ZERO Cocktail Bar
Gail Lynch is the CEO and Experience Designer of ZERO Cocktail Bar, Canada’s first non-alcoholic cocktail bar, tasting room and bottle shop experience, located within in Toronto’s historic Cabbagetown district.
As Gail explains, “We provide access to beautiful, flavourful cocktails for those of us wanting the creativity and delectableness of a traditional cocktail without the alcohol. Our tagline, ‘Come for the Cocktail, Stay for the Chat,’ brings communities together. Our cocktails are crafted using premium non-alcohol spirits and bar mixes created in-house using delectable fruits, herbs and spices. Our customer base is as varied as our drinks: young and young at heart, the sober community, the sober curious, and those looking for something fresh and new.”
To offer its diverse clientele the varied experiences they’re seeking, ZERO Cocktail Bar offers full zero-proof cocktail bar service, team-building mixology workshops and events, cocktail crafting menus for events, restaurants and bars, and a tasting room and bottle shop.
Gail believes that non-alcoholic cocktails should be an expected and thought-out option at every celebration and event, and says that as a “Black 2SLGBTQIA+ woman, equity, inclusion and community are hallmarks of everything I do.”
Sober living for the past decade, Gail’s journey in building ZERO Cocktail Bar began “To protect my mental health during the pandemic. I built a 2x4 bar with a cement countertop and began experimenting and crafting zero-proof cocktails. I was bored with the same old standard drink options usually available during social events, so I made it my mission to craft cocktails using premium non-alcohol spirits, botanicals and bar mixes. I had no idea that creating this bar would give me the creative outlet to experiment with delicious, in-house recipes using delectable, organic fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.”
For Gail, accessing financial support has been one of the greatest challenges in starting and growing her business. She’s found it extremely difficult to receive support and education from her financial institution, and funded ZERO Cocktail Bar using her personal finances.
She’s also noticed that “The support provided by lending institutions, non-profit organizations, and governments often fails to reach the entrepreneurs who need it. Many organizations and governments create a false narrative of support for Black and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities through commercials and announcements. These entities fly the Pride flag high in June and provide support to large organizations as it benefits their own PR. Unfortunately, these supports don’t get to those who are in need.”