SWING LOW - WINTER MAGAZINE 2023 ISSUE 105

Swing low

by CLAIRE DODD

When the first non-alcoholic spirit launched – a contradiction in terms, that has now become a normality – back in 2015, there was obvious scepticism. So new and so groundbreaking that it didn’t initially make sense to a lot of people, the no and low category has since expanded and boomed, with alcohol-free variants of everything from bitter aperitifs to cream liqueurs now available. And yet many pubs still appear to have a stumbling block when it comes to stocking them. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of this growing part of the market….

“Go back a decade and the choice of low-alcohol drinks available to licensees was abysmal,” notes Stephan Kofler, Krombacher sales and marketing director for UK & Ireland. The brand has a 0.0% Pils and a 0.5% Non-Alcoholic Weizen.

“But the landscape has changed dramatically in recent times. Whereas in the past your low-alcohol beer options were pretty limited to lager, we’re now seeing all different styles and flavours introduced to the category. Some are good, some aren’t, but it’s definitely a positive thing for the industry and consumer choice.”

Sadly, not even a small fraction of what’s now available on the market is offered by pubs. Many still don’t have a dedicated shelf or section of their menu to help customers find them. And apart from alcohol-free beers, which have become ubiquitous, many still don’t stock the growing number of alcohol free wines, spirits, and ciders that are now available or, as Stephan points out, a wide range of beer styles.

That, is a mistake. “Two-fifths (40%) of adults say they want to moderate their drinking,” says Jennifer Runciman, head of category development, on-trade at Diageo GB, “and this shows no signs of slowing down.” Diageo has expanded its range considerably over the past couple of years, with Tanqueray 0.0%, Gordon’s 0.0% Alcohol Free Spirit and Gordon’s Pink 0.0% Alcohol Free Spirit, Guinness 0.0, and Captain Morgan 0.0%.

“With people looking for more choice during more occasions, operators should ensure they have a varied selection of high-quality alcohol-free drinks, allowing customers to enjoy the same quality but with none of the alcohol, and without having to compromise on taste or flavour,” she adds.

Don’t ignore new products and trending categories

“Low/no is no longer the sole domain of enforced abstinence or health issues. It is a conscious decision and is becoming a normal part of drinking culture,” says Fergus Fitzgerald, head of production at Adnams, which makes non-alc wines and beers including Ghost Ship 0.5%.

“The products are better, which has grown the market and in turn the expectations around quality have increased.”

As well as covering the major spirits groups, make sure you’re catering for trending spirits such as aperitifs, and of course, wine. “We’ve seen a material shift in interest in the low/no space and it’s fantastic to see non-alcoholic options on the rise,” says Luke Hemsley, who is founder of Wednesday’s Domaine, a non-alcoholic wine brand available in a white (Piquant), and red (Sanguine). “We’re really excited for all pubs who are serious about food and drink to be listing a non-alcoholic wine in the next 6-12 months and looking forward to being a part of that movement.”

It’s vital to keep on top of new launches, and different taste profiles beyond direct spirits replacements. “The biggest barriers to growing sales are pubs not taking risks with interesting and new products,” says Imme Ermgassen, co-founder of Botivo, an aperitif-inspired botanical drink made by infusing apple cider vinegar with five fresh botanicals and wildflower honey. “Pubs assume that everyone just wants a ‘mimic drink’ or direct swap for an alcoholic alternative so they are slow to adopt new drinks and flavour profiles. Increasingly consumers are moving away from this and pubs need to evolve with them to meet their needs.”

And the market is evolving fast, she adds: “Phase one was about choice, creating the non-alcoholic category by introducing a non-alcoholic choice in traditionally “alcohol moments” for the first time. Phase two is about moderation, about people swapping out drinks occasionally so that they feel healthier, fresher in the morning, and is rooted in drinks that directly mimic alcoholic alternatives.”

Phase three, she concludes, is about taste, “and is very much where Botivo sits. It’s a new wave of non-alcoholic liquids that do not mimic existing products but rather focus on quality liquids and have unique and discerning taste profiles in their own right”.

Bartender and conservation biologist Paul Mathew created Everleaf – available in Forest, Mountain, and Marine – as a flavourdriven, rather than category-conforming, non-alc “experience”.

“Everleaf has always been something a little different amongst the alcohol-analogues (we don’t claim to be non-alcoholic gin, rum, tequila etc),” he says, “but we’re now seeing more and more products in this space, giving people more choice beyond the switch out of their regular brand.”

Describing them to customers can be a challenge. “I think we’re still getting there with communicating this in pubs, but using what’s been done brilliantly with gin menus,it’s great to start with a recognisable hook to get people in, then offering them a premium ladder to upsell and take them on a journey,” adds Paul. He notes that serves can be a good way into products that don’t fit alcohol categories. Everleaf serves focus on the spritz, for example.

Tips for success

Menus, and displaying products correctly is key. “Visibility is everything when it comes to new, interesting and emerging drinks in this space like Botivo,” adds Imme.

“Pubs need to show people they have interesting options which means highlighting on chalk boards, adding special boxes on their menus and signposting clearly so people don’t just revert to a ‘lime and soda’ when they are not drinking (which has a four times lower cash margin than a drink like Botivo).”

“If the category is relegated to a “page of shame” at the back of a long drinks list, it’s not going to grow quickly,” adds Paul. “Conversely, where we see NA serves being given prominence on menus, as featured drinks in brunch lists, as popular serves made alc or non-alc, we see sales increase rapidly as guests feel included and empowered to make that choice.”