Praus was a functional drinker, but in the end, he discovered that he was not being true to himself. A decade ago, he'd had enough and decided to make a change.
“As soon as I got sober and was in recovery, my life opened up… in my career, ventures, finance, spiritual connections and relationships. I think it’s all about frequency and energy," Praus says. "What you attract in the world is what you give out."
Now, he's bringing non-alcoholic options to others. His small 20-person bar offers drinks that include adaptogens, botanicals, functional mushrooms, nootropics, non-alcoholic spirits, wine and beer. At Being Bar, you can still get that “Cheers” feeling without the heavy hangovers.
The bar's slogan, “one mindful sip at a time,” mirrors the Alcoholics Anonymous mantra of taking each day one at a time. Praus hopes Being Bar will encourage the sober curious to give non-alcoholic options a try, even if it’s just for dry January.
“I have been sober for just over 10 years and my wife for over 14 years,” he says. “Living the life of sobriety and seeing what is happening in the non-alcoholic space was exciting. We wanted to put together a curated group of non-alcoholic beverages and educate and share with people in these spaces as well."
Being Bar is a place where people can connect without relying on alcohol to be social, Praus says. He hopes to nurture a new social norm.
“I created something that I would like to go to myself. I wish this existed in the world and if it did, I be there every day," he says of the inspiration for the bar. "This is exactly what I was looking for that I didn’t see in the Phoenix area."
Praus and his wife moved from Los Angeles two years ago, where they watched clean-living and health-centric businesses gain popularity. They decided to expand that trend to Phoenix and open in a shopping center with like-minded businesses.
Right next door sits Optimyze, which offers red light therapy, cold plunge, hot sauna and more. The center also includes The Motherhood Co. where they support women pre-, during and post-pregnancy, as well as Heavenly IV and Lux Skin & Laser. There's a Vasa Fitness across the street.
The plaza is an “upscale luxury wellness center where people are spending money on themselves and wellness,” Praus says, describing the location as a perfect fit. Being Bar joined the mix in October 2024.
While Being Bar fits Praus' sober lifestyle, it also makes use of his previous career experience. He bartended for 12 years at everywhere from nightclubs to fine dining restaurants. He created wine lists and opened a tequila bar. Those experiences, along with a lot of experimentation in his home kitchen, influenced the menu at Being Bar.
“It’s about understanding flavor profiles and putting them together," he says. "When you have NA, the exact measurements are more important it sometimes drowns out the flavor profiles.”
He crafted a menu of "Conscious Cocktails" with prices ranging between $10 and $17. Non-alcoholic beers on offer range from $6 to $9.
“I curated what I thought were some of the best (that are) sustainable, easy to reach and keep my selection minimal yet interesting and (we) continue to rotate. I went down a rabbit hole following people on Instagram, reaching out to non-alcoholic associations, seeing it organically grow," he says.
For those who don’t drink alcohol but do indulge in marijuana or CBD products, Being Bar has micro-dosed THC and CBD beverages. They're mostly derived from hemp and contain less than 0.3% of THC by dry weight, making them legal on a federal level.
Another option, and one of Praus' personal favorites, is functional mushroom coffee. Functional mushrooms such as reishi, lion’s mane and chaga mushrooms are thought to have adaptogenic properties that can affect cognition, stress relief and immunity support.
As the options increase, so does the trend of drinking less alcohol, focusing on health and being open-minded to alternatives, Praus says.
“I’m literally betting on it. I think the way we view and use alcohol is going to change. The stigmas against not drinking will be removed and when there’s more options, we’ll feel more free,” he says.
In time, Praus hopes to expand Being Bar throughout Phoenix and beyond. For now, he's focused on offering a snacks menu at the north Phoenix location. The bar offers sugar and gluten-free doughnuts and peanut butter cups and Praus hopes to add a variety of healthy, grab-and-go foods.
As Being Bar grows and evolves, the core mission remains the same. Praus hopes to foster a space for the community that centers health in a way that is a fit for each customer.
For people who are in recovery, he suggests not having proxy drinks that are meant to taste exactly like for instance, tequila. If someone is newly sober or in recovery, adaptogens, elixirs and botanicals may be a better path forward.
“My wife doesn’t like anything that tastes like alcohol and for me it’s not a problem. There’s different types of sober," he says.
However sobriety fits into peoples lives, Praus makes the case to try it.
"I met the person I married after recovery. If you’re dimming that light, it’s frequency," he says. "What you give out is what you attract in the world. Being true to yourself is number one."
