Gregory Gourdet on Sobriety and Opening Kann with an Inclusive Beverage Menu

By Grace Moen

For people who choose to abstain from alcohol, navigating a social scene where alcohol plays a central role can be a real challenge. “Top Chef” star Gregory Gourdet knows this firsthand. Gourdet has been sober for 13 years, all the while creating dining experiences for Portlanders to enjoy with—or sans—alcohol. His decade-long tenure at the helm of Departure, a rooftop fusion restaurant, ended in 2019 so that he could focus on launching a restaurant of his own. Kann is an homage to the flavors of his Haitian upbringing, and was first realized as a pandemic pop-up with the most coveted reservation in town. Its permanent home opened in Portland’s Central Eastside Industrial District in July 2022 with a subterranean outpost, Bar Sousòl, and has since earned the title Best New Restaurant in America from both Esquire and the James Beard Awards.. Gourdet spoke about the role alcohol plays in our culture today and what it means to navigate his own sobriety while creating spaces where everyone can celebrate.

Courtesty of Gregory Gourdet on Instagram @gg30000

Question:

Has there been a shift in drinking culture you’ve observed? 

Gourdet:

In the last five or six years, yeah, for sure. When I was younger, we all partied very, very hard. Like extremely hard. I think things have chilled out a bit for younger generations. I don't think that's as prevalent. There's plenty of addiction issues in our society and in this country, and mental health issues that lead to addiction issues, for sure.

Question: 

What role does alcohol play in our culture today and do we need alcohol to achieve it? 

Gourdet:

At the end of the day there're drinks that help us celebrate moments. I would put alcohol in that type of box, something there to honor celebratory moments. I don't drink, but now that I'm opening up my own restaurant, I also have to think about people who do drink and take my addiction issues out of it. 

Question:

Is there a tension there that you navigate? 

Gourdet:

No, not at all. Because I do believe that a lot of people don't drink for different reasons right now. Not everyone is in recovery, not everyone is sober. People might be alcohol sober, but maybe they're California sober. Maybe they still do mushrooms. Maybe they still smoke. Maybe they're just pregnant. 

Question:

You speak openly about creating an inclusive experience at your restaurants. Tell me about the beverage menu for Kann. 

Gourdet:

We're gonna have a very robust zero-proof, non-alcoholic program.

And that's not like Diet Coke, Coke. We put craft into the beverages that we produce. Our cocktail program is eight drinks, our zero-proof program will be about six drinks. Each one with an interesting garnish or a shrub or a syrup or have special fruit from Haiti. We're really focused on trying to create something extremely special. 

Question:

It’s great for it to be on the menu in an accessible way, so the consumer doesn’t have to go searching for it.

Gourdet:

We have it all out there. Sometimes people are timid to ask or you don't know if you should ask. Having it presented on the menu as part of everything else makes it feel far more inclusive. 

Question:

I was reading an interview in “Street Roots” where you talked about someone you met at Saucebox… and that he was one of the first sober people in the kitchen that you met and that meeting him was your way in. That was 13 years ago now, how do you think about anonymity and role models now?

Gourdet:

I met [Tom] a few months before I got sober. Part of me being so visible about my recovery and being so outspoken about it—even though I'm a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, putting it out there in a lot of ways—I was attracted to AA because I met people who were in AA. I'd been in rehab before and that didn't click at all. But seeing someone who was like, “Hey, I haven't drank in two years.” And they were just living their life and things were normal, it was just very attractive to me. It was finally seeing that life can be easier. Each time you talk about these things, the shame goes away a little bit and you're a minute, an hour, a day, a year further from that person I used to be. 

Question:

Do you think people come to your establishments knowing that it’s a safe place for being alcohol-free?

Gourdet:

Yes, I do. We had our pop-up winter [of 2020] and offered a zero-proof beverage pairing and people definitely enjoyed that. We did the first zero-proof event at a national food festival, at Feast, like four or five years ago. People were really grateful for that type of event. We had five sober chefs preparing food and great specialty cocktails. So there's definitely a place for it. 

Question:

Do you still get caught by cravings or do you feel kind of bulletproof around it?

Gourdet:

I personally say to myself that I'm done drinking and using drugs for the rest of my life. I know that's very not AA because it's always been one day at a time. I'm a busy person. I have goals. I want to think big. I don't want to drink, I don't want to do drugs. 

I'll be honest. People drinking, doing drugs around me, makes my heart flutter a little bit. But not in a sense that I'm going to relapse, but just like, this is exciting in a weird way, you know? Drinking isn't a problem, but the drugs, the drug use around me is a little more interesting to navigate. It takes a little more mental flexibility, but nothing makes me want to do it at all.

Question:

It's a strange question, when people ask if you’re ever going to drink again. Like they're gonna hold you to something.

Gourdet:

Having a cocktail at happy hour is not really my story. It's more like we're getting on a plane going to Vegas... as the first stop.

…Probably end up in Ibiza. 

I still have a lot of fun. I'm really into music and music festivals and a lot of my friends are musicians and we go to festivals and stay up to like five in the morning and I can do it sober.

Question:

In a previous interview when you were asked about your process for making tough decisions, you said “Jump. Even if you're scared—but make sure there's a net below you.” You've done some jumping lately, what is your net?

Gourdet:

I'm a very confident person [and] that comes from working and being in recovery and believing in myself. I've been through recovery and I came out on the other side. I've also been doing so many new things over the course of the past few years, like writing my first cookbook. That got nominated for a James Beard Award.

Question:

What is your go-to drink lately?

Gourdet:

La Croix. I chug it.

Question:

Favorite flavor?

Gourdet:

Passion fruit. I love it. I love tropical fruity zero-proof drinks. Pineapple, coconut, lime, ginger, any of those flavors.

Question:

And will those flavors be on Kann’s menu?

Gourdet:

Absolutely.

This interview was originally conducted in 2022 as part of the author’s graduate studies in journalism at Harvard Universtiy’s Extension School. Interview has been edited for clarity and length.