This Michigan Bar Doesn’t Serve Alcohol And Its First Night Was Packed
I'll have three, please.
Brillig Dry Bar is a new pop-up bar in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that doesn't serve alcohol.
The bar's name is a reference to Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky.
Brillig is the brainchild of former chef Nic Sims, who runs the pop-up out of her husband's coffee shop. Sims told BuzzFeed News that she quit drinking over 20 years ago.
Sims said that the "recovery community" has been important to her since her teens and includes many of her family members and friends.
Some of the menu’s popular highlights include a Vernors Cranberry Sour, which represents Michigan's favorite ginger ale...
...a Brooklyn Egg Cream, which represents Sims' native city...
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...and a Pomegranate-Rosemary Soda.
Sims also said that she realized the café could be turned into "a fun place on a weekend night without the ever-present TVs and alcohol in a bar."
She added, "And I love everybody, so why not invite them over?"
The bar had its first night of service this past Friday and it was a smashing success.
Sims says she is aiming to make the pop-up "monthly at the minimum."
Brillig's first customers included former drinkers, pregnant women, Muslims, teenagers, and college kids.
Sims told BuzzFeed the event was one of the most diverse nights she has experienced in Ann Arbor. Customers left comment cards complimenting the vibe and vision of the bar.
Sims has received some backlash, but insists the dry bar is not anti-alcohol.
Sims says that she wants "energy, music, games, loud conversation, laughter," and "all the fun of going out with your mates in a safe place where you can drink whatever you like and have no regrets."
Follow Brillig Dry Bar on Facebook and Twitter. The next pop-up is planned for Dec. 26.
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Ahmed Ali Akbar is a podcast host for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York.
Contact Ahmed Ali Akbar at ahmed.akbar@buzzfeed.com.
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