About three years ago, I stopped drinking after my mom’s passing. I finally understood how deep her love was for me and realized I wanted to start living in a way that would make her proud.

Initially, quitting drinking was difficult. Beyond facing parts of my life I’d been avoiding, I had to reimagine my weekends and the way I socialized with people. In general, our culture doesn’t always make it easy to gather without alcohol, but through reflection and compassion, I’ve learned that connection is possible without it.

This isn’t about praising sobriety or shaming those who drink. It’s about reclaiming connections that often get lost when alcohol becomes the focus.

As I’ve navigated my well-briety, I’ve been exploring non-alcoholic (NA) beverages and spirits and curating NA lists for different social events and spaces, to make connection fun, meaningful and inclusive. To grow this work, I’ll be hosting free and low cost NA tasting nights in the Bay Area and Central Valley to gather input and feedback.

This journey has reminded me that healing and connection are rooted within my Hmong cultural heritage. I already carry the ancestral knowledge to craft my own wellness drinks and practices, without needing the expensive and exclusive health trends.

Although I’ll be sampling different NA drinks on the market, my bigger goal is to inspire NA drink recipes from women of color. I hope this will strengthen community spaces that center connection and support intergenerational healing.

To bring this vision to life, I’m raising $5,000 to launch the first phase of this project. These initial funds will help build the foundation for creating culturally grounded, alcohol-free spaces that uplift connection and drink traditions held by women of color. Your donation keeps tasting events free or low cost for the community.

Here's what your funds will support:

Two Free or Low Cost NA Tasting Events - NA bottles, ingredients, supplies, glassware, tasting cards and setup materials

One NA Mixology Contest - support for participants, printed materials and event setup

Fieldwork - bottle scouting, cultural research, visiting NA makers, NA drink development

Brand Materials - logo design and initial visual identity

Timeline (December 2025 – March 2026)

December 2025 - Launch fundraising; begin fieldwork

January 2026 - Host Dry January NA Tasting Event #1; begin community outreach and partner conversations

February 2026 - Host NA Tasting Event #2; refine drink categories

March 2026 - Host NA Mixology Contest featuring cultural drinks and women of color creators; begin initial brand development

If this resonates with you, please consider donating or sharing my project. Thank you for believing in this idea.

Your support now helps me launch this project in time for Dry January and build momentum for community events this winter.

#GivingTuesday