Surging demand for premium non-alcoholic alternatives, both in Australia and overseas, is spawning further innovation and groups such as Australian Venue Co to hone in on the evolving market.
While the alcoholic drinks category saw a volume decline of 1.4 per cent in Australia over the past year, no- and low-alcohol volume increased by 2.9 per cent last year and the IWSR forecasts that the category volume in Australia will grow by over 16 per cent by 2024.*
Endeavour Group has reported an increase in sales in the category of more than 83 per cent in the past 12 months.
Australian Venue Co (AVC) has recognised the demand, and catering to this trend launches its Zero Proof drinks list from 1 July – in a nod to Dry July.
The alcohol-free and low alcohol selection will be available in 57 AVC venues nationwide, and incorporate beers, wines, spirits, and a menu of signature zero proof cocktails including booze-free versions of best-sellers.
There is the Espresso Martino, Nogroni and Amalfi Spritz, and fruity, spicy and smooth profiles such as the Berry Spritz, the Dark & Spicy and the Smooth Operator.
The roll-out is across select venues nationwide, but furthering AVC’s customisation mandate each venue will tailor its list to its local customer base.
No- and low-alcohol drinks provide customers with genuine alternatives, whether their motivation is being designated driver, health concerns, an early start, pregnancy or simply taking a break from booze, which don’t draw attention to the fact that someone isn’t drinking alcohol.
“At AVC, we understand what our customers want and are proud to be the first hospitality group to roll-out a zero proof drinks list at scale,” says AVC chief marketing officer Kylie Moncur.
“With our new Zero Proof cocktail list and low alcohol range, there’s no reason to feel left out on a night out.”
Venues bringing the new drinks menu include the Sarah Sands, O’Connell’s and Newmarket hotels in Victoria; The Rook, Manly Wine and Cargo Bar in NSW; Kings Beach Tavern, MiHi Tavern and Bonny View Hotel in Queensland, The Aviary and The Guildford in WA, Brighton Metro Hotel and Parkside in SA and Smith Street Social in NT.
AVC’s initiative follows recent news Brunswick Aces has opened to the public Victoria’s first non-alcoholic distillery, in Brunswick East.
Claiming the title of Australia’s original non-alcoholic distiller, Brunswick Aces was established in 2017 in the garages of its co-founders, engineer Stephen Lawrence and scientist Dr Cameron Hunt.
Relocating from its former shared premises in Healesville to the dedicated site will allow the team to increase production capacity. The facility houses a new 2,100L still and dedicated 210L R&D still, custom designed for Brunswick Aces’ unique production process of sapiir.
There is also a tasting space and distillery tours, and zero-proof cocktail making classes.
The company’s signature zero per cent alcohol botanical distillations are Spades Sapiir and Hearts Sapiir, which require a cutting-edge process to extracting unique botanical profiles without the use of alcohol at any point.
“Since we created our first sapiir in 2017, we’ve seen demand continue to trend upwards,” says Lawrence.
“As the cultural rise in alcohol moderation continues, we are seeing more and more people not only searching for high quality, non-alcoholic drinks, but also exploring how they are made and what’s in them. Our new distillery will allow customers to go behind the scenes and learn more.”
*2021 IWSR Drinks Market Analysis: No- and Low-Alcohol Strategic Study
