3 Nice New Non-Alcoholic Options For Wrapping Up Dry January
A canned wine alternative, a natural white vino, and an aperitivo bottle for Spritzes, Negronis, and… [+] further.
Free Spirits
Non-alcoholic bourbons. Orange wines without the proof. Alcohol-removed canned margaritas and bottled zero-alcohol Old Fashioneds. All have paved the way for a strong shift to non-alcoholic products.
Sales of non-alcoholic products rose 21% last year, according to NielsenIQ, with 82% of non-alcoholic shoppers also buying regular drinks. The IWSR drinks market analysis expects the market to grow by more than a third in the next year.
“The dynamic no/low alcohol category offers opportunities for incremental sales growth as consumers are recruited from beverage categories such as soft drinks and water. Brand owners have an opportunity to recruit non-alcohol drinkers,” said Susie Goldspink, head of no. – and Low Alcohol, IWSR Beverages Market Analysis. “As more people choose to avoid alcohol on certain occasions – or abstain entirely – no alcohol is increasing its share in the no/low category.” Following that sentiment, a report from Berenberg Research showed that Gen Z, a future major purchasing power in the alcohol space, drink 20% less alcohol per capita than Millennials.
But with dozens of new products on the market, what should you buy? Here are some of the most exciting new entrants.
Free Spirits Spirit of Milano
Fancy a spritz but busy with Dry January? Free Spirits makes nuanced, non-alcoholic iterations of an Italian aperitivo. With complex notes of cinnamon, blood orange and rhubarb, it has all the bitter-sweet flavor profiles of, say, a Campari, but without the proof. It’s great in any Italian energy drinks – negronis, spritzes; even a sbagliato. Beyond the aperitivo, the brand makes an eye-catching gin for mixed drinks or martinis.
Oddbird’s new release is a chilled-out, non-alcoholic natural wine from Northern Alsace.
Oddbird Oddbird Low Intervention Organic White No. 2
Most of the non-alcoholic wines are hyper-focused on making zero proof alternatives to classic white wines – aromatic Sauvignon Blancs, crisp Rieslings, or richer Chardonnays. One of Oddbird’s newer releases is not that – it’s a cool-kid, non-alcoholic natural wine from Northern Alsace. Made with Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc and Riesling, it is textured and tannic, with a fine minerality and a lively finish. Something I will come back to again and again.
All of Oddbird’s wines are made and aged as normal, then undergo an alcohol removal process (or “liberation”, as the brand states).
wine writer Matthew Jukes has developed his own range of wine-like beans, designed to be in for… [+] popular wine styles.
Johnny Stephens Photography Jukes Cordialities 1
While there are plenty of spirits dupes in the non-alcoholic space, the category has been slow to catch on with the ready-to-drink market (except, of course, for standard soft drinks). So wine writer Matthew Jukes has developed his own range of vinous beans, designed to suit popular wine styles.
A personal favorite is “Jukes 1”, an aromatic sparkling white wine served in a can. The wine presence comes from a base of apple cider vinegar, which gives the wine a bright, almost briny spiciness. Keep it chilled and crack it when company comes over.
