A LT E R N AT I V E D R I N K S |
ALTERNATIVES,
OPTIONS AND CHOICES THE WORLD ACCEPTS THAT LIFE AS WE KNOW IT HAS FOREVER BEEN CHANGED BY THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. IN SOUTH AFRICA, ONCE CONSUMERS HAD EXHAUSTED THEIR STOCKS OF BEER, WINE AND SPIRITS THE LOCKDOWN HAD PEOPLE LOOKING TO ALTERNATIVES. FIONA MCDONALD REPORTS.
F
irst there was Movember. Then there was Ocsober and finally Dry January. While Movember had men stashing their razors for a month and cultivating facial hair to highlight awareness of men’s health issues, Ocsober never really took off quite the way that Dry January did. The reason for January resonating with the great drinking public as a good idea to practice a period of alcohol abstinence was possibly a reaction to the excesses of the festive season. Although it seems so long ago, there was a distinct trend – or at least a growing awareness of Dry January in 2020. Just how many South Africans will be as eager to voluntarily engage in 2021 remains to be seen but there’s no doubt that as a result of the ban on liquor sales during lockdown, people are far more aware of the non-alcoholic options available on the market. According to statistics, the World Health Organisation has estimated South Africa’s consumption of liquor at 11 litres per capita – but that figure more than doubles to 27 litres per person once the under 18 portion of the population is stripped out. South Africa occupies the number 19 spot in the world’s largest liquor consuming nations. 38 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a
The first ever Mindful Drinking festival held at Kirstenbosch in Cape Town in October 2019 was an early portent of how swiftly the alternative drinks market is changing. It appears that people are no longer content to simply suck on a Heineken 0.0%, alcohol-free Savanna cider or a Castle Free beer. What the Mindful Drinking festival highlighted is that there are a host of options available, including dealcoholised wine and alcohol-free spirits and distilled botanical spirits. As the festival website states: “part of a global movement, mindful drinking is for people wishing to moderate their alcohol consumption and find healthy alternatives to drinking alcohol. It does not advocate an “all-or nothing” approach to alcohol but rather encourages you to think about your attitude to alcohol and provide you with new and exciting options.” South Africa has a deplorable history of non-conformity with drink driving legislation – and the shocking statistics about the role that alcohol plays in the majority of vehicle crashes is just awful. Yet that appears to be changing. With the advent of ride sharing and lift services such as Uber, people have become far more compliant. There is a willingness to be the designated driver
and a greater acceptance of people partying without drinking. “Declining alcohol, or bringing a non-alcoholic alternative,” the Mindful Drinking website states, “is more likely to arouse curiosity or even admiration – even if it is bucking the very powerful social norm to consume alcohol.” South Africa was not the only country to ban booze sales during lockdown. Thailand, India, Greenland, Panama, the Bahamas and certain states within Mexico did the same – all in an attempt to discourage socialising and potential gender-based violence. Countries which kept the liquor pipeline open reported a noticeable uptick in online sales and home delivery, with the United States showing a 25% increase in wine sales alone during lockdown. Online liquor retailing is one of those areas of e-commerce which experts predict will be a game changer with peoples’ purchasing habits changing.
