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Participating in Dry January this year? There's a bar for that!

Amber Suzanne Pennington, co-owner of Free Spirited in Alhambra, California, talks about opening up her sober craft cocktail lounge, how she’s managing increased prices, and her plans to hire soon.

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Amber Suzanne Pennington is the co-owner of Free Spirited, a sober craft cocktail bar in Alhambra, California.
Amber Suzanne Pennington is the co-owner of Free Spirited, a sober craft cocktail bar in Alhambra, California.
Sofia Terenzio/Marketplace

Fewer Americans are drinking alcohol. U.S. drinking rates hit a record low of 54% for all adults last year, according to one Gallup poll. That rate is even lower for young adults, which may be welcome news if you are in the business of non-alcoholic drinks.

Amber Suzanne Pennington owns Free Spirited, a sober craft cocktail lounge in Alhambra, California, along with her husband Arleo De Guzman.

“The inspiration came when we were working at a bar together and a bunch of sober cocktails or mocktails were being ordered, and I was like, ‘oh my God, there's an actual demographic for this,’” said Pennington. “With my history of losing people to addiction, being hit by a drunk driver, and my husband going through alcoholism, I'm like, ‘All right, we're doing this.’”

To hear the rest of Pennington’s story, click the audio player above.

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