We all recognize the idea that a cargo ship carrying millions of pounds of goods definitely cannot turn on a dime. It takes time and planning to change direction just a few degrees, let alone turn around a whole ship. In the world of alcohol, it might seem that trends pop up almost out of nowhere and takes the world by storm. White Claw anyone?! Just like the rudder on a huge vessels, the hard work is being done far sooner than it would look from the outside.
Take for example kombucha. Can you remember a time when this magical elixir was only available in specialized stores, co-ops, farmers markets? Now, any major grocery store has a dedicated refrigerator just for kombucha. How many people had to taste, experiment, and eventually recognize just how good kombucha can be for you before the powers that be dedicated a whole refrigerator to the category? I would bet it was at least a half dozen years, if not more.
The trend I see slowly taking hold of – and eventually overtaking – our zeitgeist in the alcohol world, is beverages without! Non-alcoholic is coming, and in a big way.
Food and beverage professionals have the chance to impact its importance in so many ways. Where just three years ago only a few non-alcoholic brands existed in the wine, spirits and beer aisle, there is now an entire category available to the consumer. Brands like Heineken 0.0 are buying Super Bowl ads and major award-winning chefs like Cat Cora are enjoying and sharing with their audiences de-alcoholized wines like Hand on Heart daily – talk about hitting mainstream!
Uniquely enough, the reasons for choosing “better for you” experiences in beverage are as diverse as those drinking them – whether this be for abstinence, rationing, calorie intake, sleep-health, pregnancy or a dozen other reasons. The same person who drank three Moscow Mules last Saturday night may want a non-alcoholic version on Tuesday before an early exercise class. Having a strong selection of non-alcoholic options to offer guests at restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues is going to fulfill any number of those choices.
The way to get ahead of this somewhat unforeseen trend is to fully embrace it. Instead of having a bottle of Lyre’s Spirit Free Whiskey on the back bar, craft a cocktail, and place it in line with the other cocktails on the list. Add Hand on Heart Cabernet Sauvignon proudly to the list, right below or above Heitz Cellars from Napa Valley. Don’t put it in a “non-alcoholic section.” By being inclusive of all the options on your list, you are empowering your guests to make this decision quickly and easily. The same way that every well intentioned restaurant has at least one vegan option. It just takes each of us to present it in a way which makes the path of least resistance.
This trend is rising like a Leviathan from the deep. If the cargo ship carrying the same old goods of the past beverage world doesn’t start turning now, it might meet that monster head on and be devoured.
Learn more about the author, Will Costello MS.
