Low and no-alcohol drinks are experiencing a surge in popularity as more people become “sober curious” – but there is a warning they are not a silver bullet for those worried about over-consumption.
James Crow, Arjun Narayanan and Arjun Bhargava founded and launched Terps & Co last year for Dry July.
“Our initial insight around designing products for this space was that people drink for more than just flavour, they drink for a feeling,” Crow said. “Not the negative feeling of over-drinking but that uplifting, warming, grounding feeling of the first drink.”
Terps & Co’s drinks are made with terpenes, which the business sources from the US – an array of plant-based compounds found within herbs, flowers, and fruit, that give them their scent and flavour and can also give our minds and bodies a good feeling, he said.
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“Drinking terpenes is less about a ‘buzz’, which may give the idea of being drunk or high, and more about the ‘feels’ that come with having that very first drink.”
For most people that was something that settled the mind, helped them unwind or feel more motivated for the night ahead, he said.
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James Crow, Arjun Narayanan and Arjun Bhargava founded and launched Terps & Co last year for Dry July.
Crow said many adults were looking to take a “part-time” approach to drinking alcohol and wanted to do this by using alternatives.
A 2020 global study by Lancet found alcohol consumption in female New Zealanders aged 15 -39 had dropped 7.2% since 1990 and had dropped by 3.8% in males.
In 2021, 78.5% of adults over the age of 15 had consumed a drink at least once over the past year – an estimated 3.2 million New Zealanders, Ministry of Health data shows.
This was down 3.1% on the previous year and 2.1% on the year before that.
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In 2021, 78.5% of adults over the age of 15 had consumed a drink at least once.
Alcohol Health Watch director Dr Nicki Jackson said the availability of zero-alcohol products, particularly beer, had been rising rapidly, but there was no robust national data on the prevalence of its consumption.
Jackson said the availability of the booze-free alcohol alternatives could be problematic, because they could mean people with alcohol problems could risk a relapse or be “triggered”.
Brewing industry data software firm Unleashed conducted a study of 62 brewers in Australia and New Zealand in May, and found those offering a low- or non-alcohol beer or cider increased revenue by 14% last year, while businesses that did not, had revenue drop 4%.
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Dr Nicki Jackson says the consumption of even 0% drinks could be problematic for people with alcohol use disorders.
“Many New Zealanders are becoming increasingly aware of the health risks from alcohol, and attitudes towards alcohol have been changing among millennials and Gen Z,” Jackson said.
“The industry has responded by creating these products to maintain their consumer base and to maintain people taking part in ‘drinking’ occasions.
“We don’t yet know if these products have a potential gateway effect regarding young people’s alcohol use. They should be treated as adult-only products,” she said.
Donna Weston, co-founder of non-alcoholic drinks online retailer store Clear Head Drinks, said there had been a massive uptake in interest in 0% drinks in the last year.
“There is most definitely a lot more acceptance, much more interest and generally a lot more open discussion around it, rather than this being something to be embarrassed about,” she said. “Added to this is the amount of products now available.”
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Lisa King started AF Drinks as she wanted to cut back on drinking alcohol.
Blayes Heaven, brand and digital lead at AF Drinks, said there had been a huge rise in awareness around excessive alcohol consumption, which had caused people to re-evaluate their drinking habits.
“The impact of this on 0% beverages has been positive as people are now seeking out products like AF on their own accord.”
AF opened Aotearoa’s first alcohol-free liquor shop in Ponsonby, Auckland this month for Dry July.
The AF range used natural flavour technology, so the drinks could deliver on the complexity of flavours expected in a G&T, Apero Spritz or a Dark & Stormy, and was started after founder Lisa King wanted to cut back on drinking.
“We also wanted to deliver on the mouthfeel and sensation of alcohol, so we added a natural botanical extract that we call Afterglow, which mimics the warmth of alcohol.”