The Daily Pour Expands Drinks with Benefits Into Two-Day Festival With New Industry Summit

Following a successful debut that drew more than 1,000 attendees and over 70 sponsors in 2025, The Daily Pour is expanding its award-winning Drinks with Benefits festival into a two-day event celebrating the rapidly growing world of nonalcoholic, functional and better-for-you beverages.

The expanded event begins on Sept. 16 with the inaugural DWB Summit, an exclusive gathering for beverage industry professionals, founders, investors and entrepreneurs. The following day, Sept. 17, the consumer-focused Drinks with Benefits festival returns to The Altman Building in New York City, offering immersive tastings, culinary experiences, wellness programming and educational activations for both consumers and trade attendees.

DWB Summit Debuts for Industry Professionals

The new DWB Summit is designed exclusively for trade insiders, entrepreneurs and founders helping shape the future of the mindful drinking movement.

The one-day conference will feature programming focused on business growth, fundraising, retail strategy and category development, alongside networking opportunities with some of the industry’s leading executives and innovators.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Bill Shufelt (Athletic Beer)
• Laura Taylor (Mingle Mocktails)
• Brian Rosen (Investbev)
• Taylor Foxman (Industry Collective)
• Dan Gasper (Distill Ventures/Nex Drinks)
• Marcos Salazar (Adult NA Beverage Association)
• Rachel Martin (Oceano Wines)
• Melanie Masarin (Ghia)
• Emily Onkey (Aplos)
• Dante Catena (Catena)
• Abe Zarate (Crane Club)
• Meeta Gournay (Three Spirit)
• AGXYL Storms (Minus Moonshine)
• Nick Pelis (Spirited Away)
• Caleb Ganzer (Hospitality Operator)
• Nicolas Guillant (Opius)
• Lawrence Bremer (St Buena Vida)
• Vanessa Rissetto (Culina Health)
• Anna Baskin (Hightail)
• Monica Cornitcher (Medase)

Programming topics include:

• Entrepreneurship: The Pivot from Corporate to Creator
• Raising Capital — insights from investors backing the next generation of beverage brands
• The Unglamorous Aspects of Selling
• The Evolution of the Wine Occasion
• Female Founders Experience
• Winning the Retail Game

Attendance for the Summit is limited, with registration available on a first-come, first-served basis for trade professionals and founders.

Drinks with Benefits

On Sept. 17, Drinks with Benefits returns to both consumers and industry professionals for a full day dedicated to discovering the latest innovations in alcohol-free, functional and wellness-focused beverages.

The festival has earned significant recognition since its launch, including being named one of USA Today’s 10 Best Specialty Food Festivals, a Standout Fall Festival by BizBash and the No. 1 nonalcoholic event by After Magazine.

This year’s festival will feature several interactive experiences.

Tasting Gallery

While  can sample beverages from leading nonalcoholic and functional brands, including:

• Sylva by Ben Branson
• Bero by Tom Holland
• Double Gold award winners Oddbird and Varnum Vintners
• Ayrloom, New York’s top-selling hemp brand

Joining the beverages will be a Curated Culinary VIP Experience. The festival will serve plant-based cuisine from abcV, Le Botaniste, JaJaJa Mexicana and Délice & Sarrasin. The culinary experience will also include artisanal appetizers from Murray’s Cheese and handcrafted French cream puffs from Barachou.

Rhythms Lounge

Presented by ALTRD, the Rhythms Lounge combines live music, breathwork and craft nonalcoholic elixirs in a sober rave experience.

Mixology Lab

Attendees can create their own zero-proof cocktails during a hands-on workshop designed for both curious consumers and beverage professionals.

Wellness Sanctuary

The wellness area will feature guided meditation sessions led by Dara Hart of Sage + Sound.

Art Show

The festival will also showcase contemporary artwork from Andrea Bergen (San Francisco), Brian Brown (New York City) and Kelly Boehmer, bringing a visual arts component to the wellness-focused event.

A complete list of participating brands and activations is available on the Drinks with Benefits website.

Mindful Drinking Continues to Gain Momentum

The expansion reflects growing consumer demand for alcohol alternatives and functional beverages as more Americans rethink how and when they drink.

“We’re witnessing one of the biggest cultural shifts in how people drink,” said Dan Abrams, founder of The Daily Pour. “Consumers today want options that fit their lifestyle, whether that’s a glass of wine or now more than ever, a high quality alcohol free drink. Drinks with Benefits was built to celebrate that shift and give people a place to explore it in a way that’s fun, delicious and genuinely exciting.”

Several trends drive that growth:

• One in three adults now identify as mindful drinkers, actively reducing alcohol consumption while exploring nonalcoholic alternatives.
• Fifty-five percent of Millennials and 63% of Gen Z say they actively moderate their alcohol intake.
• Forty-seven percent of consumers are replacing alcohol on certain occasions with functional beverages.
• Three in five consumers now consider nonalcoholic beverages part of their wellness routine rather than a marker of abstinence.

Tickets and Registration

Seats for the DWB Summit are limited and available to qualifying trade professionals and founders on a first-come, first-served basis.

Additional information about the Sept. 17 consumer festival, tickets and the full event schedule is available at the Drinks with Benefits website.