Kristin Patrick & Andrea Simpson
Loren’s Alcohol-Free Beverages, Co-Founders
Picture two sisters bundled up in layers circling Hamilton County, peeping into any vacant retail windows. This was us in February 2022. Well, there was more driving than peeping. Finding potential locations for the alcohol-free bottle shop we planned to open was becoming a significant challenge.
Several months later, our real estate broker Alaina emailed that she had found a possibility NEXT TO CAFÉ PATACHOU! Yes, her email was in capital letters. She recognized that securing the right spot would be crucial for our success. While we, too, are longtime fans of their tomato basil soup and cinnamon toast, it wasn’t Patachou that made our hearts soar. It was the address. The intersection of Hazel Dell Parkway and Main Street is not far from where we grew up in the area that many now refer to as East Carmel. The interior needed some work, but we knew this was where we were meant to be.
Response has been overwhelmingly positive since opening in August 2022. It’s been this enthusiastic feedback that has propelled us to keep growing. We opened a second location in The Village of West Clay in April 2023 and launched a distribution side of the business in June 2023. Customers regularly thank us for existing – in person and through social media. Some days, it all feels surreal. Here is what to expect when visiting one of our stores:
- Alcohol-removed wines representing vineyards in California, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy and South Africa.
- An impressive selection of nonalcoholic beers representing craft breweries and big labels. Brands include Athletic Brewing, Brewdog, Untitled Art, Busty Lush, Heineken, Guinness and more.
- Multiple shelves dedicated to zero-proof spirits. Gin, tequila, rum, whiskey alternatives, and a variety of botanical elixirs.
- A wide range of bottled and canned functional beverages with plant-based ingredients to elevate your mood, relieve stress or help you sleep.
We love being business owners in a part of Hamilton County that we hold dear, though the idea of saying East Carmel still feels silly to those who remember a time before Hazel Dell Parkway existed. Call the area east of Keystone Avenue and west of the White River what you want, but for us, it’s home.
