September 11, 2023

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Today’s Forecast

28º | Mostly sunny | 0% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:43 a.m. | Sunset 5:22 p.m.

🍹 Mocktails are having their moment

City Editor Nicole is always happy when she sees a mocktail menu at a local restaurant. | Photo by INDYtoday team

Now more than ever, data shows that consumers are experimenting with what it means to be “sober curious.” The result has been a spike in sales of non-alcoholic beverages and a declining interest in alcoholic drinks.

Here are a few stand-out stats:

Total dollar sales of non-alcoholic beverages grew by 20.6% between August 2021 and 2022. Non-alcoholic beer accounted for 85.3% of those sales.
36% of US consumers reported to have “lost interest in drinking alcohol in general” while 13% reported to be “interested in alternative non-alcoholic beverages.”
Sales of non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits rose from 0.22% of total alcohol sales in the US in 2018 to 0.47% in 2022.
Global Market Share predicts that the non-alcoholic drinks market will grow to $30 billion by 2025.

Two drinks on a table with a menu — The menu has changed since, but City Editor Nicole enjoyed the “First Crush” zero proof drink at HC Tavern.
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Photo by INDYtoday team

Wanna know where you can enjoy a mocktail in Indy? Here are some local spots we love + what to drink there:

Big Woods Restaurants | City Editor Nicole visited the Speedway location and tried the Strawberry Tart Daiquiri — made with strawberry purée, orange juice, lime juice, and lemonade. Menus may not be the same at every Big Woods/Hard Truth location.
The Fountain Room | The Tall, Dark + Refreshing — made with blackberry, basil, and lemonade — is indeed refreshing.
Bodhi | The zero proof drink menu looks different since the last time we visited — try the Afterlife Surprise for us. It’s made with Spiritless Kentucky 74, lemongrass syrup, mango syrup, lemon, and mint.
HC Tavern + Kitchen | We’re eyeing the Pineapple Nojito with fresh mint, pineapple, lime, and soda.
The Ball & Biscuit | The Et Tu, Fruit combines abstinence lemon bittersweet aperitivo, wild berry puree, elderflower syrup, and mint.

8 more spots for NA beverages

Events

Tuesday, Sept. 12

Lunch Break Live Tuesdays | Tuesday, Sept. 12-Tuesday, Oct. 3 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Downtown, Indianapolis | Head over to the southwest quad of Monument Circle for live music and food trucks with excellent lunch offerings, or bring your own meal.
Tuesday Group Run | Tuesday, Sept. 12 | 5:30-6:30 p.m. | Indianapolis Cultural Trail Office, 132 W. Walnut St. | Free | Join the Bourbon Street Run Club for this dog-friendly, three-mile group run along the Downtown Canal.

Wednesday, Sept. 13

Create & Plate: Create Your Own Charcuterie Boards | Wednesday, Sept. 13 | 6-8:30 p.m. | Machyne Makerspace, 1220 Waterway Blvd., Indianapolis | $120 | Couples will go through the process of transforming rough lumber into their very own piece of art and then learn how to plate and curate a charcuterie board.
Dave Chappelle Live | Wednesday, Sept. 13 | 7:30 p.m. | Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis | $39.50-$279.50 | Have a laugh and see the stand-up comedian in Indy.

Thursday, Sept. 14

Cocktails @ Camp | Thursday, Sept. 14 | 4-8 p.m. | Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, 7201 Girl Scout Lane, Indianapolis | $150 | Get ready for an exciting night of camp fun just for adults with Girl Scout Cookies, cocktails and beer, local food, themed activities, and hands-on adventures while supporting Girl Scouts of Central Indiana.

Saturday, Oct. 7

Indy Electric Vehicle Showcase | Saturday, Oct. 7 | 12-5 p.m. | The AMP at 16 Tech, 1220 Waterway Blvd, Indianapolis | Free | The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability and Knozone invites you to Indy’s premier event for getting up to speed on driving electric.*

Events calendar here

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Biz

Did you know that the Indy Chamber offers member health insurance for small businesses?

One Chamber member says, “We have access to an Anthem group health plan that’s more robust and less expensive than what we could access on our own. It’s a significant savings of $2,753 per year.” | Photo via Pexels

It’s just one of the many perks of being an Indy Chamber member.

For 20+ years, Indy Chamber has partnered with Anthem to provide affordable health benefits to employers like you. Businesses with as few as two or as many as 50 employees are eligible to enroll, and start saving thousands on employee healthcare — without compromising on quality.

For many entrepreneurs, being able to provide health insurance to their workers is a milestone moment in their small business journey. Why wait?

Join the Chamber for solutions that work

News Notes

Development

Plans for a new Indianapolis Animal Care Services facility on the city’s near east side have received a $1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment. The new site will replace the existing shelter on Harding Street + will include an on-site medical facility. The goal is to break ground by the end of the year. (IBJ)

Community

On Thursday, Sept. 14, IndyHub will be spotlighting 100 local community organizations at Victory Field during its 18th annual IndyVolved event — helping 20- and 30-somethings get connected + get involved. It’s one of the largest volunteer recruitment events in the Midwest and is free to attend. Register online.

Health

The Indiana WIC Program will be transitioning from using Gerber infant formula to Enfamil products beginning Sunday, Oct. 1. Due to different timeframes for WIC benefit periods, some clients may still have Gerber benefits through the end of October. (WRTV)

Number

11,000. That’s how many people attended the third annual BUTTER Fine Art Fair at The Stutz. It also exceeded last year’s art sales of $250,000, topping more than $285,000 in purchases. The Indiana State Museum, Newfields, and other collectors acquired several pieces. (IBJ)

National

🇺🇸 Never forget

The 9/11 Memorial in downtown Indianapolis was established in 2010 when the artifacts from Ground Zero were available for communities to create permanent local memorials. | Photo by Indiana War Memorials

Today, we remember Sept. 11, 2001 — a day that continues to impact lives 22 years later.

If you’re downtown, there are a couple spots where you can stop for a moment of silence to honor those who lost their lives.

The Indiana 9/11 Memorial next to Indianapolis Fire Station 13 along the Canal was established in 2010 + was expanded for the 20th anniversary in 2021.

It features:

Two 11,000-pound beams from the Twin Towers
A life-sized American Bald Eagle sculpture atop one of the beams, facing east toward New York City
A pair of six-ft-tall black granite walls inscribed with remembrances of the events in New York City, Washington, DC, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania
A stone that was part of the wall from the Pentagon that was damaged in the attack
A survivor tree grown from a tree found at the bottom of the rubble at Ground Zero
A military monument in honor of the nine Hoosiers whose lives were lost on 9/11
A “Never Forget” wall made from Indiana limestone, overlooking the White River Canal

The memorial site is open from dawn to dusk and is free to visit.

Tonight, there will also be a “Shining A Light” tribute on Monument Circle that will repeat three times at 9, 10, and 11 p.m.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Nicole

From the editor

I personally don’t drink much alcohol, so I love that mocktails are becoming more and more common now. You don’t have to drink alcohol to be social. Another spot where I’ve ordered a mocktail is Blue Sushi Sake Grill at Ironworks. It has three zero proof drinks on the menu — all for $6 each, which may be the cheapest I’ve seen.

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