What happens when you turn a century-old Pentecostal church into a print shop covered in swear words, then open Atlantic Canada's first dedicated alcohol-free bar? You get Jay Hiltz.

In this episode of On the Wagon, host Zachary sits down with Jay Hiltz, owner of Soberish Mocktail Shop and founder of Nor'easter Apparel, to talk about building a non-alcoholic drinks business in one of Canada's biggest drinking cultures.

Jay opens up about leaving the Maritimes for Montreal, why he moved back to rural Nova Scotia, and how a t-shirt shop in Chester turned into Soberish, a full bar experience with bartenders, a revolving cocktail menu, and zero alcohol. He shares the moment he realized Halifax needed more non-alcoholic options than anywhere else east of Montreal, the surprising size of the alcohol-free community that showed up on day one, and the customer stories that changed how he thinks about sobriety, social pressure, and why people really give up drinking.

This conversation goes deep on the emotional side of the mocktail and non-alcoholic beverage industry: the woman who burst into tears trying to build her first mocktail, the customers who whisper about peer pressure at fifty years old, and the servers who lose tips when restaurants skip mocktails on the menu. Jay and Zachary also dig into flavour science — how alcohol-free spirits behave differently than the real thing, why balsamic vinegar and feta cheese belong in a dirty martini, and how creativity from Asian grocery stores and local vinegar makers shapes the Soberish cocktail menu.

Beyond drinks, Jay talks about Nor'easter Apparel, his Maritime slang and swear-word t-shirt and kitchen towel line, and the surprising folkloric research behind phrases like "shenanigans" and "freak sakes." He also shares the story of literally running his print shop out of the Pentecostal church his great-grandparents built over a hundred years ago — and what it means to be the caretaker of that legacy while selling merchandise with a wink and an edge.

Listeners will also hear about the influence of Zita Cobb and Fogo Island Resort on Jay's approach to building local economies, his thoughts on franchising, competing with grocery store non-alcoholic products, and where he sees the sober curious and alcohol-free movement heading in Canada over the next few years.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Building Canada's non-alcoholic drinks industry from a small town in Nova Scotia
• Why Halifax has the only dedicated alcohol-free bars in Atlantic Canada
• The emotional and social reasons people go sober, soberish, or alcohol-free
• Navigating peer pressure, social anxiety, and sober curious culture at any age
• Crafting non-alcoholic cocktails: alcohol-free spirits, bitters, vinegars, and unusual flavour pairings
• Nor'easter Apparel and the folklore behind Maritime slang and swear-word merchandise
• Running a business out of a hundred-year-old church built by his great-grandparents
• Zita Cobb, Fogo Island, and building a business model rooted in local community
• Competing with big brands and grocery stores as the non-alc market grows
• Family, legacy, and what it means to build something that outlasts you

Whether you're sober curious, mindfully drinking, moderating alcohol, or just curious about the fastest-growing category in the beverage industry, this episode offers an honest, funny, and surprisingly emotional look at what it takes to build a non-alcoholic drinks business in Canada.

Connect with Jay Hiltz: Soberish Mocktail Shop (Chester & Halifax, NS) and Nor'easter Apparel.

Soberish website: https://noreasterapparel.com/pages/soberish

Soberish Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soberishmocktailshoppe/

On the Wagon is a podcast about building community and connection in the non-alcoholic drinks movement in Canada.

The Wagon & Co website: https://www.thewagonandco.com/

The Wagon & Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewagonandco

Mad Moose Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkmadmoose

Joanne Pearce on Building Canada's First Dedicated Non-Alcoholic Bar, Mocktail Culture, and the Sober Curious Movement

In this episode of On the Wagon Podcast, host Zachary sits down with Joanne Pearce, co-owner of Spilt, Canada's first and only dedicated non-alcoholic bar, multi-book author, and self-described potions witch, for a candid conversation about sobriety, creativity, and building a business in the fast-growing non-alcoholic drinks industry.

Joanne shares how her journey into mocktail-making began almost by accident. After quitting drinking in October 2020 during the pandemic, she found herself with newfound time on her hands and turned to foraging, homemade syrups, and elaborate mocktail creations as a creative outlet. What started as a personal hobby (including staged photo shoots and dioramas of her drinks) eventually became the foundation for her first recipe books and, later, Spilt itself.

The conversation dives deep into Joanne's evolution as an author, from her early, wildly complex recipe books to Dry Spell, a hand-illustrated coloring book that took 18 months to complete and marked the first time she wrote openly about her sobriety journey beyond just mocktail recipes. Joanne opens up about why that book still sits, mostly unsold, in her basement — and why the vulnerability of that project felt different from anything she'd published before.

Zachary and Joanne also unpack her experience in beverage manufacturing, including her time helping scale a non-alcoholic bottled product line. She reflects on the tension between creative freedom and the rigid, procedure-driven world of commercial production, and why she ultimately gravitated back toward the flexibility of running a bar. The two swap stories from the front lines of sampling, Joanne estimates she's handed out more than 10,000 mocktail samples at farmers markets and events, and discuss the emotional resilience required to face public rejection, the stigma still attached to not drinking, and how defensiveness from others often has more to do with their own relationship with alcohol than with the product itself.

Other topics include:

• The role of community, inclusivity, and events in growing Spilt beyond just a bar
• Joanne's creative process, inspired by her entrepreneurial family and her maternal grandmother's intuitive cooking style
• Industry mentors and inspirations, including local food and beverage experts and the acclaimed Zero cookbook from Chicago's Alinea Group
• The challenges and rewards of running a hospitality business, from staffing to equipment breakdowns
• Spilt's upcoming events, tasting nights, and curated drink-and-food pairing menus

Whether you're sober curious, newly alcohol-free, or simply interested in the booming zero-proof and non-alcoholic beverage movement in Canada, this episode offers an honest, funny, and inspiring look at what it takes to build a business — and a life — around mocktail culture.

Spilt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spiltbar

Spilt Website: https://www.spilt.ca

Spilt Substack: https://spiltbar.substack.com

Spilt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spilt-zero-proof-ltd/

The Wagon & Co: https://www.wagonandco.com

Mad Moose: https://www.drinkmadmoose.com/

Keywords: non-alcoholic bar, mocktail recipes, sober curious, zero proof cocktails, Spilt bar Edmonton, Joanne Pearce, non-alcoholic drinks Canada, sobriety, mocktail industry, quitting alcohol

Alex Viol of SommZero on Judging the World Alcohol Free Awards, UK vs Canada Markets, and Building a Non Alcoholic Import Business

In this episode of On the Wagon Podcast, host Zachary sits down with Alex Viol, sommelier and co founder of SommZero, an importer and distributor of premium non alcoholic drinks in Canada, for a wide ranging conversation about the state of the non alcoholic beverage industry both at home and abroad.

Alex opens up about his recent experience judging the World Alcohol Free Awards in London for the second year in a row. He shares what makes the competition unique, why it is dedicated solely to non alc products, and how this year's judging groups were organized with more specialist focus based on background and expertise. He also discusses a noticeable rise in overall product quality, why weaker entries now stand out more than ever, and what that says about where the category is heading.

The conversation shifts into a deep dive on saturation versus opportunity in the non alcoholic market. Alex explains why certain categories, like gin, may look crowded but still leave huge room for growth, and why the blurred lines between beer, wine, and functional beverages are creating space for real innovation. He also compares the UK and Canadian markets, touching on logistics, extreme weather, population density, provincial liquor regulations, and how those differences shape distribution strategy for brands like his own VinoZero in the UK and SommZero in Canada.

Zachary and Alex trade stories from the front lines of sampling and events, including the challenges of introducing non alc products to skeptical consumers, memorable moments where guests fell in love with a wine before realizing it was alcohol free, and hard lessons learned around temperature control, shipping, and inventory during a business partner's Christmas Day import crisis. They also discuss the importance of staying visible in spaces that are not traditionally associated with non alc, and why stepping outside the comfort zone matters for the movement as a whole.

Other topics include:-Community and mentorship within Canada's non alc industry-The role of independent retailers and why their hard work keeps Alex motivated-Creativity among sober mixologists and producers pushing the category forward-Upcoming products, events, and what is next for SommZero

Whether you are curious about the non alcoholic drinks movement, exploring sober curious living, or interested in the business side of importing and distributing zero proof beverages, this episode offers an honest and insightful look at where the category has been and where it is going.

Keywords: non alcoholic drinks Canada, SommZero, World Alcohol Free Awards, sober curious, zero proof beverages, non alc wine, Alex Viol, non alcoholic import business, sommelier, non alcoholic industry trends

Website: https://www.sommzero.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sommzero

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderviol

Hosted by Zachary Fritze, Founder of The Wagon & Co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewagonandco

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thewagonandco

Maker of Mad Moose:

Website: https://drinkmadmoose.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkmadmoose