The holidays are officially behind us, and for many that means a fresh start to the new year and a whole lot of resolutions.
One in particular is cutting back on alcohol consumption and opting for a sober month, otherwise known as Dry January.
It’s a long standing tradition where individuals hold off on alcohol between New Year’s Day and Feb. 1.
For some, this can be a hard step which is why so many people opt for non-alcoholic drinks that give them a somewhat similar taste while keeping their liver and heart happy.
BevAlc Insights, a resource for data and insights about the beverage alcohol industry, found that non-alcoholic options experienced a 62 per cent increase in 2023 over 2022, making it among the fastest-growing subcategories across the marketplace.
“Five years ago, the vast majority of these products didn’t exist,” CEO of Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association Marcos Salazar said in a statement. “A lot of entrepreneurs saw the gap and in 2018 [and] 2019 more non-alcoholic options started to come out that were just as good, and in some cases better, than their alcoholic counterparts.”
Recent studies show that Canadians can also benefit from mindful consumption.
According to Statistics Canada, almost one in four Canadians who drank before the pandemic admitted that their alcohol consumption only grew since COVID-19 began.
“Some may have had more free time to consume alcohol and non-medical cannabis, while others may have increased their consumption in an effort to relieve boredom or fight loneliness,” its website read.
FROM WHY AREN’T YOU DRINKING TO WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING?
Sisters Andrea Grand and Katie Fielding created Barbet, a sparkling beverage that put alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages on a level playing field.
Barbet came to be after Fielding experienced an intense seizure in 2020 and cut out drinking alcohol to focus on her health. Not long after, she and Grand created a sparkling water that would put the “Why aren’t you drinking?” people to bed.
Grand told Now Toronto that the non-alcoholic beverage industry is booming and is “just getting started.”
“People are looking for options when it comes to the beverage they’re reaching for in moments of celebration or moments normally thought of for alcohol. We’re seeing restaurants roll out entire non-alcoholic beverage menus – like Cactus Club who we just launched with across Canada – offices ensuring they order Barbets with their beers and music festivals building out entire non-alcoholic beverage bars,” she said in an email statement.
“Barbet is finding equal footing amongst the spaces you traditionally find alcohol. We’re all about putting alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks on a level playing field.”
Another non-alcoholic brand putting modest drinking on the map is Atypique.
The brand was founded in 2020 by past CFL player Étienne Boulay, who decided to stop drinking alcohol and was tired of reaching for water when hanging out with friends.
He saw a gap in terms of what was available on the market for non-alcoholic beverages, and wanted to fill it with a delicious alternative that anybody can enjoy, whether or not they’re sober.
Today, Atypique offers seven delicious versions of some fan-favourite cocktails in a non-alcoholic version.
Atypique’s flavours include Gin & Tonic, Amaretto Sour, Spritz, Rum & Cola, Mojito, Margarita and Red Sangria.
