WILLIAMSBURG — For those who are sober, a designated driver, pregnant, or just looking for a different option, Point5 — opening soon in Williamsburg — will become the region’s first-ever non-alcoholic bottle shop.
Point5, which has a location in Richmond, will offer curated non-alcoholic spirits, wines, beers, mixers, canned mocktails and functional beverages. The new location will also host tastings, events and educate on low and no-ABV beverages.
Charlotte McDonald, Point5 Williamsburg owner, franchised the location after a visit to the Richmond store.
“I discovered Point5 in Richmond when I was looking for better options for myself. I still drink, but I wanted to incorporate more non-alcoholic alternatives. Unfortunately, most times that either means a sugar bomb of a strawberry daiquiri with no alcohol in it or a soda. My family has a long, long history of alcohol abuse, and I’ve recognized times in my own life where alcohol has played a bigger role than I’ve wanted it to. This store gives me the opportunity to help me find non-alcoholic options, but also introduce it to others,” McDonald said.
In addition to selling bottles, McDonald is hoping to add quarterly mocktail-making classes to the store’s offerings.
“I’ll hire a local bartender where they will make up some mixed drinks, we’ll educate you on how to use the non-alcoholic beverages to make really good mixed drinks and how to batch them,” McDonald explained.
The tasting bar will also give customers an opportunity to try spirits and other options before making a purchase.
“I’ll have several bottles open where customers can taste things. I’m not a person who will spend $40-$60 on something that I’ve not been able to try. What if I don’t like it? It’s really hard to find those products and it’s hard for me to justify spending that kind of money on something I’ve never tried so how can I ask a customer to do that?” McDonald said.
With a goal in mind of becoming a community hub, McDonald aims to be a business owner who meets people where they are at.
“I hope to be a spot in the community where people can come in and they can learn about a new product or help me decide what goes on my shelves. I want it to be something where people can feel comfortable coming in and I want to meet them wherever they are. Maybe they are a recovering alcoholic and they need something that is 0.0% ABV. I’ve got you, we’ll get those products together for you. There is this stigma around people who don’t drink, my store gives them the opportunity to still have something and people aren’t going to question that,” McDonald explained.
Point5 will hold a soft opening at the end of January at its location in the Williamsburg Premium Outlets in the old Virginia Gourmet space. Details on a specific date will be released on the Point5 Facebook page soon.