The future Is Zerø-proof: Inside Kalamazoo’s first non-alcoholic bar

Editor’s Note: Kalamabrew is a series exploring the dynamic world of brewed and specialty drinks — from coffee and kombucha to botanical sodas, craft teas, non-alcoholic beers, and beyond. As more people seek out mindful, flavorful alternatives to alcohol, Kalamabrew taps into the trends, stories, and makers behind this evolving culture of conscious sipping. Whether it’s brewed, steeped, fermented, or fizzed, if it’s drinkable and intriguing, it’s on our radar.

It’s Kalamazoo, 2030. You walk into an establishment with soft lighting, beautiful wooden furnishings, elegant modern fixtures, and classic tile walls framing a blue mosaic bar back. Smooth, sensuous aromas surround you — subtle notes of smoke and sweet citrus. Moving past a live candle shop, you step into the back of the store, where a beautiful mosaic bar and a friendly face greet you. They make an incredible cocktail with a strong flavor and a soft burn at the end. You feel relaxed, elated, and refreshed, and you ask, “What’s in this?”

The bartender smiles and lists fresh botanicals, juices, and fruits — but forgets one key ingredient: alcohol.

As it turns out, this isn’t 2030. It’s 2025. And while this is still very much Kalamazoo and still very much a bar, one thing has changed. If Kalamazoo Candle Company’s Adam McFarlin has anything to say about it, the future is zero proof.

Zerø: Non-Alcoholic Bar is Kalamazoo’s first and only non-alcoholic cocktail lounge. McFarlin, who also owns Kalamazoo Candle Company, explains that the idea took shape after he purchased a larger space when V & A Bootery moved out of 202 S. Kalamazoo Mall. 

“I haven’t drank for four years,” McFarlin tells me. “And there’s not really a place to go out, especially for people who’ve given it up for whatever reason. If they just can’t be in a space that has it—there’s not a spot for that.” 

That realization became the “Ah-ha!” moment between McFarlin, his expanded location, and his business vision. “We threw out a lot of ideas,” he says, “and I just had this thought — what about a non-alcoholic bar? Because I don’t drink.”

A Cultural Shift

This was all music to my 27-year-old, non-alcoholic ears. I explained to McFarlin that I, too, recently gave up alcohol after being prescribed a new medication. I was never a heavy drinker, but once the mental and physical benefits kicked in, I realized I was having more fun going out without it.

And I’m far from alone. A Time magazine article from January cited data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse showing that “lifetime drinking, past-month drinking, and past-year drinking among young people began to decline around the year 2000.” These declines have especially impacted Generation Z (born 1997–2012) and younger Millennials (born 1981–1996).

Maybe that’s why McFarlin notes, “It just seemed like a thing. There’s less people drinking, especially people in their 20s.” Even those who still drink, he adds, “aren’t drinking nearly as much as they used to. And then people my age, in their 40s, are stopping — just starting different parts of their life.”

Could this be what the sisters of the Temperance Movement and the teetotalers of the 19th century dreamed of? Is it the growing rate of legal cannabis accessibility? Is it a health revolution — or is the fun simply different now? Who knows. What I do know is how much I missed going somewhere to enjoy a beautiful, crafted beverage.

At Zerø, the house mixologist, Vigil Riggs, delivered exactly that. The first drink I sampled during their soft weekday opening was the Smoked Zerø, a “bold, warm, smooth” smoked cocktail made with cherrywood smoke, citrus peel, and Ritual Non-Alcoholic Whiskey at 0.0% ABV. I asked for a house specialty — and this is what arrived. The bitters don’t overwhelm the palate; instead, they create the gentle burn I miss from alcoholic drinks. Sometimes I use warm tea or cayenne pepper to simulate this feeling in my mocktails at home, especially in the fall when the weather begs for that warmth in your chest — but this was so much better. If you love a classic smoked cocktail, or you miss your fall old-fashioned, your upgrade is calling.

The Vibes Index

As a community and culture correspondent for Second Wave Media, I’ve created a rating system I call The Vibes Index. It’s based on creativity, craft, and sensory experience — because sometimes, the best reviews come down to vibes.

Here’s a breakdown of the system: 

Category	Description	Rating Scale
Creativity & Concept	The originality of the thing. How intentional, inventive, or surprising is it? Does it feel like something only this creator could have made?	★★★★★
Craft & Composition	This category is based on the quality of execution. Are all the elements working together harmoniously? What is working? What is not working?	★★★★★
Sensory Impact	The sensory impact relates to the physical and emotional feel — texture, depth, warmth, or energy. Am I moved by this particular thing? Does it leave an impression beyond the surface?	★★★★★
Atmosphere & Context	How well does this particular thing fit or transform its environment — the space, the time, the audience, or the mood. Does it belong to the moment?	★★★★★
Afterfeel	The lingering impression of the work. Did this experience stay with me — in taste, thought, or feeling — after it’s over?	★★★★★

Overall Score: (Average or total, e.g., 23/25 or 4.6★)

The Smoked Zerø

Category	Description	Rating
Creativity & Concept	Made with Ritual NA Whiskey, citrus peel, and bitters, yet it presents visually as completely clear — a striking and clever twist to a classic cocktail.	★★★★☆
Craft & Composition	Riggs’s expert mixology creates balance and structure that play on classic flavors in this smoked creation.	★★★★☆
Sensory Impact	A crystal glass, rising smoke, and a designer “Zero” ice cube make this a perfect visual for anyone who likes to drink with their eyes, so to speak.	★★★★☆
Atmosphere & Context	The attention to detail evokes the charm of an artisanal urban bar and lounge in the warmth of our community.	★★★★☆
Afterfeel	The symphony of bitters, NA spirits, citrus, and smoke led me to ask if the smoke itself was rosemary. It was not! It was actually cherrywood. That was a pretty wonderful surprise. This is a play on an Old Fashioned that will introduce a whole new flavor to your palette, give you that sweet burning sensation we all crave from a fall drink, and have you coming back for more.	★★★★★

Overall Score: 4.2★

Next, I tried the Lavender French 75, a “floral, citrus, and sparkling” cocktail made with Ritual Spirits Non-Alcoholic Gin, lavender, and dealcoholized bubbly.

Category	Description	Rating
Creativity & Concept	A faithful recreation of the classic French 75, softened with lavender. Familiar yet fresh. My favorite cocktail for meeting with colleagues or uplifting spirits.	★★★☆☆
Craft & Composition	Balanced and smooth; the lavender complements the lack of the sharpness of a gin aftertaste perfectly.	★★★★☆
Sensory Impact	This drink tastes like the color purple. It’s bright, floral, and divine, with a purple flower garnish.	★★★★☆
Atmosphere & Context	The drink harmonizes with the space—refined wood, open design, warm light.	★★★★☆
Afterfeel	Instead of the sluggishness alcohol leaves, I felt light, cool, calm, and deeply relaxed upon finishing this cocktail.	★★★★★

The Space & The Spirit

I left Zerø knowing non-alcoholic ambience truly can be achieved. As McFarlin puts it: “You can actually have drinks that are good and taste like the real thing.” 

That vision wouldn’t exist without the greater Kalamazoo community. “It’s because of the community that we’re able to open this and be even more of a part of it,” McFarlin says. “It’s fun to add to the space, add to the mall, be part of the history that is Kalamazoo.” 

The space itself is a love letter to local craftsmanship. McFarlin tells me, “When I started making candles 12 years ago, I was renting a bedroom in a guy’s house in the Millwood neighborhood. His name is Dante — he started an interior design agency — and he designed this.” Dante helped with the flooring, chandeliers, and countless “little fixtures.” Even the wallpaper — custom-made by a business in the Park Trades Center — is textured and tactile. “It’s hard not to touch it,” McFarlin adds with a grin. Zerø plans to give that community love right back with live music twice a week, Tuesday trivia, and a monthly board game night — with more events to come. 

“We want to give people what they want,” McFarlin concludes. “Because this is all about experience — watching people make things, getting a cocktail, whatever it is.” After seeing, tasting, smelling, and hearing the care poured into every detail of Kalamazoo’s first non-alcoholic bar, it’s clear: the future really could be zero proof. In this space, craft, community, and creativity take center stage — proving to our city that a bar doesn’t need alcohol to find success in a prime location on the Kalamazoo Mall, and deliver an unforgettable experience.