Derek Brown - Positive Damage, Inc. founder, author, health coach, and no- and low-alcohol cocktail expert

Photo by Nicholas Karlin

Positive Damage, Inc. was founded by author, wellness coach, and no- and low-alcohol cocktail expert, Derek Brown.

We merge mindful drinking, wellness, and no- and low-alcohol drinks to create programs, classes, and events for companies and consumers alike. Our goal is to help create a culture of mindful drinking and make room for everyone at the bar with delicious no- and low-alcohol drinks.

WTF is …

wellness

Forget all the noise you hear about taking this fad supplement or adhering to this diet trend. Wellness is the idea that you matter. It’s a holistic approach to health that acknowledges everyone is different, and everyone starts at a different place, but we can all work to matter to ourselves and make choices that promote happiness and vitality.

mindful drinking

Mindful drinking is drinking with intention. It doesn’t mean you don’t or will never drink alcohol or get tipsy. That’s your call. Not someone else’s. But it is against unconscious consumption. In other words, drinking without thinking. Know why you’re drinking and do it on your own terms.

No- & Low-Alcohol

No- and low-alcohol beverages are about creating a culture of choice, which means you have options when you go out to eat, drink, and play. It’s about what we should do, not what we shouldn’t do. We should have delicious drinks; we should gather and celebrate with family and friends; and we should have beverage options consistent with our goals.

Derek Brown

Derek is the founder of Positive Damage, Inc., a NASM-certified wellness coach, advocate for mindful drinking, and expert on no- and low-alcohol cocktails. He is also known as a cocktail pioneer, former owner of the prestigious Columbia Room in Washington, D.C. (2017 “Best American Cocktail Bar” at the Spirited Awards), and one of the nation’s top bartenders as Chief Spirits Advisor to the National Archives Foundation, which he jokes made him the highest-ranking bartender in the U.S. government.

In 2017, Playboy magazine named Brown one of "The 10 Entertainers, Thought Leaders and Heroes Who'll Save Us in 2017." More recently, Brown was recognized as a leading beverage figure affecting positive change in the global bar industry by Drinks International in 2020 in their “Bar World 100” list and as “one of the most inspirational people and places that will shape how we drink in 2023” in Imbibe magazine’s “Imbibe 75” for 2023.

Brown changed his approach to drinking in 2018, realizing he had a problem with alcohol. At first, he wasn’t sure how to approach drinking with his new concerns. He subsequently released his first book, Spirits, Sugar, Water, Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World in 2019. He then decided it was time to be open about his struggles with alcohol and addressed his new appreciation for mindful drinking in a 2020 Vox article entitled, “Becoming a ‘mindful drinker’ changed my life.”

Shortly after, Brown published Mindful Mixology: a Comprehensive Guide to No- and Low-Alcohol Cocktails, pursued his certification in wellness through the National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM), and began to study positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. He wanted to understand how happiness and vitality affect our approach to drinking, and how simple interventions can improve our relationship with alcohol.

Brown is now working to help foster a culture of mindful drinking and make room for everyone at the bar with delicious no- and low-alcohol drinks. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his family, skateboards and plays chess

Photo by Insomnigraphic / Ben Eisendrath

We do not offer substance abuse counseling or other services for addiction.

Here are some resources we do, however, recommend.