The beverages exploding in popularity in Australia

The current virus situation may be tempting you to drink more than usual – but this “legit” wine that won’t leave you dusty is in huge demand.

More and more Aussies are saying no to hangovers.

The popularity of non-alcoholic drinks has exploded in Australia and retailers are now scrambling to keep up with the demand.

According to data from Endeavour Group, the parent company of BWS and Dan Murphy’s, sales of non-alcoholic drinks have increased more than 83 per cent in the past year.

“The majority of customers are choosing non-alcoholic drinks because they want to moderate, which is a reflection of a broader trend of Australians drinking less but better,” Bree Coleman, Endeavour Group’s Head of Merchandise Transformation said.

It’s a trend that Irene Falcone is well aware of. Last year she launched sansdrinks.com.au, a non-alcohol wine, beer and spirits online superstore.

“Non-alcoholic drinks were so daggy when I discovered them,” Ms Falcone told news.com.au. “They just weren’t sexy, they didn’t taste good, and even the ones that did taste good, they couldn’t really be discovered because they were hidden. I thought, imagine if I could just pull out the really great ones and give them a voice, and that’s why I started sansdrinks.”

Irene Falcone from sansdrinks.

The online store “went bananas” and motivated Ms Falcone to open a bottle shop selling only non-alcoholic drinks in Sydney’s northern beaches.

The store stocks up to 400 products, including booze-free beer, wine and spirits.

“The response has been overwhelming. At least four days a week I have a line-up outside!” Ms Falcone said.

“90 per cent of my customers are people who drink but are trying to drink less or less often and they’re using my drinks as a direct substitute,” the business owner said.

“For example, if people are going to a dinner party, a lot of customers tend to drink a bottle of alcoholic wine at dinner and then open up a couple of bottles of non-alcoholic wine after to lower the overall alcohol intake for the evening.”

Ms Falcone told news.com.au the most popular category at the moment is non-alcoholic beer.

“Soccer dads, they’re really interested in the new wave of Australian craft beers,” she said.

“The next most popular would be wine. Right now everybody wants red wine. There’s a brand I sell called NEWBLOOD and they do a Shiraz and it is legit! It tastes exactly like red wine.”

Inside sansdrinks.

Bree Coleman from Endeavour group said the quality of non-alcoholic drinks has increased substantially in recent times.

“Non-alcoholic beer has been around for quite some time, and brewers have really managed to perfect a product that tastes like the alcoholic version,” she said. “Now, we are also seeing a great range of delicious non-alcoholic craft beers explode on the scene.

“Many winemakers have spent the last few years refining methods to make non-alcoholic wines, and many craft the wines as they normally would, and then remove the alcohol, which means the wines have all the flavours, but none of the alcohol,” Ms Coleman added.

This non-alcoholic Shiraz is 'legit' says Bree Coleman from Endeavour group. Picture: Instagram/drybutwet

At the sansdrinks bottle shop in Sydney, Ms Falcone offers tastings and said customers are always surprised at how good the drinks taste.

“They all say the same thing: ‘I once went into a supermarket or a liquor store and I bought some non-alcoholic wine and it tasted disgusting.’ And I say to them, ‘all that stuff you bought, that is here, it’s on the bottom shelf, it’s not stuff I recommend. But here is the real deal,’ and then I give them a few tasters to try and they always say, ‘wow!’”

Ms Falcone now has plans to open up 20 more sansdrinks bottle shops around Australia in the next three years.

Sansdrinks is not the only store that caters to Aussies who want to drink less. Brunswick Aces is an online store based out of Melbourne selling non-alcoholic drinks. It also has an actual bar (Brunswick Aces Bar) where customers can try over 100 non-alcoholic beers, wines, cocktails and mixed drinks.

Supplied Editorial Brunswick Aces Bar, a non-alcoholic cocktail lounge in Melbourne.

And both BWS and Dan Murphy’s are also expanding their range of non-alcoholic beverages to meet the increase in demand.

A new and improved range of 200 products at Dan Murphy’s will be available nationally via online orders, and will be available in 20 physical stores to begin with from mid-July, just in time for Dry July.