FOOD AND BEVERAGE Big Drop Brewing supplies Hilton Hotel Sydney with alcohol-free beers
Brews
ZERO BOOZE
AS CONSUMER DEMAND FOR NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS CONTINUES TO RISE, MANY HOTELS ARE ADAPTING THEIR OFFERING TO STAY RELEVANT. RUTH HOGAN SPOKE TO FOUR BEVERAGE COMPANIES THAT ARE OPERATING IN THIS SPACE.
A
fundamental part of any hotel’s food and beverage offering is its selection of alcohol. Guests have come to expect a list of exquisite local wines, locally-distilled gin, and craft beer as standard. But as more and more Australians adopt healthier lifestyles, many are choosing to moderate their alcohol intake, and are turning to no- and low-alcohol (no/low) beverages to do so. The non-alcoholic drinks segment is booming, and IWSR forecasts that no- and low-alcohol volume in Australia will increase by 16% from 2020 to 2024. It found that 76% of consumers are looking to continue or start consuming no/low beverages. Big Drop Brewing, which supplies nonalcoholic brews to Hilton Hotel Sydney among others, says the category has evolved greatly in recent years. “As expertise and production methods have increased, particularly over the past couple of years, 60
HM The Business of Accommodation
Research shows 76% of consumers want to consume no- or lowalcohol beverages
consumers have been given greater choice combined with higher quality offerings,” Big Drop Brewing Country Manager - Australia and New Zealand, Darren West, told HM. “There’s no need to totally ‘abstain’ on a weeknight or drink a soft drink if you’re driving, because now you can have a high-quality drink, without the alcohol and not miss out on the experience. This has been reflected in category growth too, particularly in beer, where no-low and craft have been cited as the two segments that have arrested total category decline.” West points to moderation, health and wellbeing, and premiumisation as the key trends driving the no/low category. “With no/low, the core difference - beyond ABV - is the added benefit of often being low calories too,” he said. “Infact, no-low has the opportunity to reach and manifest within broader occasions where refreshment is a driver, given the reduction of alcohol and also, particularly within Big Drop beers, which tend to be half the calories of full-strength beers.”
BIG BEER
One of the major market players in Australian beer is Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), now owned by Asahi Beverages. Today, no, low and mid-strength alcohol beers make up almost 30% of the company’s beer sales – a significant jump from 14% in 2016.
