The Rise of Non-Alcoholic Spirits
Let’s face it having a hangover sucks and they certainly get worse with age. Despite this many of us overindulge on weekends and end up regretting the following day. Millenials and Gen Z are abstaining more and more from alcohol. As part of a booming wellness industry and the pressures of obtaining perfect selfies for their social media, this younger generation are treating alcohol like smoking and thus making better health decisions.
The market has responded accordingly and now there’s an abundance of different alcohol-free drinks to quench everyone’s thirst. Of course, for a while now we’ve had household names such as Heineken, Budweiser, Peroni, Asahi launch their own 0% alcohol lagers and have been gaining popularity in recent years. But, for many people these beverages don’t hit the mark and would still like to preserve the tipsy feeling but without the hangover the next day.
In addition, there’s also been a rise in startups launching their own non-alcoholic spirits which have had enormous success. One such example is the UK brand Seedlip. They have responded to a gap in the market for tasteful and aromatic mocktails. Using his family’s farming experience and research distillation techniques, founder Ben Branson, developed a range of non-alcoholic spirits with sophisticated flavours and aromas.
Seedlip has gone from humble beginnings to an international brand being sold in more than 7,500 outlets in 25 countries, including Michelin star restaurants. And in case you’re wondering The Fishwives currently stocks several Seedlip products including the first spirit it launched Spice 94 as well as Garden 108 and Grove 42.
The success of such startups indicates the current trend shows no sign of abating. It’s also interesting to note that both Seedlip and Brunswick Aces who are using centuries old distillation books to inspire non-alcoholic botanical distillation techniques in the modern era. Unlike Seedlip, Brunswick aces specialise in producing smaller quantities of non-alcoholic spirits. Similarly, they also provide suggestions for mocktails for their product range. We are excited to be stocking their hearts bottle and spades bottle.
In summary, the trend in non-alcoholic beverages can only be seen as a positive one. Alcohol may be a legal drug, but the damage it can do to the human body is well documented. In addition, social problems caused by alcohol abuse are becoming rampant and it’s clear that the industry and governments need to take more responsibility. Whilst, efforts have been made to encourage responsible drinking in recent years, the market is clearly dictating a change is needed. Non-alcoholic spirits are not just a passing wellness fad, they are here to stay.
References:
https://flaviar.com/blog/seedlip-ben-branson-interview