In Business: Mrs. Sippi, a Non-Alcoholic Beverage Store, Open in Laporte

At first glance, Mrs. Sippi may seem like your average liquor store in Laporte. There are racks full of wine, coolers with cold beer, and some canned mixed drinks. But when you take a second look, you realize that everything in the store is non-alcoholic.

“Choosing to be alcohol free – I will be coming up on two years in May and I just wanted a safe place, one roof with lots of variety,” said Mrs. Sippi Owner Mikaela Fisher. “There’s a shift in society and I feel in our area, more than ever, we needed something.”

“No matter who you are and where you are on your, either sobriety journey or just in your tastes, life, you should have someplace really catered to you, so you have options,” said Mrs. Sippi Manager Connie Leyendecker.

Fisher started her “sober curious” journey nearly two years ago. She said that she never hit rock bottom but wanted to try out a sober lifestyle for a little bit.

And then it stuck. Since quitting drinking, the Mrs. Sippi owner says she realized just how big of a role alcohol plays in society today.

“I feel as an adult, we still want that experience with that adult beverage,” said Fisher. “Something special, something that looks nice, tastes great, is healthy, without all the consequences that can come with alcohol.”

“You don’t want to necessarily be the person who is nursing that can of soda over in the corner,” added Leyendecker. “And just because it doesn’t have alcohol in it doesn’t mean it’s not potentially a complex and really delicious beverage.”

The store is full of nonalcoholic wines, beer, liquor and mocktail sets.

“I’ve had people walk in with tears themselves because they’re so fortunate,” said Fisher. “So again, to be able to touch people that way, it’s unexplainable sometimes. “There’s such a shift in people wanting different. Not better – different.”