Banish the hangover with these popular non-alcoholic drinks
Australians are increasingly adapting the “sober-curious” lifestyle so here are the best non-alcoholic drinks to try this festive season.
NSW
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Mood-lifting non-alcoholic drinks that aim to replace the buzz of booze are gaining popularity as scores of young Australians adopt the sober-curious lifestyle.
From gin and tequila to sophisticated craft wines — non-alcoholic drinks are no longer limited to syrupy mocktails.
Social media producer Eleanor Katelaris, 26, quit drinking two years ago and now regularly makes up non-alcoholic concoctions at home with her “sober bar cart”.
“I have been a casual drinker since I was about 16 (but) I started to question my relationship with alcohol when I was 24. I started to realise that all the hangovers on Sundays was never really worth it,” she said.
“On New Year’s Eve in 2019, I vowed to quit drinking … It’s wild, since I started not drinking to now, I’ve seen such a growth in the non-alcohol drinks space.”
Ms Katelaris said the new options on the market looked sophisticated and helped break the stigma non-drinkers face in social settings.
There are also options available that have relaxing natural ingredients like ashwagandha, lavender, and lemon balm to give a gentle buzz similar to alcohol.
“There is a whole range of drinks, some taste a lot like the real thing. Lyre’s Spirits is a great brand with gin and tequila. My partner drinks alcohol and he has it and says it exactly like the real thing,” she said.
Supermodel Bella Hadid’s brand Kin Euphorics is a popular US mood-lifting drinks range which has natural ingredients and a small amount of caffeine.
Closer to home, Wild Life Botanicals infuses their “bubbles with benefits” sparkling wine with a range of plants including mood-boosting damask rose, natural stimulant damiana and lemon balm to calm the nerves.
Ms Katelaris said the mood-altering options were relaxing but not intoxicating.
“They are meant to uplift your mood and mind but you‘re totally safe to drive with them. I found they gave me the effect of kind of calming my nerve,” she said.
Irene Falcone, owner of Australia’s first and only non-alcoholic bottle shop Sans Drinks, said the demand for non-alcoholic drinks was growing exponentially.
“I‘m franchising next year because I’m so overwhelmed. There is a line up outside the shop at Christmas,” she said.
“In the beginning it might have been 20 orders a day … now I have taken out a fourth warehouse.”
Ms Falcone said her bestsellers were sparkling wines and non-alcoholic beers like Heaps Normal.
“The Heaps Normal beer is hugely popular, I can’t keep it in stock. Gins are a little bit harder to mix to perfection but the pre-mixed range of gins is great for newbies,” she said.
“Red wine is a little harder to match to the real taste so sparkling always tends to sell better.”
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