Alcohol-free zone

An increasing number of patrons are choosing to go alcohol-free, but they’re looking for more than sparkling water or a soft drink.

By Brittney Levinson.

Whether it’s a choice driven by health, designated driver status or simply preference, more Australians are ditching their usual glass of wine or beer. According to DrinkWise’s Australian Drinking Habits study, which was conducted over a 10-year period, Australians are drinking more moderately than ever before and the rate of excessive drinking is declining. In 2017, 20 per cent of Australians had abstained from alcohol compared to 11 per cent in 2007.

Seedlip’s Ben Branson

With more people opting to go sansalcohol, there’s never been a more crucial time for venues to cater to the market. But a Coke simply won’t cut it anymore — consumers want thoughtful non-alcoholic options so they don’t feel like they’re missing out.

Thor Bergquist and his wife Livia Lima are the creative duo behind PS40 sodas. After working in hospitality for 15 years, Bergquist noticed a gap in the market and a chance to get creative with his own range of sodas. “My passion always stemmed from the creative process, so we decided to start our own range of soft drinks, making them the same way we would cocktails, from scratch, by hand and using the best produce,” says Bergquist. “We moved to Sydney to do this as it has a wide range of microclimates, seasons and native ingredients.”

Sodas at PS40

Together with their business partner Michael Chiem, they’ve created a following for their house-made sodas, which are served on their own or in a range of cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks at the PS40 bar in Sydney. Bergquist says demand is increasing for nonalcoholic options, which presents a whole new line of revenue for hospitality venues. “Most groups will have one person who doesn’t drink, is driving or isn’t drinking that night,” he says. “The last thing you want is for the entire group to leave because one person isn’t catered for or doesn’t feel included.

“Alongside sodas, we also have an entire non-alcoholic section of the menu at PS40. It isn’t just our normal cocktails without alcohol — our non-alcoholic drinks are entirely their own identities and have as much thought and passion put into them as anything else in our menu.”

Catering to the demand for non-alcoholic drinks, UK-based spirit company Seedlip has created two non-alcoholic spirits that are now making their way on to menus across the world. Founder Ben Branson began distilling herbs from his garden as a hobby, but it wasn’t until he was in a restaurant — and the only non-alcoholic option was a sugary mocktail — that he realised he could fill a gap in the market. “If you’re not drinking, the options are usually fruity, sweet and lack the theatre, ritual and sophistication so well known within the alcohol world,” he says. “With Seedlip, we’re aiming to show consumers what is possible with a drink beyond its alcohol content.”

Using a similar distilling process to regular spirits, Seedlip starts with a range of raw ingredients sourced from all over the world. Peas and hay are from Branson’s own farm for Seedlip Garden 108, while berries from Jamaica are used in Seedlip Spice 94.

Pea Sour

“It takes six weeks to make a bottle of Seedlip, and we have developed a bespoke process for each individual plant we work with to capture its true character, from individual macerations to individual copper pot distillation, filtration and blending without adding any sugar or sweetener,” says Branson.

A number of bars across Australia have added Seedlip to their drinks list, including PS40, who will be hosting a special Seedlip pop-up bar this month. “N o l o by Seedlip is our inclusive new bar concept which will see an emphasis on a drink’s flavour and ingredients rather than the alcohol content,” says Branson.

Bergquist says PS40 will be serving a range of “delicious, forward-thinking drinks” for the pop-up. “James Snelgrove (brand ambassador for Seedlip) and I have made our own soda to go along with the Seedlip Spice,” he says. “We’ve created a clarified milk punch with peas and Nordic spices and a reverse Martinez.”

Solander Bar’s non-alcoholic Negroni

Solander Dining and Bar in Sydney is another venue taking non-alcoholic drinks to a new level. Gin and tonic, Negroni, Bellini and Aperol spritz all feature on their zero-alcohol cocktail list and are designed to mimic the taste and look of the traditional alcoholic versions. “For the Negroni, we use the aromatic Seedlip, so it’s close to the aromas of Campari, and then we add some bitters that gives the ruby red colour and a bit of soda water to blend everything together,” says bar supervisor Matteo Rosini.

Rosini says customers are always surprised at how similar the drinks are to their alcoholic counterparts. “It’s something different and out of the ordinary for them,” he says. “We’re trying to give them something different other than the classic soda water.”

But non-alcoholic drinks don’t always have to imitate alcoholic cocktails. Biota Dining, located in the New South Wales Southern Highlands, offers a juice-matching program for its non-alcoholic option, with a drink paired to every course. “People can have a regular soft drink anywhere,” says sommelier Ben Shephard. “When they come to our restaurant, they are expecting something unique.” Much like the menu at Biota Dining, the juices change seasonally. “We don’t necessarily wait until the first day of spring and then change ingredients,” says Shephard. “Mother Nature doesn’t know when the first day of spring is, so we introduce new ingredients as exciting produce becomes available.” The current juice list features ingredients including smoked plums, celery, apple scraps, elderflower and lemon myrtle.

Solander Bar

Shephard says feedback from customers has been very positive towards the offering. “A common scenario is for a couple to share a matching wine and a matching juice, not for any particular reason, just so they can taste everything on offer,” he says. “It’s also great for expectant mothers and even young kids to experience a matching experience.”

If you’re not drinking, the options are usually fruity, sweet and lack the theatre, ritual and sophistication so well known within the alcohol world,” - Ben Branson

Without the alcohol, customers might expect the prices to be considerably lower. However, given the thought and process behind this new wave of non-alcoholic beverages, venues are able to charge a relatively similar price to the alcoholic counterpart.

“Our non-alcoholic drinks package is about 10 per cent less expensive than the wines,” says Shephard. “There is a lot of labour and love in each of the juices, and we need to be making them regularly to maintain freshness and quality.”

Today’s choice-driven customer wants options when it comes to non-alcoholic beverages. “If a restaurant has one vegetarian dish, would you want to keep going back there on a weekly basis for that same dish?” says Bergquist. “We should be able to offer different selections of non-alcoholic drinks as every person has different tastes and will visit hopefully more than once.”

So give some thought to your non-alcoholic range — a variety of seasonal juices or sodas will go a long way to ensuring each and every customer feels like they have plenty of options, regardless if they’re drinking alcohol or not.