Meet the Founders Behind Søbr Market

August 2, 2026 Made Here

How Shane and Jessie Halliburton turned a personal decision into a Winnipeg-born business making alcohol-free choices easier to find

For a long time, choosing a non-alcoholic drink at a dinner, celebration or social event often meant settling for water, pop or a basic substitute.

Shane and Jessie Halliburton believed people deserved better.

The Winnipeg couple founded Søbr Market to make thoughtfully selected non-alcoholic beverages easier to discover and more enjoyable to share. What began as an online shop has grown into a Canadian retail business helping people participate in the rituals of gathering and celebrating without making alcohol the centre of the experience.

A personal change revealed a gap in the market

The idea began after Shane decided to stop drinking alcohol.

He still enjoyed the process of preparing a complex drink and wanted options that offered more flavour, variety and occasion than the products he could easily find locally. Shane began ordering non-alcoholic beverages from Europe and the United States, but the cost of shipping made it difficult to explore more than a few bottles at a time.

That frustration led to a larger question:

How many other Canadians were looking for the same thing?

Together, Shane and Jessie recognized an opportunity to create the type of store they had been searching for. Instead of treating non-alcoholic drinks as an afterthought, they would build an entire shopping experience around them.

Their goal was not only to sell beverages. It was to make it easier for people to find something interesting, well-made and appropriate for the moment.

Beginning online and listening to customers

Shane and Jessie launched Søbr Market online in June 2022.

During the early months, they attended weekend markets, introduced shoppers to unfamiliar products and answered questions about a category that was still new to many people. Those conversations gave the founders direct insight into what customers wanted and why they were looking for alternatives.

Some customers had stopped drinking completely. Others were cutting back, taking a break, prioritizing their health or looking for a thoughtful option to serve alongside alcoholic drinks. Many simply wanted something new to try.

The response demonstrated that the demand was not limited to one type of customer. People were looking for more choice and a shopping environment where they could explore without judgment.

After repeated requests for a permanent location, Shane and Jessie opened a pop-up shop in Winnipeg’s Exchange District in early 2023. The demand continued to grow, leading to a larger storefront on Academy Road.

Building a store around inclusion

Søbr Market’s mission is straightforward: bring the best non-alcoholic drinks to as many people as possible.

Behind that mission is a larger belief that someone should not have to feel excluded from a gathering because they choose not to drink alcohol.

A wedding toast, dinner with friends, holiday celebration or quiet evening at home often includes the ritual of opening, pouring and sharing a special beverage. Søbr Market helps preserve that ritual while giving people more control over what is in their glass.

The company’s stores are designed to be welcoming places where curiosity is encouraged and questions are taken seriously. Customers can browse alcohol-free alternatives to familiar categories, including beer, wine, spirits, sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink options and cocktail ingredients.

The focus is not on telling people what they should or should not drink. It is about making sure more people have an option they are genuinely excited to choose.

Meet Shane and Jessie Halliburton

Shane and Jessie built Søbr Market as both business partners and a family.

Shane’s personal experience helped shape the original idea. He understood the frustration of wanting a sophisticated drink while finding few appealing alcohol-free choices nearby.

Jessie helped turn that need into a customer-focused business. Together, they launched the online store, attended markets, managed orders and introduced Winnipeg shoppers to products from Canada and around the world. Their complementary perspectives helped Søbr Market grow from an idea into a recognizable retail concept.

Their story is an example of entrepreneurship beginning with a real problem rather than a manufactured opportunity. They experienced the gap themselves, listened to others who felt the same way and built a business designed to solve it.

Curating products people will be happy to serve

Søbr Market is a retailer, curator and importer rather than the maker of every beverage on its shelves.

That distinction is important to its role.

The team searches for products that can give customers a more enjoyable experience, from alcohol-free versions of familiar drinks to entirely new botanical, sparkling and functional beverages. Søbr Market also works with brands to help improve access to high-quality non-alcoholic products in Canada.

For shoppers, that curation removes much of the guesswork.

Instead of searching numerous websites, paying expensive international shipping fees or choosing from a limited grocery-store shelf, customers can explore a broad collection in one place.

The experience also makes it easier to ask questions and find a drink suited to a particular taste or occasion.

More than a temporary trend

Søbr Market arrived as interest in non-alcoholic beverages was growing quickly, but Shane and Jessie built the business around something deeper than a passing trend.

People want to feel included.

They want to be able to attend a celebration, order something interesting and participate fully without having to explain their decision. Hosts also want thoughtful options for guests whose preferences and circumstances may be different from their own.

Søbr Market helps make that consideration part of the normal planning process rather than an exception.

A well-chosen non-alcoholic beverage can be served at a company gathering, included in a gift box, shared over dinner or brought to a celebration. It communicates that the host considered everyone at the table.

From Winnipeg idea to growing Canadian business

The Halliburtons began with an online store and local market appearances. From there, Søbr Market expanded into permanent retail locations and a growing network of independently operated stores in communities across Canada.

Even as the business grows, its original purpose remains visible: make better non-alcoholic options accessible and help more people feel included in social experiences.

Winnipeg remains central to the story. It is where Shane and Jessie first recognized the opportunity, tested the idea and built a community around the brand.

Why Søbr Market belongs at Made Here

Made Here celebrates businesses with a meaningful connection to Manitoba and the people building new ideas here.

Søbr Market fits that story in a distinctive way. Shane and Jessie identified an overlooked customer need and developed a Winnipeg business that is helping change how Canadians think about alcohol-free choices.

The products also bring more flexibility to gifting.

A selection from Søbr Market can be included in a host gift, employee-appreciation package, client gift or curated box. It offers the recipient an experience they can open, pour and enjoy while making the gift more welcoming to different preferences.

Made Here’s Søbr Market collection includes non-alcoholic beverages across several styles and categories, giving shoppers a convenient way to explore the selection online or at the downtown Winnipeg store.

Make more room at the table

The strongest ideas often make something easier, more thoughtful or more inclusive.

Søbr Market does all three.

Shane and Jessie began by looking for drinks that suited the way they wanted to live. In the process, they discovered a much larger community of people looking for flavour, ritual and connection without alcohol having to be the focus.

Their work gives hosts more ways to welcome people, gift-givers more thoughtful choices and customers more freedom to decide what works for them.