It’s happy hour for the no- and low-alcohol drinks sector, with brands that sell zero-proof beer, wine and spirits anticipating their busiest festive season yet. But are they any healthier than the boozy kind?
Another day, another Christmas drinks party. And you’re factoring in a quick stop-off at the offie to pick up a bottle to lubricate yet another rendition of the Mariah Carey classic (oh, to be on the receiving end of those royalties). As you step inside, you spot the usual suspects among the rows of bottles. But it’s the names you don’t recognise that dominate the stacked shelves. There are bottles of Bax Botanics carrying ingredients such as sea buckthorn and verbena; a bottle of Lyre’s wouldn’t look out of place in a Japanese whiskey bar; and jars of Three Spirit promise to provide you with a social elixir or a nightcap. At first glance, it bears all the hallmarks of the local bougie booze shop you only visit on pay day. But what sets this establishment apart is your chance of ending up with a hangover: slimline to none.
Alcohol-free off-licences are popping up faster than you can say kombucha. Following a successful pop-up last December, the mindful drinking community Club Soda is currently crowdfunding for a permanent location on London’s Drury Lane. A hop, skip and an Uber away in Belgravia you’ll find Anya’s Off Licence, from the designer Anya Hindmarch. Meanwhile, The Virgin Mary bar in Dublin – which has been satiating the sober-curiosity of the city’s residents since 2019 – has also opened its first store. Only a few years ago, the concept wouldn’t have warranted quite the same cork-pop. But it’s 2022, sobriety is the new black and the demand for no- and low-alcohol drinks (the charmingly monikered ‘NoLo’ sector) is rising.
Supermarket sales of drinks within the NoLo category grew by 50% in the year from 2020 to 2021, according to drinks analysts IWSR, with total sales across the biggest NoLo countries – the UK included – in 2021 reaching £739m. Such statistics have led everyone from BrewDog to Gordon’s to compete for their slice of the market. And the eye-watering sums now being poured into the sector have led to innovations that make it increasingly difficult to discern an alcoholic beer from its NoLo counterpart.
But while cutting down on your units is a commendable health goal, swap alcoholic drinks for a NoLo alternative with the same enthusiasm you used to show for chanting ‘shots’ and you could be exchanging one issue for another. From claims that the very techniques that elevate the taste of your favourite zero-proof alternatives also ramp up the calorie content, to long lists of unpronounceable ingredients, the health credentials for some NoLo options are murkier than a 6% IPA. As we steel ourselves for the annual
