6 minute read
HEALTHIER DRINK OPTIONS
To your good health!
Pubs and alcohol are synonymous, but as Australians make healthy living a priority, stocking healthier beverage options in-venue is becoming a real drawcard for visitation without the overindulgence.
-By Cat Woods.
ONCE AN Australian tradition to ‘get on the booze’ when out for an evening at the pub, it is instead becoming increasingly trendy for Australians to opt for non-alcoholic drinks on-premise. Whether this is for health reasons, being more inclusive of cultures that eschew alcohol for religious reasons, or purely for the sake of diversity, it is undeniably a market that pubs cannot ignore.
On October 29, Victoria Hotel in Footscray is hosting a ‘Pub With No Booze’ event. The venue will become a marketplace for non-alcoholic producers and distributors to showcase their ranges and provide tastings. Part of the drawcard to the ticketed event was a complimentary Heaps Normal beer or a Lyre’s cocktail. Other brands exhibiting their NOLO offerings were Hop Nation, Etch Sparkling, Big Drop, Yes You Can, Oatley, Comet Syrups, Clear Mind, Vin Zero and Brick Lane Brewing.
Victoria Hotel has a commitment to NOLO beyond one-off events though. The “Dry But Wet Discover Series” is a monthly event held on a Sunday afternoon, inviting attendees to explore particular categories of NOLO drinks. Previous Sundays have explored sparkling wine, craft beer, distilled spirits, reds, RTDs and rosé.
Managing Director of The Local Hotel in Fremantle, WA, Phil Thompson says, “About five years ago, we really noticed the growth of Dry July and a general trend of people wanting to avoid alcohol for periods while still wanting to enjoy the atmosphere of drinking venues.”
Dry But Wet Discover Series owner Amy Armstong
Accordingly, The Local introduced NOLO products to their venue, and the range stocked has diversified over time as the category has grown.
“Sales are strong across our range of non-alcohol beers. Wine and spirits are still minimal, but we expect to see growth across all lines over the coming years,” he accedes.
“In the beginning, it was mainly international and mainstream brands that were available and popular, including Heineken Zero, Carlton Zero etcetera. Thankfully craft brewers have become involved and broadened the non-alcohol experience. Sobah, Heaps Normal, Pirate Life and Lightning Minds are all popular now with more brands emerging.”
At present, Local Hotel offers seven beers, three wines and a couple of spirits.
“As demand grows we will expand. There is potential for draft nonalcohol beer in the near future as sales reach a critical point.”
The 2021 IWSR Drinks Market Analysis’ ‘No- and Low-Alcohol Strategic Study’ indicated that the NOLO market outperformed alcohol in terms of volume purchased in Australia in 2020. While NOLO volume rose 2.9 per cent in 2020, the volume of alcohol purchased decreased by 1.4 cent.
The same study found that 71 per cent of Australian consumers planned to maintain or increase their no- or lowalcohol consumption over the following year, and that two-thirds planned to try new brands of no- and low-alcohol beverages in 2021. This strengthens the projected 16 per cent growth in Australia’s NOLO volume between 2020 and 2024, as forecast by IWSR.
Danilo Acioli, General Manager at Walt & Burley in Canberra, says they introduced non-alcoholic products in July 2021.
“I had joined the team a couple of months earlier and saw the demand for more variety of the nonalcoholic beverages. Back then we only had soft drinks and a couple of mocktails, all of these drinks were very high in sugar content. With our current beverage list we offer a range of non-alcoholic beers, wines, fizzy drinks and cocktails with an emphasis on healthy offerings that also challenge the palate.”
Walt & Burley is open 7 days a week from 11:30am until midnight. The NOLO range has increased the evening crowd.
“The busiest periods are evenings from 6pm to 9pm, with more people staying around until close now that they know they can pace themselves with nonalcoholic drinks,” Acioli explains.
Victoria Hotel’s monthly NOLO showcase events are a big hit
“We find that people tend to enjoy themselves more when they can socialise with friends without the pressure to have to consume alcohol.”
He says they are always on the lookout for appealing products to add to their non-alcohol offering.
“At the moment, it is larger than our cocktail offering and in the next couple of weeks we will launch zero alcohol wines by the bottle, with a sparkling, a chardonnay and a shiraz on offer.”
Their non-alcoholic products are promoted by social media posts, on bar merchandise and bottles and on their regular beverage list.
“The main way of getting it promoted is by word of mouth,” Acioli explains.
“Some of the regulars are inviting friends over to try our zero alcohol menu.”
The most popular brands at Walt & Burley are typically the ones that entered the market early, like Lyre’s or Heaps Normal. However, big companies like Great Northern with their Zero version are also gaining space.
As reported by Smart Company, many major multinational alcohol brands are recognising and acting upon the market for low and no-alcohol beverages alongside their traditional products. Some have dedicated 20-30 per cent of their portfolios to NOLO products through to 2025, including Anheuser-Busch InBev, which aims for one fifth of its total beer volume to be no- or low-alcohol by the end of 2025.
The IWSR international survey indicated that consumers mostly opt for moderation rather than ceasing their alcohol intake overall. Nearly 60 per cent of NOLO consumers reported that they switch between NOLO and full-strength alcohol products on the same occasion, and a fraction of those at 14 per cent reported that they do not drink alcohol at all.
Lyres products can create NOLO versions of most cocktails.
Founded in 2019 in the UK, Lyre’s nonalcoholic range mimics the most popular spirits in terms of presentation, smell, taste and texture. The Lyre’s team suggest their products can recreate 90% of all cocktails using their products.
“Our products are designed to integrate seamlessly into the place of their alcoholic counterparts, so we find the success of the portfolio directly mirrors any trends in the alcoholic spirits sector,” states Kelli McPhie, Lyre’s VP Australia and New Zealand.
“If outlets are looking at what to range from Lyre’s, their first step is to understand the performance of the alcoholic spirits in their club. If gin and gin cocktails dominate sales then Lyres’ Dry London or Pink London spirits will complement that perfectly as nonalcoholic substitutes, for example.”
Forget isolating NOLO to Dry July or Sober October. This is a year-round, growing industry and failing to get on the wagon will leave venues in the cold when it comes to attracting young, affluent and health-conscious patrons.
