A buzz without the booze: Lost Cultures Tea Bar opens in Sawmill District

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Ryan Brown, the owner of Lost Cultures Tea Bar, claims his drinks will give you a buzz without the booze. His business just opened in the Sawmill District.

Instead of alcohol, they use tea and other ingredients that he says can make you feel euphoric.

“We’re, you know, one of the first to focus on having a non-alcoholic bar that’s catered to, you know, some sort of nighttime crowd and not just like a cafe or coffee shop,” Brown said.

According to the Food Institute, 51% of Americans wish they had a sober bar or mocktail bar in their neighborhood instead of the traditional watering hole.

Brown is a one-man operation and is dipping into the growing mocktail market in New Mexico – a trend that’s popular with millennials.

“There are so many sober people out there and not enough spaces for them,” he said.

Brown has 15 years of bartending experience, and since being sober, he hasn’t let his skills run dry. He hopes to provide a space where people can be social while staying sober.

“It makes me very feel very passionate and grateful that I’m able to, you know, offer this space for myself and for other people in the community,” Brown said.

Lost Cultures is located on Bellamah Avenue NW. To see the drinks they offer and their hours, click here.