SIPPING

Low and Behold

The acceleration of health and wellness trends has reinforced the significance of low- and no-alcohol options, giving rise to a host of new products and pours.

Words: Jenna Campbell

The arrival of a new year often presents the opportunity for both reflection and resolve, spurring on the most determined individuals to adopt new fitness regimes, healthy eating habits and vows of alcoholic abstinence. In 2021, the message was much the same, but according to Alcohol Change UK, the uptake on campaigns such as Dry January was far higher than usual, with as many as 6.5 million British adults taking part – up from 3.9 million last year. Far from a flash-in-the-pan, interest in abstention and pursuit of mindful moderation – together with the growing awareness of the health risks associated with coronavirus – has been supercharged.

According to Bacardi’s 2021 Cocktail Trends Report, 22% of consumers are drinking less and 55% of mindful drinkers are consuming low-ABV beverages. Earmarked as an industry for exponential growth, Bacardi forecasts that the low- and no-alcohol spirits category will grow from US$100 million to US$500 million in Western Europe by 2024. Of course, the case for moderation is not a new one, and has been gathering momentum for some years, capturing the attention of sober-curious and healthconscious consumers. In Nielsen CGA’s 2019 survey of business leaders in the hospitality industry, low-and no-alcohol topped the list as the most influential category, while a poll by Franklin & Sons found that from the outset of 2020, people were becoming more conscious of what they were drinking, citing reasons such as wanting to get fit and saving money as cause for cutting back.

With the taste for low- and no-alcohol already established, the pandemic has served as a catalyst for the movement and in turn the variety and quality of drinks within the category has continued to improve, giving way to greater experimentation. “For a long time we have seen the decline of alcohol consumption for

The Berkely’s Blue Bar has devised the Meta Menu encompassing cocktails such as the Queen of Sussex and Kyanite

working lunches as a more measured attitude to drinking has become the norm,” says Lydia Forte, Group Director of Food & Beverage for Rocco Forte Hotels. “What I see is that when people do choose to drink, it is about quality over quantity. However, the biggest change is on the supply side, where we have seen a large number of high-quality non-alcoholic products come onto the market.”

With more than 200 non-alcoholic spirit labels now in circulation, companies such as Seedlip, who are often credited with kickstarting the ‘NoLo’ movement back in 2014, the opportunities for partnerships between hotel bars and brands are ripe. “Hotel bars can really cater for an all-round memorable experience and showcase just how creative non-alcoholic cocktails can be,” says Ben Branson, founder of Seedlip. “Since we launched five years ago, the hotel and restaurant industry has been really supportive. We’ve worked with some amazing hotels, from terrace takeovers in London, sustainable cocktails with The Pig and partnerships with Soho House Group; we even turned discarded lemons into coasters with Lyaness Bar and Green Lab.”

Demonstrating the potential of the category, products like L.A Brewery’s Sparkling English Rose kombucha and Saicho’s sparkling cold brewed teas, now offer consumers sophisticated, low-sugar alternatives to wine and champagne. “Health and lifestyle are certainly important factors, but to a large extent alcohol-free drinks are also becoming more popular because they are getting better,” explains, Charlie WinkworthSmith, founder of Saicho. “No longer do consumers just have the choice of a sugary soft drink; there are now delicious, complex options that just happen to be alcohol-free.”

Served in a number of luxury hotels, including The Peninsula and The Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong, Saicho caters to a variety of occasions, whilst also creating a point of difference for properties that have several F&B venues. Moreover, the adoption of these beverages within the hotel context represents a wider shift towards more wellness-driven drink concepts.

“When it comes to creation process behind low-ABV cocktails, the difference lies in the extra care applied in the process,” says David O. Hajjar, Assistant Food & Beverage Manager at The Peninsula, Hong Kong. “With this approach, we are able to further elevate our hospitality experience and establish a strong emotional connection with our guests. Consumers would like to learn more about the products story and production. As a result, mixologists are given greater flexibility and motivation to create offerings that are different.”

Elsewhere, Nonsuch, who have created a range of fruit-and vinegar-based syrups and sodas, are creating new drinking experiences by championing lesser-known ingredients. Founded by Henry Chevallier Guild, an eighthgeneration cyder and vinegar maker as Aspall Cyder, the complex shrubs, otherwise known as drinking vinegars, enhance both alcoholic and non-alcoholic serves by adding depth and flavour. “I believe we are all becoming much more mindful of what we drink and how much alcohol we consume – shrubs offer myriad potential non-alcohol serves to help get through a period of abstention,” says Chevallier Guild. “Not only do they offer the ritual of preparing a drink, but they also deliver the flavour and drinkability to match.”

As Wine Director at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Switzerland, Amanda Wassmer-Bulgin uses her expertise to source local ingredients that can be used to create a series of non-alcoholic wine pairings for Memories, the hotel’s twoMichelin-starred restaurant. “I feel it is our responsibility to offer a special experience to all guests regardless of whether they drink alcohol or not. Since offering a 12-course alcohol-free pairing our revenue has increased and we no longer have guests just drinking an orange juice all night,” she explains. Using her knowledge and expertise, Wassmer-Bulgin uses ingredients such as fermented berries to create non-alcoholic version of popular wines likes pinot noir. “Following the same process as I do the wine pairing, I take the dish apart molecule by molecule and see what compounds I have and try to match them either through a grape or through other ingredients. Then I look at texture and body and try to recreate the effect winemaking has on the wine in our nonalcoholic drinks.”

Also taking its cue from the local surroundings, luxury safari and ecotourism operator Wilderness Safaris – who own and operate lodges and camps across Africa – has developed a selection of non-alcoholic cocktails in keeping with its ethos. “Our signature cocktails are still as popular as always, however, for those wishing for something a little healthier or alcohol-free, we have all sorts of fresh juices, with our Spicy Tree Tomato mocktail always a firm favourite,” says Aimable Rukundo Ramadhan, barman at Bisate Lodge in Rwanda. “We also have our refreshing Gorilla Passion mocktail, which is offered to guests when they return from the gorilla trek, as well as a delicious Ginger Iced Tea, served to guests in wooden jugs that are

“I feel it is our responsibility to offer a special experience to all guests regardless of whether they drink alcohol or not. Since offering a 12-course alcohol-free pairing our revenue has increased and we no longer have guests just drinking an orange juice all night.”

AMANDA WASSMER-BULGIN

“We recognise that bars are destinations for non-drinkers just as much as those who drink so we want to ensure that our nonalcoholic drinks pack just as much of a punch.”

RAFFAELE DI MONACO, THE BERKELEY

Bisate Lodge in Rwanda has developed a selection of non-alcoholic drinks including Ginger Iced Tea and Tree Tomato mocktail

inspired by the traditional wooden milk pots that are used in Rwanda to store fresh milk.”

For those looking to moderate rather than abstain, over at The Berkeley, Bar Manager Raffaele di Monaco has devised the Blue Bar’s Meta Menu, which spans both low-and-no serves. Each chapter includes a non-alcoholic cocktail and a breakdown of the ingredients, tasting notes and the ABV percentage. “We recognise that bars are destinations for nondrinkers just as much as those who drink so we want to ensure that our non-alcoholic drinks pack just as much of a punch,” says di Monaco. “The Meta Menu has been a great vehicle for experimentation and showcases that these drinks can still be both complex and experiential.” At Blue Bar, drinks such as The Mountie are created using Seedlip’s Æcorn Aromatic blend, Everleaf Aperitif, maple syrup, coconut water and tonka spices, alongside cocktails with both high- and low-ABV content.

For Nelson Bernardes, Bar Manager at The Churchill Bar & Terrace at Hyatt Regency London The Churchill, the market potential of the category creates even greater opportunity for refining the hotel’s drink programme. “I believe the secret to a good mocktail section relies on putting the same effort into the creation of it than with signature cocktails,” says Bernardes. Non-alcoholic cocktails available here range from Allspice Sour – made using Seedlip Spice 94, raspberries, lemon juice, grape syrup and egg white – to Blueberry and Rosehip Sling, a fruit-filled ensemble of berries, passion fruit, rosehip cordial and lemon and apple juice.

The low- and no-alcohol movement has garnered greater interest over the past year than at perhaps any other time, driven by consumers’ reassessment of their lifestyle choices as a consequence of Covid-19. And while the industry might be challenged by the reopening of bars and restaurants, the diversification of the category is a surely a sign of things to come, if not an opportunity to further invest in the sector in time for when patrons are welcomed back through the doors.

© Crookes & Jackson