Wise Fest 2022

Five miles from Pilton, home of the legendary Glastonbury Festival, the village of Evercreech is preparing to host its own unique event that is every bit as ground-breaking as its illustrious neighbour. But instead of the world’s biggest music artists, Wise Fest 2022 will present some of the best names and most popular products from the world of alcohol-free drinks with an excellent supporting cast.

Wise Fest has been created by Wise Bartender, the UK’s leading retailer of alcohol-free drinks, and is a three-day festival held at the company’s base in the village. It is designed to provide a family-friendly environment in which visitors can discover a range of traditional and innovative alcohol-free drinks whilst also enjoying delicious food and listening to some of the best local bands around. From alcohol-free beers, wines and ciders to spirits, cocktails, kombuchas, meads, sodas and functional drinks, Wise Fest is the place to explore the vast range of exciting drinks that have exploded onto the market. The festival will draw from over 450 products available through the online store https:// wisebartender.co.uk which was recently named best smaller online retailer at the online retailer awards.

“Summer is the perfect time to dive in and discover some new drink options and experiment with some different combinations” explained Wise Bartender founder Tom Ward. “Alcohol-free craft beers were some of the first drinks to shake-off their reputation for poor taste, and leading specialists such as Nirvana, Big Drop and Wild Beer provide a great introduction to the full-flavoured range now available. Spirits have been catching up and have come a long way with brands like Sea Arch, Anon, Caleño, Myth and Fluère heading a range of drinks that are delicious on their own, paired with a mixer or as a base ingredient for an alcohol-free cocktail. There are so many fantastic drinks to discover and Wise Fest brings them all together in a relaxed and enjoyable environment.”

Yet such an event would have been unthinkable when Tom set up the business in April 2017.

“Alcohol-free drinks still had a reputation for poor quality, the choice wasn’t great and there was no demand for them” he explained. “Except my research showed that there was a demand, it was just that no-one was listening to it. But that demand has gathered momentum, is still growing today and is catered for by Wise Bartender.” According to a study published by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis[1], no- and lowalcohol beer, cider, wine, spirits, and ready-to-drink (RTD) products grew by more than +6% in volume in 10 key global focus markets in 2021, and now command a 3.5% volume share of the industry. There are many reasons behind consumption of lower ABV alternatives, and research shows that moderation rather than abstinence is the most common reason for choosing a low or no alcohol drink, with 43% of adults who have purchased them saying that they are a substitution in place of alcohol for certain occasions rather than abstaining altogether. “As demand continues to grow, alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks are becoming more commonplace” added Ward “and availability has started to increase in restaurants, pubs, bars, supermarkets and bottle shops as well as online. The innovation pipeline shows no sign of slowing down with advances in taste, pack format and education particularly noticeable. This is great news for drinkers who want to experiment with a wider choice of alcohol-free drinks and Wise Fest 2022 is a great place to start their journey of discovery.” Further research from The Portman Group[2], which was established to ensure that alcohol producers do all they can to promote “the responsible use of alcohol” and social responsibility, identified that almost one in three (32%) of UK drinkers in 2021 ‘semi-regularly’ consumed low and no alcohol products compared to one in four (25%) in 2020. The demand for good quality, full-flavoured alcohol-free drinks is definitely growing and Wise Fest 2022 is a celebration of all the incredible brands that are just waiting to be discovered. Wise Fest runs at Wayside Farm, Evercreech, BA4 6QW from Friday 15th July to Sunday 17th July, with a pub quiz at 7pm on Friday, music between 7-9pm from covers duo 34 South on Saturday and Eddie Dean on Sunday. Street Food will be available all weekend from family-run village pub The Bell Inn, Evercreech and interactive sessions will introduce visitors to specific aspects of the drinks available. Emma Newman @ Emma_Sobersonic will be talking sobriety on Saturday 1-2pm, followed by a Saturday AF Beer Club live tasting at 2pm featuring beers from Lucky Saint, Mash Gang, The Wild Beer Co, Lowtide Brewing Co & Big Drop Brewing Co. And if cocktails are more your thing join the live cocktail making session at 3pm on Saturday. Further details and free tickets are available through Eventbrite.