At the entrance to the Florida Ballroom at the Tampa Marriott Water Street, the guy checking people in looked at the microphone in my hand and told me that if I had not been holding a mic, he would have asked me for my ID. I laughed. Wow, I didn’t know carrying a mic added years. I thought cameras were only supposed to add ten pounds, not years!
Once inside, there was a lot of energy in the room and a lot of enthusiasm. Frontline Tastings was a special experience at the Military Influencer Conference 2026 presented by C.R.A.F.T. VIP and Corporate pass-holders received access beginning at 5 p.m., an hour before General Admission opened at 6 p.m. Event materials described more than 20 veteran-owned, veteran-founded and veteran-connected brands, with that first hour giving VIP attendees more opportunity to talk directly with the people behind them.
C.R.A.F.T., the Coalition to Represent American Flavor & Tradition in Brewing and Distilling, supports veterans and first responders working in brewing, distilling, hospitality, distribution and entrepreneurship. Its work includes business development, mentorship, media exposure, events and connections intended to help veteran-owned brands grow.
Carrying a microphone gave me a different way into the experience. I found myself asking not only what people were creating, but how someone who was not in the room could purchase it, support the business or, in some cases, become part of the company.
Something for the Nondrinker
I do not drink, so I was especially pleased to find three nonalcoholic vendors among the exhibitors: Wild Bill’s Craft Beverage Co., Double Time Sports Drink and OSIA.
Wild Bill’s became one of my favorite conversations of the evening. I met David Marceau, who told me about a business that has spent more than 20 years traveling to fairs, festivals, conventions and other events around the country. Wild Bill’s serves craft soda on tap, almost like a draft-beer experience, with its recognizable stainless-steel mugs and refills. Wild Bill’s sells a variety of tasty flavors, and I sampled a few. I am not much of a soda drinker either and I found them delicious. My favorite being the Dreamsicle, which was a combination of Orange and Vanilla Cream. Though, the conversation with David ran deeper than endless soda refills.
He told me how difficult the pandemic was for a company whose business depended so heavily on fairs, festivals and live events and how Wild Bill’s had to find an immediate way to get its product to consumers, and canned soda became the answer. As he poured samples, I noticed the little plastic caps he had covering the open cans. I thought they were super cute and useful. David laughed and explained that they had nothing to do with Wild Bill’s. He had simply found them on Amazon.
David also talked about Wild Bill’s as a business opportunity. The company offers a mobile franchise model that allows owners to operate at events rather than opening a conventional storefront, and Wild Bill’s specifically promotes entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for veterans.
That was exactly the kind of information I kept trying to draw out during my interviews. If someone watching my coverage was interested in a product, I wanted to know where they could get it. And if there was an opportunity to become involved in a company, I wanted the entrepreneur to explain that too.
Visit Wild Bill’s Craft Beverage Co.
Double Time: Staying Mission Ready
The other nonalcoholic option that caught my attention was Double Time Sports Drink. Even its name comes from military language. The bottle connects “double time” with increasing the pace when the mission demands it and carries the message: Fuel Up. Move Fast. Stay Mission Ready. The company is operated by QM-IV Veteran Ventures LLC in Woodbridge, Virginia, and describes its story as one that grew from military service into a performance beverage brand.
In a room largely devoted to spirits, having a veteran-founded electrolyte-style sports drink provided another option and another interpretation of what a veteran beverage company could bring to the table.
Visit Double Time Sports Drink
OSIA: A Zero-Proof Option I Would Buy
OSIA was the third nonalcoholic vendor that stood out to me, and this is one I would totally buy. The company makes functional, zero-alcohol spritzes with real fruit juice, botanicals, adaptogens and nootropics. Its four formulas are designed around different moods: Boost, Ease, Passion and Bliss. 
The Bliss Spritz was the one that helped me place the ingredient I remembered hearing about at the event: L-theanine. OSIA pairs it with lemon balm and rhodiola, while the drink itself features pineapple, yuzu and raspberry. The company says its beverages contain no alcohol or THC and are made without artificial flavorings.
The veteran connection is also direct. C.R.A.F.T. highlighted OSIA co-founder Gabriel Walsh as a Special Operations veteran who built the company with Isabella Hoag after his service. For me, OSIA was a particularly good example of how a beverage can still feel creative, adult and intentional without containing alcohol and with supplements that aide in health!
Creativity in the Booze
Most of the room was alcohol. There were many kinds of spirits represented, some reaching much higher proofs. Although I didn’t partake, I noticed how creative many of the flavors sounded. A lot of them sounded really yummy and original.
I also repeatedly heard exhibitors talking about what they put into their products: natural ingredients, real cane sugar, organic ingredients, stevia and alternatives to some of the artificial flavors or conventional sweeteners found in mass-market beverages. Those claims varied from company to company, but the attention to ingredients was noticeable.
The only one I ended up tasting was from Perspection Spirits. A woman at the table made a tiny strawberry-coconut-style drink in a little plastic shot glass as I was waiting to interview the business. She put real effort into it, even coating the rim with sugar telling me she made it special for me. I sipped some off the top and it was delicious.
Perspection Spirits was created by Crystal and Roger, hosts of The Liquor Connoisseur. Their spirits include Strawberry Coconut Vodka and Apple Crisp Gin, and the larger philosophy of their brand revolves around intentional drinking and understanding the story behind what is in the glass.
Even for someone who does not drink, the creativity was hard to miss. The flavors, presentation and stories behind the products often seemed as important as the alcohol itself.
Visit The Liquor Connoisseur / Perspection Spirits
Trendsetters Spirits: Business With a Veteran Mission
Another table took the veteran mission even further.
At Trendsetters Spirits, the display in front of me stated that “100% of proceeds supports veterans.” The company’s current online materials describe its model as using its purchases and profits to support veterans, particularly efforts to combat veteran homelessness. It reports helping provide shelter nights, meals, housing assistance and other resources. That is an extraordinary commitment to the community.
My conversation there also introduced me to Alpha Omega Phi Military Fraternity & Sorority, Inc. Alpha Omega Phi describes itself as the first co-ed fraternity/sorority in Military Greek history. Rather than being primarily a conventional college Greek organization, it serves a broader military community and focuses on fellowship, education, community service, veteran assistance and combating veteran homelessness. During our conversation, the representative told me the organization currently has a presence at Syracuse University and has also begun discussions with a college in Alabama about establishing a presence there.
That combination interested me: military fellowship, entrepreneurship and a commercial product being used to help generate support for the community.
Learn more about Alpha Omega Phi
Heritage Beyond the Drinks
The experience was not limited strictly to beverages. There was one cigar representative who told me about being in the family business for many years and about his Cuban background. That conversation brought another dimension into the room: family history, craftsmanship and cultural heritage.
Again and again, I found that the product sitting on the table was simply an entry point into a much larger story.
A soda could become a conversation about surviving the pandemic. A sports drink could reflect military language and readiness. A bottle of liquor could fund veteran assistance. A cigar could open a conversation about Cuba and a multi generational family business.
Even the Swag Had Substance
VIP attendees also received a swag bag.
Beyond the business cards and promotional pieces, the item that impressed me most was a substantial hardcover copy of Our 
American Dream Cookbook, roughly 240 pages of recipes and the stories of 80 culinary entrepreneurs connected with Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream.
The materials also pointed toward future C.R.A.F.T. activities and fundraising efforts, reinforcing that Frontline Tastings was part of a much larger effort to create visibility and opportunity for veteran entrepreneurs.
Military Training Coming Full Circle
As a nondrinker, Frontline Tastings may not naturally be my jive. Still, there was a lot to appreciate.
There was real creativity in the booze being curated. Even many of the products I did not taste had flavor combinations that sounded really yummy and original. I appreciated seeing Wild Bill’s, Double Time and OSIA giving attendees nonalcoholic choices. OSIA especially showed me that a zero-alcohol drink can still feel sophisticated, original and intentionally crafted.
I spent part of this summer in Ireland, where I saw an impressive number of 0.0 percent alcohol products. I would love to see even more veteran-run organizations developing similarly creative beverage options and participating in events like these, allowing people who do not drink to feel included in more of the tasting experience while still supporting these businesses.
What impressed me most, however, were the people behind the beverages. These were veterans and military-connected entrepreneurs taking training, leadership, perseverance, creativity and community and bringing those qualities full force into business. And in some cases, the circle came directly back to the military community.
Seeing a company commit its profits to helping veterans, particularly homeless veterans, demonstrates an incredible loyalty to the community from which it came.
The drinks may have brought people into the Florida Ballroom, but the entrepreneurship, creativity and continued commitment to service were what gave Frontline Tastings its substance.
For me, the evening ultimately became much less about drinking and much more about seeing what military experience can become after the uniform.
Business and organization links were verified against the companies current public websites at the time of writing.
