OUR STORY
Started long before the brand did.
"Not really drinking... just beers."
Where It All Began
Every family has a saying.
Ours just happened to become a brand.
More than 50 years ago, Elaine M. McDonald was telling her 15-year-old son, Tommy, a story from her childhood. Growing up, Elaine and her sisters often stopped by the neighborhood Irish bar where their father, Andy, worked as a bartender.
As Tommy listened, one detail caught his attention.
"Mom... you were drinking in the morning?"
Without hesitation, Elaine replied,
"Tommy... not really drinking... just beers."
To Elaine, there was nothing funny or unusual about the response. It was simply how she saw it.
Tommy never forgot those words.
Neither did the rest of the family.
More than fifty years later, they're still bringing people together.
How It Became a Brand
For decades, "Not really drinking... just beers." was simply a family saying.
Then Tom's former neighbor opened a brewery in Ludington, Michigan and asked if he could put the phrase on a sign inside the brewery.
Tom said yes.
The sign quickly became a conversation starter, and before long the brewery put the phrase on apparel. That summer, the shirts sold out.
When I heard that story, something clicked.
If a family saying could connect with complete strangers, maybe it was meant to be shared.
So I asked Tom if he would be comfortable with me trademarking the phrase and building a brand around it.
Thankfully, he said yes.
Today, Not Really Drinking™ is our way of sharing a family story that's been bringing people together for more than fifty years.
The Story Continues
The family grew.
The stories multiplied.
The memories kept growing.
What started with Elaine...
Now belongs to everyone who's ever made memories with the people they care about.
More than fifty years later, those five words are still bringing people together.
"Not really drinking... just beers."