Amber Pennington and Arleo De Guzman don’t like the word “mocktail.” To them, it’s an old-fashioned term that suggests a cocktail without alcohol is inferior to one that will get you tipsy. But with their new cocktail lounge Free Spirited, they hope to redefine the traditional bar experience and do away with the stigma that sometimes comes with a sober night out.
Pennington and De Guzman recently opened Free Spirited in Alhambra at 3020 W Main St. Both experienced with alcohol-forward bartending, they’ve spent a lot of time in bars and around alcohol. And while they enjoy the social elements and atmosphere of a bar, their feelings on alcohol have shifted over the years.
I sat down with Amber and Arleo to ask them about their new cocktail lounge, how a drunk driving incident led them to open it, and just who a sober bar is for.
This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Tell me a little about yourselves and your background in bartending.
Amber Pennington: Hi, my name is Amber Pennington. I have been in hospitality for a little over 10 years.
Arleo De Guzman: I’m Arleo De Guzman. I’ve been bartending for a decade now—holy crap.
What are you two drinking at the moment?
The pair hold up their cocktails.
Amber Pennington: This one is the Moon and Stars. It is made with an orange oleo saccharum cordial that Arleo makes in-house, as well as our citrus rind spirit. It has a very nice bitterness to it and very light sweetness, that’s why I like it.
Arleo De Guzman: And this is our Nueva Ecija. It’s named after the province my parents grew up in in the Philippines.
What got you out of “traditional” bartending and into alcohol-free cocktails?
Amber Pennington: I have been the victim of a drunk driving incident. I was nearly killed. Some days I can’t walk. Some days, I need a wheelchair. And it really triggers my PTSD to be serving people copious amounts of alcohol, not knowing if they’re going to be responsible or not.
I wanted to create a place that was safe for people like me, safe for people who have struggled with addiction, safe for people who don’t like alcohol, but don’t want just another soda or water when they go out. That’s why we created this place.
What made you choose the name “Free Spirited”?
Amber Pennington: We’re all about being yourself, helping others be themselves, doing what creates a passionate flame within you, whether it’s art, film, acting, painting, bartending, D&D—even if you’re passionate about banking—you’re passionate about that, and that’s your thing. We want people to not be scared of being like, “Oh yeah, I’m kind of nerdy, I really like the game of League of Legends.” We want people to feel like they can be themselves.
Why a Phoenix as your logo?
Amber Pennington: The Phoenix, that was a big thing for me personally. After nearly dying, I lost a good amount of my memory. I would have to go up to my cousins and be like, I think I know who you are, but could you tell me who you are? I also used to love working out but a lot of my mobility was taken from me. The Phoenix represents rebirth. We really want to be there for the sober community and those in recovery that need that rebirth and need that support
Speaking of the sober community, can you tell me a little bit about the distinction between the terms “non-alcoholic,” “alcohol-free,” and “mocktail”?
Amber Pennington: So non-alcoholic is if there could be trace amounts of alcohol.
Arleo De Guzman: Yeah like alcohol-removed wines, beers, the liquors that they now make. They’re a great midway point for people that want to do mindful drinking. But for people that are in recovery or in the program, it tends to be very triggering because of that trace amount of alcohol. Anyone that has an allergy also can’t have it because it’s like gluten and dough.
Amber Pennington: So we are purely alcohol-free. We make all of our spirits in-house. Arleo’s the master spirit-maker here. And when it comes to mocktails, I used to use that word very freely but not anymore. It has such a negative connotation.
We call them sober craft cocktails because we juice almost every single thing in-house, including our ginger and turmeric. We put as much care, if not more, into every single drink that we make. They are just as much a cocktail as an alcoholic cocktail is. We just differentiate it as a “sober” cocktail.
Arleo De Guzman: The difference between cocktails and craft cocktails is minute, it just refers to the quality of ingredients. So we’re just adding another adjective to craft cocktails to say this has the same level of integrity as you’re expecting from a craft cocktail, you’re just not going to have the alcohol and there’s nothing wrong with that. The word mocktail is a great portmanteau, but because it has the word “mock” in it—
Amber Pennington: We’re not trying to mock anything.
Arleo De Guzman: Right, it’s saying “mock” as if it’s emulating something else or it’s a knockoff of something else. These are not knockoffs. These are their own thing, in their own style
Amber Pennington: Yeah, it’s a whole new industry, right? Alcohol has been a thing for hundreds of years because it used to be the safe thing to drink. Now it’s not the only option and people are wanting healthier alternatives.
With Free Spirited, who would you say your intended audience is?
Amber Pennington: Everyone. But first and foremost are the people who can’t drink or don’t like drinking, the people who feel left out, the outcasts, the others. The people who can’t go out because they’re going to be triggered by having alcohol. So, the people who are fighting addiction, who are pregnant, who have medical issues and they can’t drink alcohol, who don’t like the taste of alcohol but want a nice, fancy drink. Or just people who are taking a break.
Arleo De Guzman: We tell people that this is exactly like every other traditional craft cocktail bar except the alcohol. Expect everything to feel like a bar: the socializing, how the drinks make you feel, how you want to drink more. We are trying to serve a community that’s not really being served. Even with our food, because we’re one of the few completely gluten-free restaurants too.
What are some of your favorite drinks and dishes that you offer?
Arleo De Guzman: The Nueva Ecija is definitely my favorite drink. It’s got lapsang souchong tea with that nice smokiness. When I do drink alcohol my favorites are high-proof rums or mezcals, because they have such a pungent flavor. This is one of our most pungent drinks in terms of the punchiness of the flavor.
Food-wise, ooh, my favorite food is probably the sinigang that we just recently added for the cold weather. It’s a Filipino dish that’s a sour soup. It has tamarind, tomato, onion, green beans, and bok choy. Normally it’s a more watery broth with taro pieces, but we add taro root to just make it slightly creamier. You can either do shrimp or tofu, depending on your dietary restrictions.
Amber Pennington: My favorite drinks are either the Moon and Stars or the Quarantine Heart, which is a coconut cream, emulsion-based drink. It has pineapple and house-made grenadine. It is a very creamy and tart, martini-esque drink. It’s delicious. It’s hands down one of the most popular ones here.
And then my favorite food is—we have two Italian dishes on the menu. We have a black garlic pasta with gluten free noodles and, for people who like meat, we have chicken piccata. Chicken piccata is one of my absolute favorite meals. I will never ever get it at another restaurant because I’ve been disappointed so many times. I’m like, “I can make this better myself.” So I did. And now it’s in the kitchen and on the menu.
I noticed two sectioned-off tables with flowers and candles on them. Can you tell me a little bit more about them?
Amber Pennington: We have two very special tables. One is—I actually started it because of my best friend, who was murdered. She struggled with addiction and I wanted to do a homage to her.
We have a purple flame candle table for people who are fighting addiction or who have been lost to addiction, that’s there to honor and remember. As is our blue flame candle, which is for drunk driving victims, both alive and who have passed. Because even the victims who are alive—people say we’re lucky but it’s still really, really difficult to drive every single day.
I wait for Arleo to get off of work if we’re not working together so that I can have support going home because it’s scary. And people need to know, whether they’re going through addiction or PTSD, they have that support.
Amber and Arleo have managed to turn a tragic event into a communal space full of support and positivity. Be sure to keep an eye out for Free Spirited’s regular special events, such as:
- Karaoke
- Trivia Nights
- Dance Nights
- Paint & Sips
Boasting a gluten-free menu that doesn’t feel gluten-free, a welcoming old-fashioned ambience, and a moving story, Free Spirited is poised to be at the forefront of a whole new bar scene in LA.
For the latest info about new drinks, events, and more, you can check out Free Spirited on Instagram at @free.spirited.lounge.
📍 Address: 3020 W Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801
🕓 Hours: Hours subject to change, check their website or Instagram for the latest details.
See also: These Non-Alcoholic Bars & Restaurants Are Redefining The Bar Scene In Los Angeles