We were lucky to catch up with Aldo Covarrubias recently and have shared our conversation below.

Aldo, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Let me take you back to the moment everything changed, not when the idea hit, but when everything I thought I knew about my future came crashing down.

It was a regular Tuesday when I got an urgent mandatory meeting. I was a Partner Success Manager at a tech company: stable job, decent paycheck, the kind of role that looks good on paper. Then came the news: a massive 20% layoff, and my whole team was part of it, including me. Just like that, the security I’d built was gone.
In those first few days after the layoff, I felt untethered. Lost. But somewhere in that chaos, a question started forming: What if I start something of my own? What if I stopped working for someone else’s dream and started creating mine?
The problem was I had no idea what that meant. What kind of business? What industry? I had passion but no direction, ambition but no clarity. So I sat with that question, letting it marinate while I figured out my next move.
Two months after the layoff, I made another life-changing decision: I quit drinking alcohol.
This wasn’t a casual “I’ll take a break” decision. This was a full commitment to sobriety, to reclaiming my life, to becoming the best version of myself if alcohol wasn’t in the way. And almost immediately, I started noticing something I’d never paid attention to before.
I was going to networking events, social gatherings, parties (places where connections happen, where community is built), and every single time, the non-alcoholic options were dismal. Water. Maybe a soda. Sometimes, a sad juice that had been sitting out too long. That’s it.
I’d stand there with my water bottle, watching everyone else toast with cocktails, feeling like I was on the sidelines of my own life. And I started thinking: I can’t be the only person who feels this way. There has to be others who want to celebrate, to feel included, to have something special in their glass, without alcohol.
That’s when it clicked. The business I needed to build wasn’t just any business. I was the solution to a problem I was living. I would create mocktails for social events. Beautiful, delicious, celebratory non-alcoholic drinks that made people feel seen, included, and connected.
For the next week or two, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was brainstorming constantly: in the shower, on walks, lying in bed at 2 am. What would the setup look like? What drinks would I serve? How would I make this not just “good for a mocktail” but genuinely exceptional?
I started sketching ideas. At first, I envisioned a tricycle setup: something mobile, eye-catching, charming. I could see myself wheeling it into events, setting up a little station, serving drinks with flair. The visual was there, the concept was forming, but I needed to go deeper.
Then it hit me. I’m from Mexico City, a place where drinks aren’t just beverages, htey’re experiences. And there’s one drink that embodies that spirit more than any other: the michelada.
Growing up in Mexico City, micheladas are everywhere. Street corners, restaurants, family gatherings, celebrations. I learned to appreciate the craft of a good michelada and the way it brings people together. When I used to drink, micheladas were my absolute go-to on a Friday evening after work. The spice, the chamoy, the refreshing complexity. Nothing else came close.
Now, sober and building a business, I realized Why am I trying to create generic mocktails when i could bring something authentic, something cultural, something deeply rooted in who I am?
I knew how to make a real michelada. Not the watered-down versions you sometimes find in the U.S., but the authentic Mexico City style, bold, flavorful, colorful, crafted with intention. And I could do it without alcohol.
That’s when Sin Booze transformed from a vague mocktail idea into something specific and powerful: I would provide authentic, non-alcoholic Michelada Experiences at events across San Diego. I would bring a piece of my home, my culture, my story to a city that had welcomed me. I would fill the gap I’d experienced firsthand, and do it in a way that honored where I came from.
With the concept solidified I spent hours researching. What licenses did I need? How do I register a business in California? What about liability insurance? Food handler certifications? Tax obligations? Every answer led to three more questions.
This is where organizations like the SBDC became a lifeline. They walked me through the process of how to obtain a business license and permits, how to structure the business legally, and what steps I needed to take to operate. It was overwhelming, but I kept moving forward, one form at a time, one phone call at a time, one small victory at a time.
As I worked through the legal side, my vision for the physical setup kept evolving. The tricycle idea, while charming, wasn’t practical for the kind of experiences I wanted to create. I needed space for ingredients, tools, and presentation. I needed to be able to serve people efficiently while maintaining quality.
So the concept evolved. Now, I have a full bar setup designed to deliver an authentic Michelada Experience. It’s not just about serving a drink; it’s about the theater of it, the care, the attention to detail. Every element is intentional, from the glassware to the garnishes.
Then came the scariest part: actually launching.
I had advisors telling me, “You need to launch with an MVP, a Minimum Viable Product. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to exist” Intellectually, I understood, but emotionally? I was terrified.
What if people didn’t like it? What if they weren’t good enough? What if I failed publicly? What if I proved that I wasn’t cut out for this?
My lack of confidence nearly paralyzed me. I kept tweaking, adjusting, second-guessing. But my advisors kept pushing me. “Launch it. Get feedback. Improve as you go. But you have to start.”
So I did. I booked my first event, set up my tricycle, and served my first RTD mocktails to real people at a real gathering. And you know what? It wasn’t perfect. But it was real. It was mine. And people loved it.
The first event was nearly 6 months ago. Since then, Sin Booze has evolved in ways I couldn’t have imagined. The setup has improved. New recipes are in development. The business has grown from a nervous first attempt into something that’s being recognized and celebrated by the San Diego Community.
But more than the business growth, I’ve evolved. Every event teaches me something. Every customer interaction builds my confidence. Every challenge I overcome proves to myself that I’m capable of more than I believed.
Looking back at that day I got laid off, I see it differently now. It wasn’t the end of something. It was the beginning. The layoff pushed me to question everything. Quitting alcohol gave me clarity. The gap I noticed at events gave me purpose. My Mexican heritage gave me authenticity. And the decision to launch imperfectly gave me momentum.
Sin Booze didn’t start with a perfect plan. It started with a layoff, a commitment to sobriety, an observation, and a willingness to try. The path from idea to execution wasn’t linear or neat. It was messy, scary, uncertain (it still might be), and absolutely worth it.

Because now, less than a year later, I’m not just running a business. I’m living proof that you can rebuild your entire life when you’re willing to leap.

Aldo, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m the founder of Sin Booze, bringing authentic non-alcoholic Michelada experiences to events across San Diego. But to understand what Sin Booze really is, you need to know where it came from.
I’m originally from Mexico City, where micheladas aren’t just drinks, they’re cultural experiences. I grew up learning the craft, the ritual, the balance of flavors that makes a great michelada. When I used to drink, they were my absolute favorite.
Then my life changed in two major ways: I got laid off from my tech job, and I quit drinking alcohol. Getting sober was the best decision I ever made, but as I started going to networking events and social gatherings completely sober, I noticed something frustrating. The non-alcoholic options were terrible. Water, flat soda, maybe some juice. Nothing that made you feel like you were truly part of the celebration.
That’s when Sin Booze was born. I realized I could solve this problem by bringing authentic Mexican micheladas to San Diego events, just without the booze. Real flavor. Real craftsmanship. Real celebration.
Three things set me apart: authenticity (being from Mexico City and knowing this drink intimately), purpose (Sin Booze keeps me sober and my sobriety keeps Sin Booze running), and community (I built this with the support of an incredible San Diego network, and that gratitude shows up in everything I do).

Less than a year ago, I was unemployed, newly sober, and terrified. Today, I’m running a business that’s being recognized across San Diego. But more than the business growth, I’m proud of who I’ve become; confident, clear, and living proof that you can rebuild your entire life when you choose yourself.
If you’re booking Sin Booze for your event, you’re getting more than a drink service. You’re getting authenticity, passion, and commitment to making every guest feel celebrated.
If you’re sober or sober-curious, I want you to know that you don’t have to sacrifice joy or flavor. Sin Booze exists to prove that sobriety can be just as celebratory, just as delicious, just as fun.
And if you’re thinking about making a big change in your life, quitting something that’s holding you back, or start something you’ve been scared to try, let my story be your proof: the return on investment of choosing yourself is greater than anything you’re leaving behind.
Let’s celebrate life, sin booze.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Let me be brutally honest here: I funded Sin Booze with everything I had. All my savings. Every credit card I could access. I even cashed out my 401(k), which wasn’t much since I’d only been working in the U.S. for about two years. Is this the best way to fund a business? Absolutely not. Would I recommend it? Definitely not. But when you’re starting from scratch with no business track record, no wealthy investors, and no access to traditional loans, you use what you have. I had a choice: play it safe and let this idea die, or bet on myself completely. I chose to bet on myself.
That decision created immense pressure. Every event had to count. Every dollar had to be justified. There was no cushion, no backup plan. But that pressure also made me resourceful, strategic, and relentless. I couldn’t afford to waste time or money, so I learned fast and made every opportunity count. Looking back, it was risky as hell. If Sin Booze had failed, I would have been in serious financial trouble. But id didn’t fail, and I think the reason is that I had everything on the line. I had skin in the game. Sin Booze exists because I was willing to risk everything, and now, less than a year later, I’m building something sustainable that’s paying me back, not just financially but in purpose, pride, and proof that I made the right bet.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The transition from Partner Success Manager to entrepreneur wasn’t something I planned. It was forced on me. One day I had a “stable” tech job with a steady paycheck; the next, I was part of a massive 20% layoff. Suddenly, the career path I’d been building disappeared, and I had to figure out what came next. Around the same time, I quit alcohol and committed fully to sobriety. Those two massive shifts happening simultaneously broke me open in a way that forced me to ask: what do I actually want to build with my life?
Going from the corporate world to running Sin Booze was terrifying. In Partner Success, I had structure, predictable hours, a team, and clear expectations. As an entrepreneur, I had none of that. I was suddenly responsible for everything: the product, the marketing, the finances, the operations, the customer experience. Every decision was mine to make, and every mistake was mine to own. But what I gained was something I never had in corporate: purpose. Sin Booze isn’t just a job. It’s my sobriety made tangible. It’s my culture brought to life. It’s proof that I can build something meaningful on my own terms. The entrepreneur life is harder, scarier, and more uncertain than anything I did in tech. But it’s also more fulfilling, more authentic, and more mine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sinbooze.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sinbooze/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldo-covarrubias-/