Alcohol-free is the new vegan

No and Low drinks are the new vegan and have a great future in premium hospitality, here’s why.

Victoria Moore, Telegraph columnist and author, has long been an advocate for taste and flavour when it comes to tasting anything. Her approach is fitting to the burgeoning no and low drinks category. “You have to forget how you approach tasting an alcoholic drink,” she says, “and approach no alcoholic drinks from a very different stance.”

Similarly when it comes to serving these drinks, she believes, that the “landscape and opportunities for quality drinks that are alternatives to wine or spirits is opening up quickly.” And the experts should know; sommeliers are turning their attention to this alternative range of non-alcoholic refreshment in response to consumer demand.

No and Low wine is the new vegan. We are at the beginning of the journey. I can see that these drinks will be mixed into wine lists in the future with just a symbol next to them, like gluten free. Not separate offer.

Beatrice Bessi, head sommelier at Chiltern Firehouse, London, claims that “No and Low wine is the new vegan,” she asserts. “We are at the beginning of the journey. Vegan was nowhere a few years ago and now it is sprinkled throughout menus. It is legitimate, not just a special dish. No and low wine will be the same. I can see that these drinks will be mixed into wine lists in the future with just a symbol next to them, like gluten free. Not separate offer.”

Bessi continues, “In the last year alone it has changed dramatically. Sommeliers are changing the dialogue and serving the products the value and enjoy.”

It’s all about the serve

Service is crucial – how you serve the drink in a restaurant environment; the glassware, the story you tell. ” To create demand you have to have a good “by the glass” offer. It has to be fast and easy to serve and you have to have a great story behind it; giving sommeliers something to talk about and making it an accessible option,” concludes Bessi.

David Hodgson, founder and CEO of Zeno alcohol liberated wine, believes that the whole dynamic around no alcohol wine has shifted drastically in the last 3 years since he launched. “Hospitality and alcohol free drinks are no longer just about not being able to drink booze or not wanting to because you are pregnant or have a drink problem. Today it is about offering consumers a great tasting product that they can enjoy because they just don’t need to drink alcohol.”

He explains, “The increase in demand for the no and low offer is due to awareness that is building around the ‘compromise gap’. Consumers are now realising that if you order an alcohol free product you are going to get quality, not something sweet and lacking in flavour. Producers are encouraging a great ‘wine experience’, they are planning for sophistication, by introducing a varietal offer or, for exmaple, by developing barrel-aged reds as we are. Reducing sugar and curating a great for food pairing opportunity is key to the success of these drinks in top end dining environments.”

Experimentation and opportunity

Co-creator of Botivo, botantical apritivo, Imme Ermgassen, says, “If it doesn’t taste any good people won’t be drinking it. Growing demand for these type of drinks is because they can mimic a drink they know. It’s an area that people are interested in. ” Introducing experimentation with “new flavours, new drinks,” she says, helps the category to grow. “Our experience with Botivo shows that people have to drink and take a few sips before they can get their head around it.” Given the success of the brand you can see that this approach is working.

The evolution for us is clearly linked to a shift in lifestyle choices and nutrition. We need to bring people into no alcohol in a more sophisticated way. Wine is thousands of years old. No alcohol is in the first minute of its life.

Inviting experimentation in different contexts has proved a win for Charlie Winkworth-Smith, co-founder of Saicho Sparkling Teas. “The afternoon tea occasion has proved a launch pad for our brand. The tannin in tea makes it perfect for food pairing. Also the lunch and brunch market is particularly open to sparkling teas like ours. Tannin also is perfect for mixing in cocktails if you want to reduce the alcohol level per serve.”

Consider that winemaking and tea cultivation have been around for thousands of years and you can see the viability linking that cultural history with all the added health benefits. Hodgson adds, “The evolution for us is clearly linked to a shift in lifestyle choices and nutrition. We need to bring people into no alcohol in a more sophisticated way. Wine is thousands of years old. No alcohol is in the first minute of its life.”

“Botivo is about the moment,” Emergassen adds. The aperitif moment, just like wine or indeed tea, that all have occasion firmly linked to their enjoyement and no alcohol alternatives are starting to become increasingly present.

Laura Willoughby MBE from Club Soda believes that the success of these drinks should be exploratory. She says that whilst “the category is still trying to work out its language, it’ s about exciting the consumer and giving them a range of drinks that they want to try.”

“Obviously it is all about the taste,” she explains, “that’s what keeps consumer coming back and trying new things. No alcohol and health are growing as we use different parts of the brain associated with spending, socialisng and reward. Functional drinks speak to the socialising part of the brain, enhancing mood and speaking the reward aspect of srinking which is most associated with alcohol, perhaps. Herbal tea derivatives are more familiar perhaps to consumers because they are already in their drink portfolios.” She concludes, “The market is definitely there and there is a definite opportunity for a premium offer and there’s definitely a gap for good wine alternatives. ”

At Counter 71, London, the offering is not just something which is alcohol free, says Harry Cooper, when explaining his no and lo offer. “What we try to do is use our collective knowledge and research to our advantage by lean on our colleagues, suppliers and peers for their opinion and expertise. As a sommelier I work closely with our mixologist for cocktail ideas and with the chef for flavour combination to ensure that we are giving our customers the best possible no alcohol and food matching we can.”

In his experience, “customers are intrigued and immediately engaged when they realise that they can enjoy a whole meal with no alcoholic drinks. They love it.” Based on this the future is not only bright, it’s non alcoholic.

Sommelier Edit No and Low Sessions

The content for this article is taken from the first Sommelier Edit No and Low Session held in London. Category leaders and top sommeliers discussed, tasted and learnt about a category that is starting to take hold in premium hospitality. The event was made possible by Zeno alcohol liberated wine, Saicho Sparkling Teas and Botivo Botanical Aperitivo. Thanks also to Victoria Moore, columnist and author, Beatrice Bessi, head sommelier, Chiltern Firehouse, Laura Willoughby MBE, Club Soda and Harry Cooper, head sommelier, Counter 71.

Thank you to all the innovative brands who provided the products tasted at the event.