Non-alcoholic bottle shop Marigold opens in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS -- It's a first of its kind in Minnesota: a non-alcoholic bottle shop. Marigold opened on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis late this fall next door to Honeycomb Salon, both owned by Erin Flavin.
"It's been a whirlwind, it's been really fun," Flavin said.
The idea to open a non-alcoholic beverage shop was sparked during the pandemic, when Flavin, like many, found herself turning to alcohol.
"I realized I couldn't drink anymore. There was no capacity for me to be a full-time working mother, pretty much a therapist to a lot of clients who were going through very hard times," she said.
She stopped drinking two years ago alongside husband. Her new focus became starting a business that would help others in their sobriety journey too.
"It's hard to find your space socially when it isn't the normal, it's not the norm to not drink," she said.
Marigold sells a variety of alcoholic beverage alternatives including many that are locally-made. Some of the products taste similar to alcohol while others do not, allowing more options for customers to find what they are looking for. The shelves also have some Cannabis and THC infused drinks, which Flavin says she works hard to educate customers on before they purchase being that they are a new product in Minnesota.
"I believe sobriety is a total spectrum and people should feel accepted anywhere they fall on that line," she said.
Marigold is holding a small holiday market with some local vendors and with tastings on Dec. 18.