasm for introducing fellow baby boomers to the benefits of consuming cannabis beverages.

We sit down with Pharos' Mary Bernuth to talk about what led her to expanding beyond a successful psychotherapy practice to enter the exciting, if unpredictable world of cannabis. We also talk about her passion for introducing that new world to a generation of her peers, and how they're investing in the category for the long haul.

Mentioned in this episode:

Pharos Brands

We'd like to thank our sponsor, Go Brewing! Use code NATION15 to get 15% off your order on either their delicious N/A beer, or their THC brand, Easy Man.

We'd love your feedback!

On the season premiere of ABC's iconic, entrepreneurial series Shark Tank, Dad Strength Brewing co-founders Ryan Kutscher and Craig Carey scored investments from not one, but THREE of the show's sharks; Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, and Rashaun Williams. 

In this bonus episode we replay clips from both our August, 2024 conversation with Dad Strength's Ryan Kutscher, and our February, 2025 one with Brandon Joldersma, CEO of low-ABV Arlow Wines. It's worth revisiting a trend that seems to be finding a middle ground between non-alcoholic and full-alcohol, as consumers look for other ways to moderate their alcohol consumption (or, "malternating", as Dad Strength's Kutscher calls it).

Mentioned in this episode:

Dad Strength Brewing

Arlow Wines

Surely Wines

Oceano Wines

Andiamo Brew

Full Episodes:

Ryan Kutscher, Dad Strength Brewing (released August, 2024)

Brandon Joldersma, Arlow Wines (released March 2025)

We'd love your feedback!

With a career background that has included stops at medical supply and equipment behemoth, McKesson, as well as executive roles at a variety of life sciences companies, Botanical Sciences CEO Gary Long knows healthcare. While his background may not seem like a traditional fit for the medical and hemp-derived cannabis world, his arrival along with other outsiders signal a transformation underway in a category becoming known more for its positive lifestyle impacts than for previous negative stereotypes.

In our conversation we talk about what led him to the industry, what he sees as opportunities and threats, and how cannabis has slowly become part of the growing health and wellness movement that continues to unfold across the country.

Mentioned in this episode:

Botanical Sciences

ONE59

Traktion Talks Podcast

Special thanks to Go Brewing / Easy Man for being a show sponsor! Use code NATION15 at checkout for either brand to get 15% off your order.

We'd love your feedback!

When De Soi/Amass Co-Founder Morgan McLachlan was growing up in British Columbia, Canada, making booze for a living wasn't on her radar. But a love of botany and the alchemy of beverage making drew her in, and eventually she became one of the few female master distillers in the world.

In our conversation with Morgan we talk first about her journey into the world of alcohol, and why expanding into the non-alcoholic realm became a priority. We also touch on her thoughts of the burgeoning THC drinks scene, and how the partnership with Katy Perry grew from a potential investor relationship into co-founding De Soi together.

Mentioned in this episode:

De Soi

AMASS Botanics 

Photo Credit/Cover: De Soi

We'd love your feedback!

As consumers turn toward functional beverages that don't involve alcohol, hemp-infused drinks seem poised to continue their rocket rise. But with growth comes challenges, not to mention regulatory headaches as legislators at the state and federal level grapple with this new industry. We attended the 2nd ever Hemp Beverage Expo in Atlanta to understand what's happening in the industry. Is the future of the category at the micro-dose level, or should brands scale up? What is the price tolerance for consumers? And how do you build a brand for the long-term?

Interviewed for this episode:

Angus Rittenburg, WYNK

Jared Emerling, Float House

Also mentioned/included:

BDSA (analytics for the cannabis industry)

Plift

Kick Fizz

Go Brewing (U.S. of N/A episode w/Joe Chura)

Easy Man

We'd love your feedback!

Best known for his ongoing role in the hit Bravo series, Summer House, Carl Radke also has a growing passion for the non-alcoholic space, with a desire to create an elevated environment where people can enjoy social beverages without alcohol. In our conversation, Carl shares his perspective on why the category is in dire need of proper places to enjoy these drinks in the social setting for which they're intended, and how that led to the development of Soft Bar + Cafe, opening later this summer in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn. We also discuss what he's learned in his role with Loverboy, along with what other NA brands he admires, the burgeoning functional and THC drinks space, and what he thinks of the trend of celebrity-driven brands entering the market.

Mentioned in this episode:

Soft Bar + Cafe

Summer House

Loverboy

Athletic Brewing

We'd love your feedback!