Why You Should Have A Non- Alcoholic Bev Menu If You Don't Already
Wirecutter Article | Photo: Michael Murtaugh
We’re way past the point of having nonalcoholic options available for Dry January. More and more guests are looking for options, in craft cocktail and full-service outlets that accommodate their interest in “taking a break from alcohol” or simply preferring to have a good time fueled by other mood-enhancers that don’t impair their judgement, fitness levels, mindfulness or ability to drive.
The recent Vogue article: “Has Everyone Stopped Drinking?” May sound like hyperbole-ridden click bait but it postulates (and answers) an important question re: What the zero proof movement is all about and why we should pay attention.
The article (click here for full article: https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/sober-curious-movement) is a great read for anyone interested in accommodating the fastest growing trend in food & beverage (no it's not açaí bowls, cauliflower substitutes or Impossible anything).
It's the 500+ percent increase in booze-free cocktails that’s expected to double by 2025.
I've been advocating clients, for several years now, to ditch the 3–4 item long list of "mocktails", "NA Bevs" or "virgin cocktails" that often grace beverage menus and instead, focus on developing a more intentional list or menu featuring thoughtful combinations of extracts, infusions, elixirs, fruit juices, water, herbs, digestifs, roots and other botanicals to offer a supremely crafted distinctive nonalcoholic / zero proof cocktail (or traditional cocktails made with a well-thought-out twist) that warrants a premium price-point.
The current generation of young diners and those in queue (i'm not googling the name I believe it's Gen Alpha or something like that) are just as content spending $7-$13 on a zero proof beverage while connecting with friends in a comfortable atmosphere as previous generations were spending the same amount on a perfect martini or smokey old fashioned.
I'm not saying the whole world is going alcohol–free, but I am saying that a significant segment of the market is increasingly interested in consuming beverages that don't make them drunk or adversely impact their health.
Take a look at any #Starbucks and tell me how many young teens and 20 somethings are queuing up to order what have traditionally been viewed as low margin “mocktails". Forget about the tables full of people with their own refillable cups - take note of the drive-thru lines that snake around the building for a cardboard drink carrier full of pink drinks, dragonfruit refreshers and caramel macchiatos.
It's more than a trend and it's time to get creative. Kudos to those of you who are. I'm kinda diggin' the more enjoyable alternative to Soda, Water, Tea or Shirley Temples when I want to stay and enjoy the scene after my second martini.
"Nielsen claims that the low- and no-alcohol beverage sector has grown by 506 per cent since 2015...so I open Alinea’s Zero: A New Approach To Non-Alcoholic Drinks...peruse Julia Bainbridge’s Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes For When You’re Not Drinking For Whatever Reason...The GT&C, from Elva Ramirez’s Zero Proof: 90 Non-Alcoholic Recipes For Mindful Drinking... Drink Lightly."
I have seen and, in the past, have contributed to a culture of pressure for others to drink - even after being made aware of their decision not to (only after knowing they weren't: driving, allergic, in recovery or an alcoholic) and it was mostly out of a misguided attempt to get them to relax and enjoy themselves.
Knowing what I know now, namely: how to relax, enjoy and be at peace through mindfulness combined with the fact that weed is legal nearly everywhere, the negative impacts of alcohol on health & weight and the incredible satisfaction and satiety of a well - crafted zero proof cocktail by mixologists who take more of a culinary approach to mixing and flavoring beverages...and you hopefully have a few more reasons than excuses as to why that sort of culture may have thrived...at least from my end & perspective.
As the parent of a teenager, I'm especially grateful to see the proliferation of:
1. A significant increase in the availability of information from peer-reviewed sources on the impacts of alcohol on the brain and body.
2. The marketing & wide availability of delicious zero-proof drinks at scale from folks like Starbucks.
3. The normalization of discussing, accepting and treating mental & emotional health / diversity.
4. The increased quality and taste of non-alcoholic beverage options that now allow people to continue consuming great tasting beverages without getting wasted or alternate a non-alchoholic beverage every other ot every third drink and in essence “micro-dose” themselves or in other words, create a more personalized buzz that suits them individually. (imagine, this may be the beginning of guests someday choosing the percent of alcohol they’d like added to their drink.
As a hospitality consultant, I’m excited when owner/operators ask for my help in designing a nonalcoholic cocktail menu.
This is not a trend…and the demand is only going to increase.
Curious to learn more about how to take your Zero Proof Bev Program to the next level? Check out “ZERO” by the folks who brought you “Aviary”: Zero: https://www.theaviarybooks.com/shop/p/zero-a-new-approach-to-non-alcoholic-drinks-reserve-edition?mibextid=Zxz2cZ
Additional Reading / Listening:
Has Everyone Stopped Drinking?
https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/sober-curious-movement
Craft soft drinks have growing appeal at restaurants
https://www.nrn.com/beverage-trends/craft-soft-drinks-have-growing-appeal-restaurants
States of Discovery Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2sUfMeLXiJzcOQTfu1mRg8?si=xndNTLpFTnGhIJxUAillza
Website, Blog & Interviews featuring restaurant & bars with the most inclusive beverage programs
www.ZeroProofGo.com
The Best Nonalcoholic Drinks by Mace Dent Johnson of Wirecutter (photo featured by: Michael Murtaugh)
.https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-non-alcoholic-drinks/
Josh Sapienza | Managing Partner
UbiquityAdvisors.com & Paire.io: The Dating App For Your Taste Buds
#zeroproof #alchoholfree #noalchoholic #mocktails #virgincocktails #mixology #sobercurious #adaptogens #digestif #lespritz #gnista #seedlipspice #thezeroproof #noandlow #kineuphoracs #dryjanuary #virgindrinks