Busting Non-alcoholic Myths
Dearest brothers and sipsters – hi there. This the second of our little dispatches from the frontline of non-alcoholic drinking.
And given the relatively recent flourishing of this wonderful non-booze space, we thought it apt to kick off with a little myth-buster entry. Here, then, is the categorical laying straight of three popular misconceptions around “low and no” drinks.
- Non-alcoholic drinks (especially beer) taste unpleasant
Can give short shrift to this one. If it were true, we simply wouldn’t be here.
In the bad old days, when Becks Blue (much as we still love it) was pretty much the only sans-booze “tipple” of choice, the non-alcoholic palette might have been a little narrow for some. Now, the art, science, endeavour and passion in the non-alcoholic world is such that the market caters to tastes of all shape and size.
Process and technique have been refined greatly too, meaning that the alcohol extraction (when applied) doesn’t leave any non-alcoholic signature.
- Alcohol-free drinks are sweet and sickly
We have joyous memories of guzzling litres of Shloer at our (relatively T-total) grandparents home in the ‘80s and ‘90s – sweet, fizzy nectar. Boy did we feel sophisticated. We recall the adults not being so enamoured. And now we can see why.
Again, until relatively recently, non-alcoholic drinks were remarkably sweet concoctions, often just sweetened grape juice.
Processes have leapt on since then. Most alcohol-free wines now are made from traditional wine with the alcohol then removed by gentle distillation; the end result, immeasurably preferable (even if our 9-year old self might disagree).
- Non-alcoholic drinks are over-priced
Undeniably, a lot of booze-free drinks have price points not dissimilar to their alcoholic equivalents. Given the tax applied to the latter, some suggest the non-alcoholic options should be cheaper.
In reality, of course, is that the alcohol in your typical alcoholic drink isn’t just another element chucked in for fun. It’s a feature born into the mix from the very start so removing it, without impairing the taste, is a delicate, time-consuming, costly, and technical task.
Even for those non-alc drinks that don’t go through this process, the research, trial, tweaking and occasional twerking required more than justify the sometimes premium-seeming price tags.
We whole-heartedly believe these drinks offer excellent value. If you disagree, consider what you’ll save on paracetamol and re-hydration salts.
So, there you have it – the truth at last. There’s a lot more that’s misunderstood about low- and no-booze drinks so we’ll turn our attention to those other wisdom gaps in due course.
For now, here’s to better-informed booze-free buying.
Cheers!
