The Sommelier Edit Awards No or Low results are launched as no and low sales continue to grow. Our sommelier judges pick out the best for you to find.
“Moderation is now a changed behaviour, not a fad.” That’s how research consultancy KAM expressed current attitudes to drinking in its 2024 report on the no and low market. Three-quarters of all UK adults now say they are moderating their alcohol intake in one way or another which means that many of those dining out are actively looking for zero-alcohol options.
Moderators might not ignore the wine list altogether. It’s true that some have chosen to curb their drinking by staying resolutely sober Monday to Thursday or, indeed, to go completely teetotal. But many others are simply mixing things up.
Zebra-striping – the practice of alternating alcoholic and no/low drinks – is increasingly popular. As is book-ending; the habit of quenching the thirst of the day with a no/low drink before moving across to the wine or cocktail list, then ending the evening with a zero-alcohol drink rather than reaching for another glass of wine or a digestif.
This all means that diners now come to a drinks list with a level of expectation. They’re anticipating a range of zero and low-alcohol options that doesn’t just go beyond “still or sparkling for the table?” but is as thoughtfully curated as the menu or the wine list. They’re hoping to be tempted by aperitivos like zero-alcohol vermouth and tonic or sparkling tea which is loved for its nuanced flavours, and because it can be served in a flute, so you still get a glass of bubbles to start the evening. And they want options they might come back to later in the evening; house mocktails, low-alcohol wines, alcohol-free beer.
Moderation is now a changed behaviour, not a fad.
In retail, no and low sales just keep on growing. In restaurants, if the choice just isn’t there, you might find yourselves serving an awful lot of H2O.
