Q&A with Swizzle Market: Fort Wayne's non-alcoholic beverage shop

When Crystal Vann Wallstrom gave up drinking in April 2023, she was frustrated by a lack of sophisticated beverage options. 

More often than not, when she visited friends’ houses or restaurants, she found herself stuck drinking water or Shirley Temple-style cocktails. But when she started researching online, she discovered a world of quality, alcohol-free beers, wines and spirits – just waiting to be tapped.

“A lot of it was just starting to come out, so I ordered a variety, put it in my fridge, and didn’t know what to do with all of it at first,” Vann Wallstrom says. 

Her desire to try and share more varieties of alcohol-free beverages with friends eventually led her to launch a pop-up store with some of her favorite products on The Landing in a coworking space above Utopian Coffee in January. And when customers came to shop, the concept for Swizzle Market was born. 

“Some of the customers thought it was more of a lounge where they could hang out and drink cocktails onsite,” Vann Wallstrom says. “So I asked: Is that something you would want? And they said: Of course!”

Not long after her pop up launched, Vann Wallstrom was contacted by Jefferson Pointe and offered a deal to move into the former goodMRKT location, where she opened Swizzle Market on May 7.

In addition to serving craft coffee and cocktails, Swizzle Market at 4130 W. Jefferson Blvd. sells a wide selection of bottled and canned cocktails, wine, beer and spirits made locally and around the world. It also provides shelf space for regional makers and small business owners to market their own creations on consignment, ranging from plants to handcrafted leather bags, candles, cards and even 3-D printed lamps. 

While it might look similar to its former tenant, Swizzle Market’s first employee, Heather Grady, will be eager to tell you: in addition to shopping, there’s room to relax, remote work, mingle with friends or entertain children in the kid’s corner. 

We sat down with Grady and Vann Wallstrom to learn more about Swizzle Market, their top products and tips for your next visit. 

Tell us a little bit about each of your backgrounds.

CVW: I've lived in Fort Wayne for just over nine years, and I'm a business and brand strategist, by trade. I’ve been supporting local entrepreneurs since I moved here, and now I am one.

HG: I was a children’s librarian for the Shawnee Branch of Allen County Public Library for 22 years, and I’ve worked for the 3Rivers Food Co-Op Natural Grocery & Deli for 24 years, doing their newsletter, marketing, member outreach and cashiering. That’s where I learned how to make coffee. I also used to work at goodMRKT, and I met Crystal through mutual friends on Facebook when that shop closed.

Tell us about the demand for alcohol-free beverages in Fort Wayne.

CVW: I did not realize when I started this how big of a need it was. There is such a wide variety of people we serve. It's not really one archetype. It’s people who don’t drink or don’t want to drink or temporarily can’t drink, which is really the only thing that binds us all together. 

I’ve had nurses come in with senior patients whose doctors have told them to stop drinking for health reasons. We get people who don’t drink for religious reasons who are excited about having an adult beverage that’s not a Coke or juice. We’ve had people on medication who’ve just had surgery or have a health condition that prevents them from drinking, and then we have people in recovery. 

It’s been really interesting because people tell you their stories, and I want to hear them; I can relate. People are often surprised to see how many alcohol-free options there are, too, and we’re happy to walk them through the pros and cons of different products. There’s a different flavor profile to non-alcoholic drinks compared to their alcoholic counterparts, so that takes some getting used to. But we have a lot of customers who taste our cocktails and say: Wow, I can’t believe there’s not alcohol in this!

Tell us about the price point for non-alcoholic beverages compared to alcoholic beverages.

CVW: The cost is comparable, and people often ask us why the cost is similar if there’s no alcohol. But you have to keep in mind that the whole industry of alcohol-free beverages is relatively new, and the process for making these beverages alcohol-free can actually be more intensive. There is so much craft and technology in these drinks, it's kind of mind-blowing. Take, for example, alcohol-free wine and beer. Both are made with alcohol, and then it is removed through a very laborious process. There is an extra step that, I assume, is reflected in the price. Many companies are small-batch producers, too, so that all contributes to the pricing. 

Tell us more about the different beverages at the shop.

HG: We have a full range of alcohol-free beers, wines and spirits available by the can or bottle, and we have a refrigerator of singles, in case you want to try something before buying a full pack. We also offer two flavors of local Lunar Infusions Kombucha on tap.

We rotate our products frequently, so we have a lot of seasonal Oktoberfest beers and German beers right now. We also try to stock a mix of products people recognize, like Athletic beer, in high-moving varieties, in addition to more craft, smaller brands to mix things up. 

Tell us about some of the most popular items on your cafe and cocktail menu?

HG: Our top selling coffee drink is Crystal’s Mocha Ole, a Mocha au Lait made with Lyre’s Coffee Liquor, chocolate, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and pistachio milk. We also have a popular Peanut Butter & Jelly Latte that can also be a Mocha. Then we have a lot of mushroom coffee alternatives – some of which are made locally from Myzel Risin’ – that are very popular. You can add mushroom powder to any drink, as well.

Our most popular items on the bar menu are Smoldering Cherry, which features an AF mezcal, Kentucky Mule, Blueberry Lavender martini and our Espresso Martini, made with Lyre’s Coffee Originale, Lyre’s White Cane, cold brew and vanilla. We also sell locally made pastry items from Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, and are now offering savory options from the Charcuterie Shop, with breakfast sandwiches on the way.

What’s something people might not know about Swizzle Market?

HG: We open at 8 a.m. even though most of Jefferson Pointe doesn’t open until 10 a.m., so there’s plenty of parking in the morning, and we have wifi in the cafe, so you can treat it like a coffee shop and host meetings or remote work here.

Do you have any upcoming events this month?

CVW: We’re looking for more consignment vendors for the holiday season, and we have a lot of events coming up for Sober October, so keep an eye on our social media channels. As a quick preview, we plan to do a fun Hump Day event on most Wednesdays in October, inspired by the book Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze by Tawny Lara. Without drinking, it can be challenging to date, so we’re going to have some fun singles night events. Stay tuned!

Any pro tips for people’s next visit?

CVW: As for a tour because there's a lot of stuff, and it's all new to most people. And try a mushroom drink! You’d be surprised how tasty they are. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try a spirit tasting, too. We offer tastings anytime. For $5-10, you can try our whole set of whiskeys, tequilas, gins and rums. We also have samples of new products frequently, and we want customer feedback. 

HG: Be sure to shop from our regional makers and small business owners while you’re here, as well. We have several founders and makers in the space currently, including: Relish Gardening which sells houseplants; LumoLux 3-D printed lamps from Huntertown; Myzel Risin’ mushroom powder, tinctures and teas; Lunar Infusions Kombucha from Fort Wayne; Old Crown Coffee, Pure Earth Coffee and Hempton Coffee all from Fort Wayne; AU Ceramics mugs, air plant holders and mushroom stakes from Fort Wayne; Nelson’s Tea from Indianapolis; Bird & Bear Coffee from San Francisco; A. David Candle Co. candles, car fresheners and wax melts; Yellow Brand Cards from Fort Wayne; Cashdollar Creations cards, prints and moss boxes; Tactile Elements knitting kits and products; and Zelaki Leather Co. goods made in Ethiopia in partnership with a couple from Bluffton.

We also have an artist-curated local art gallery that rotates monthly.

Last, but not least: What are some of your most popular beverage products?

HG: In general, our tequilas are very popular. Another is Spiritless Kentucky 74 Bourbon, in which the makers replicate the burn of alcohol with spice and pepper.

CVW: Some of our top-sellers in each category are:

Spirits

Functional Beverages & Cocktails

Beers

Wines

Try it!

This month, all paid subscribers to The Local get a buy one, get one free deal on all fall coffee beverages at Swizzle Market, or half-off one non-alcoholic cocktail. 

We recommend: The Apple Brown Sugar Chai, sweetened with house-made apple brown sugar syrup and upgraded with a scoop of local Lion's Mane mushroom powder. Other drinks on the fall menu include a Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew and a Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini.