Kara Monssen: Sobering reason why Herald Sun wine writer quits alcohol

Goodbye chardonnay with dinner and weekend negronis, this drinks writer is quitting the booze for a sobering reason.

Why Herald Sun food critic Kara Monssen is giving up alcohol. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

I’m quitting booze.

No really, this food and drinks writer is going without her Beechworth chardonnay, negronis and the rest of it for one month starting today.

It’s a strange concept for someone who earns a crust from sinking drinks but I have my reasons.

The first is to give my body a break from my dream job that’s essentially one big party every week of the year.

A couple of glasses of wine over dinner doesn’t seem much, but when you’re out on the reviewing circuit three times a week it adds up.

Then come the weekly wine column tastings, glasses of champagne at events and those Saturday night spicy margs because “it’s the weekend” and you want to unwind from a big week of eating and drinking.

But I also wanted to prove we can still get decent alcohol-free options in Melbourne that are a) delicious and b) don’t suck.

Dan Sims, behind REVEL events that launched Mould Cheese Festival and Pinot Palooza, is behind Australia’s first non-alch drinks festival in Melbourne. Picture: Nicole Cleary.

It’s also 2023, and research shows the kids aren’t drinking as much as we, or my parent’s generation, once did.

A rise in non-alch drink sales supports this argument.

The Endeavour Group’s Tim Carroll, a Dan Murphy’s and BWS merchandise buyer, said sales of zero-alcohol products have exploded by more than 150 per cent in the past two years.

More than 400 different low or no booze products grace Dan’s and BWS shelves nationwide.

Beer without booze is the drink of choice, with non-alcoholic wine, spirits and pre-mix on the rise.

Victorians also buy more zero proof spirits than any other state.

Our restaurants are also backing the movement, dedicating sections to the sober-curious.

Grossi Grill, which I recently reviewed, impressively has nine zero per cent wine options as well as nine virgin cocktails.

See you next month, old friend.

Brae has a “drivers option” pairing to accompany its elaborate degustation, while Vue de monde does a non-alch match.

It’s hard not to get patriotic about some of the Melbourne-made producers playing in this space. Yarra Valley gin behemoth Four Pillars last year created a zero-proof Bandwagon gin-inspired drink that’s characteristically similar to the real deal.

Brunswick-born Monceau has been pouring interesting non-alch kombucha and pet nats for three years.

This month Melbourne will play host to the country’s first no and low-alch drinks festival, Picolo.

To my fellow Feb-fasters, let’s raise a glass to short-term sobriety and tasty tipples.