Sarah and Olivia Sears, BuzzCutt founders<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cRight now, it is pretty bare bones; we wanted to make sure that we got a really solid tool framework out there for people to have in the palm of their hand,\u201d Sears said.<\/p>\n

BuzzCutt users can also rate different locations collected in the app and leave tips. The team initially planned to pull in external reviews for the listings it indexes but quickly realized that someone who doesn\u2019t drink would have a \u201ctotally different\u201d lens on a bar or restaurant\u2019s selection. Now, the app only collects reviews from BuzzCutt\u2019s own community \u2014 a smart way to build trust and avoid diluting its much-needed utility.<\/p>\n

\u201c[A local bar] might be really cool, but for somebody who isn\u2019t comfortable being around like a giant wall of fucking whiskey, that might not be the vibe,\u201d Sears said. \u201cAnd that could be captured in user generated reports about the place.\u201d<\/p>\n

As funding allows, BuzzCutt plans to add user profiles and other social features as well as news and deals that would be of interest to sober and sober-adjacent users, who are increasingly building community around a no-alcohol or low-alcohol lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunity is huge, especially for sober, sober-curious [and] mindful drinkers \u2014 you know, like having sources and support in that way,\u201d Sears told TechCrunch. \u201cSo that\u2019s definitely our next phase.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within BuzzCutt, users can filter local results by category (sports bars, wine bars, etc.), beverage type (spirits, bitters, canned mocktails and the like) and popular N\/A brands, which they\u2019ve been working closely with. The brand filter option in particular is useful since not all N\/A options are created equal and sober people, this author included, will go to great lengths to find their favorites.<\/p>\n

Personally, I\u2019d drive halfway across the state if it meant I could enjoy my favorite alcohol-free wine by the glass out in a restaurant rather than in my kitchen. The luxury of abundant, good drink options is one that I definitely took for granted before I quit drinking years ago and it\u2019s something that a surprising amount of social rituals are tied up in when you really get down to it.<\/p>\n

Due to a relative dearth of alcohol-free options, sober and sober-ish people are often very<\/em> motivated and enthusiastic when it comes to finding products they like and reestablishing social rituals that they may have been missing out on (happy hour, pre-gaming, wine tastings\u2026. it\u2019s a big list!).<\/p>\n

That same passion, and the desire to unlock more non-alcoholic options \u2014 and thus more activities that people can enjoy without drinking \u2013 drives the BuzzCutt team, and ultimately the community it plans to serve.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat kind of stuff is so powerful to us,\u201d Sears said. \u201cI definitely want to ride the wave of people getting curious and thinking about it as an exploration.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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