Recent reports show that diners are continuing to cut back on their alcohol consumption or choosing to abstain completely from the hard stuff.
As the festive season approaches, The Staff Canteen looks at how restaurants can capitalise on the growing trend for no-and-low alcohol options this Christmas and beyond.
Alcohol makes its presence felt at this time of year. Red wine is steeped with spices and brandy for mulled wine; shoppers add bottles of creamy liqueurs to shopping trolleys and the pop of Champagne corks reaches its crescendo on New Year’s Eve.
Although tradition dictates that the festive season will be boozy, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that a growing number of people will – for many reasons – be abstaining from alcohol this Christmas and New Year.
An estimated 4.1m fewer adults are drinking alcohol than they were in 2021, according to findings in KAM’s LOW & NO: Drinking Differently report, and even those do drink are cutting back.
The report found that 76% of drinkers are ‘actively moderating’ their consumption, while 49% said they were planning on reducing their alcohol intake this year. That’s aside from the 17% of people who claimed they were non-drinkers.
So what does this mean for hospitality this Christmas?
Festive mulled wine and an Alpenglow cocktail, using New London Light non-alcoholic gin
Non-alc for life, not just for Dry January
Given alcohol’s links with festivities you might think that the 76% of drinkers cutting back on the booze will be filling their boots when dining out during December, but that’s not the case, says KAM marketing director Katie Jenkins.
“More people moderate their alcohol intake during the festive period than during Dry January,” she claims, adding that this balanced approach to drinking is one that many are taking 12 months of the year.
Howard Davies, co-founder and director of Salcombe Distilling Co, which launched its first non-alcoholic gin - New Light – five years’ ago, agrees that the preference for non-alcoholic drinks isn’t ‘just a Dry January thing’.
“The desire for no and low-alcohol drinks is year-round and driven by changes in our culture, social acceptance of not drinking and focuses on health and well-being.”
Steven Edwards and his restaurant etch
Restaurants champion low and no
Many restaurants have of course noticed this trend and are responding to – and capitalising on - it.
“There’s definitely been a rise in guests who choose not to drink, Whether for health, lifestyle, or personal reasons,” agrees Steven Edwards, chef owner at etch in Hove, where he has introduced ‘a small but considered’ range of non-alcoholic drinks, including Sparkling Reisling Zero; beers from alcohol-free brewer Big Drop Brewing Co. and inventive non-alcoholic cocktails like The Benedict Cumberspice – a mix of Tanqueray 0% Gin with cucumber, lime juice and black pepper and cardamom bitters.
The restaurant also offers a soda pairing as an alternative to wine.
Joe Rawlins, chef-owner at La Popote in Cheshire, made a concerted effort to provide a choice wider than cola or fruit juice for his non-drinking customers last year after the cost-of-living crisis started to impact diner-habits.
Typical bookings of four had started to dip to two, Joe explains, and one of the diners in that party of two wasn’t drinking because they were the designated driver.
“They were saying, one of us will drive to cut the cost of a taxi home. That’s when we decided we needed to push on the non-alcoholic side of things and provide more alternatives,” he says.
Joe’s front-of-house team developed four non-alcoholic cocktails to add to the existing non-alcoholic range - two gin and tonics made with non-alcoholic spirits from Seedlip and Strykk, and Heineken 0 lager. The positive impact on the business has been noticeable, he notes.
A non-alcoholic cocktail from La Popote in Cheshire
Water great opportunity
To further boost his non-alcoholic options, and La Popote’s profile Joe introduced a water menu in August. Created by water sommelier, Doran Binder,the menu lists seven bottles of water – ranging from a £5 bottle of Crag Spring to Vidago from Portugal, priced at £19.
“The feedback’s been amazing. It has caught the interest of people around the world but also the non-drinkers,” he says. “People have said things like ‘I’ve been teetotal for years and always thought this would be a good idea in a restaurant. I just thought it’s a bit different.”
The water menu has provided a point-of-difference for La Popote and has gained the restaurant some much-deserved column inches in the press, but unless you’re going full out with a specialist menu and charging £12 for a bottle of carbonated water from Italy, you still need to provide a wide choice of non-alcoholic drinks.
Because, according to estimates by KAM, of the third of people not drinking when they visit a restaurant, a quarter of them will default to tap water.
“Not only is that a huge missed sales opportunity, but it’s not exactly the ‘wow’ experience that we want to offer a huge proportion of our guests,” says Katie. “Restaurants should be showcasing alcohol-free drinks as something to celebrate, not a compromise.”
“The festive season is about inclusion and celebration, and that should extend to everyone,
regardless of whether they drink alcohol or not,” agrees Steven, adding that guests are actively seeking ‘something more interesting than just a soft drink or tonic water’
“That’s part of why we created the soda pairing, to give a genuinely exciting alternative that feels elevated and intentional, rather than an afterthought.”
Without appealing options for the non-drinkers, restaurants could even lose business to competitors who do, warns John Logue, founder of low-alcohol cider Chance Clean Cider.
“The non-drinker is often the decision-maker and they’ll be looking for a strong non-alc selection, so if you get it wrong, you’re potentially losing a whole group. It’s especially poignant during these seasonal moments like Christmas when we've got more catch-ups and dos.”
Clearer Twist trio
Broader benefits
Aside from making your restaurant more welcoming to the non-drinkers at Christmas, listing a decent range of low and no-alcohol options has other benefits.
Not only will customers pay a higher price for grown-up non-alcohol options inspired by the alcoholic equivalent than they will for soft drinks, those that don’t drink alcohol also tend to treat themselves elsewhere from the menu, says John.
“They might have a slightly more expensive main, or have a dessert, because they haven’t spent so much on a cocktail and glass of wine, meaning they’ll spend more with you,” he explains.
Plus, as Gabriella Lamb, co-founder of 6Percent, a range of low alcohol wines, says, if you’re hosting Christmas parties, you may want to limit the amount of alcohol on offer to prevent revellers over-doing it.
“Let’s be honest, no one wants Dave from marketing ruining the Christmas party,” she says, adding that low alcohol drinks are a happy medium at Christmas.
“It’s a win-win. Guests can enjoy an extra glass or two without overdoing it, while restaurants and bars benefit from increased sales and happier customers.”
How to wrap up low and no this Christmas
Catering to non-drinkers or those cutting back on booze doesn’t have to be complicated, but with drinks producers continuing to innovate and ranges expanding, choosing what to put on the menu can be overwhelming.
You don’t have to boost stock too much, though, says Ross Lazaroo-Hood, co-founder of Clearer Twist, a premium mixer brand with three variants – tonic water, ginger ale and French Pink.
“Many people who choose not to drink still want something simple yet premium in feel,” he says, suggesting Clearer Twist’s ginger ale served over ice with a garnish as a simple, yet effective non-alcoholic drink. “It’s a perfect fit for the festive season,” he adds.
Visibility is key, say producers and operators.
“The most important thing is to have inspiring cocktails positioned alongside the alcoholic cocktails, not relegated to some kind of ‘mocktail’ section at the back of the menu,” adds Howard at Salcombe Distilling Co.
“Don’t tuck them away at the back of the menu or label them as an afterthought,” agrees Katie. “Give them proper space, name AF cocktails with flair, and make sure front-of-house teams are confident recommending them,” adding that games bar Roxy Ballroom doubled its sales of no-and-low drinks after making them more visible.
Chance Clean Cider and 6Percent Wines
Sip-inspiration: Low and no-alcohol tipples for the festive season
New London Light ‘Midnight Sun’
This variant from Salcombe Distilling Co’s New London Light range of non-alcoholic gins, has a pine and citrus flavour profile with sweetness from honey, making it a great component for a festive G’n’T or cocktail. To make an Alpenglow (inspired by being on the slopes in the French Alps) cocktail: Add 50ml New London Light ‘Midnight Sun’ with 15ml lime juice; 15ml honey water; 25ml cranberry juice, three fresh raspberries and 20ml aquafaba to a cocktail shaker and dry shake for 15 seconds. Add ice to the shaker and shake again for 15 seconds. Double strain into a chilled tumbler over ice and garnish with freeze-dried raspberries. https://newlondonlight.com/
Sitting in the low, not no-alcohol category, these two mid-strength wines – a Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot & Cabernet Sauv blend – are great options for Christmas parties, or for the customers moderating their drinking. Both wines – available in 750ml bottles - are produced in Bordeaux to full strength and then vacuum distilled to reduce the ABV to 6%.
Chance Clean Cider
Only fermented British apples are used to make this 0.5% bottled cider, which is made for Chance by Worcestershire cidermaker Aston Manor from a higher ABV cider (a process is used to dealcoholize it rather than make it to a low strength), giving it a fresh, clean taste. Available in 330ml bottles that can be served straight from the fridge, or used as the base for mulled cider.
To make a Hot Bobby, simmer a bottle of Chance cider with 100ml apple juice; a cinnamon stick, 1 clove and 20g of dark brown sugar to let the flavours infuse then serve warm with a lemon or orange wedge as a garnish.
(Written by Emma Eversham)
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