Give alcohol a break this Christmas … try NOLO.
Coming into the festive and summer season now in Australia, many might be thinking about how they can decrease their alcohol intake. With a trend towards lower alcohol consumption particularly amongst Gen Z, there are now some great no and low-alcohol (NOLO) drinks on the market which will let you enjoy a drink while out socialising, without the negative effects.
It’s always been the case that parents of young adults worry about the effects of excessive drinking in that age group. Now the tables appear to be turning and it’s the younger generation adopting a more conservative attitude towards alcohol consumption.
If you’re a fan of the 90s TV show Absolutely Fabulous, a straight-laced 20-something Saffy judges her champagne-swigging mother Edina and her partner in crime, Patsy, with hilarious results. A few decades on, it seems the show was before its time. Studies show that Gen Z’s relationship with alcohol is very different from that of their Gen X parents or Boomer grandparents.
Gen Z cite health concerns and the links alcohol consumption has to cognitive decline, as major reasons to adopt a low or zero-alcohol lifestyle. There’s also the perception that being obviously drunk shows a lack of self-control or professionalism, especially if socialising with work colleagues. For all these reasons, there’s been a perceptible shift away from alcohol in some demographics.
In line with this, there has been a proliferation of NOLO drinks tapping into this trend. Data from Endeavour, the company that runs alcohol giants Dan Murphy’s and BWS, showed a 100% increase in sales of low or no-alcohol beer, wine, and spirits. In the first half of 2023, sales were up by 54% on 2022 figures. Bars featuring only non-alcoholic beverages have popped up in Melbourne and Sydney.
Now, don’t get us wrong, we enjoy an appropriate amount of good Tassie sparkling wine or a nice nip of locally-made whisky (ahem, a Gen Xer writing here…), but for those with good reasons for taking a step away from alcohol on a permanent or temporary basis (Dry July and Sober October being examples), or to simply pace themselves at an event, there are plenty of great alternatives beyond the basic mineral water, soda water or soft drinks of days gone by.
At all Hill Streets across Tasmania we stock a great selection of zero and low-alcohol wines, beers and spirits.
In beers, Heaps Normal and Big Drop provide a refreshing zero alcohol alternative. Our alcohol-free wines include the McGuigan Zero range, Ashbolt alcohol-free Sparkling, and Maggie Beer Sparkling Cabernet. For spirit-style drinks try Seedlip, a distilled non-alcoholic spirit, Naked Spirit cocktails, and the Monday Distillery range including non-alcoholic Paloma, Dram, Stormy and Apertiz Spritz.
