Rising demand for low and no alcohol  beverages this holiday season

A lot of people could be toasting the holiday season with a mocktail or non-alcoholic beer or wine.

Demand for low or alcohol-free beverages has surged in Canada in the past few years. The BC Liquor Distribution Branch now offers up to 25 non-alcoholic wine, beer, refresh beverages and spirits. It has widened its selection in response to increased customer demand over the last year and a half.

While BCL doesn’t track total non-alcoholic beverage sales, statistics released by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario earlier this month showed the sale of products with no alcohol rose 73 per cent year-over-year in that province.

It’s not just individual consumers. Businesses are also seeking more options.

“We have a lot of restaurants, a lot of local bars and restaurants, cafes look. Even cafes, it isn’t that surprising nowadays where they have coffee but they also have non-alc. gin and tonics or they’re offering a non alc. beer,” explains Gerry Jobe, co-owner of Simps Modern Beverage in Kelowna.

He says they are seeing it become more commonplace, with every demographic, from millennials to seniors reducing their alcohol intake.

“Especially this time of season, drinking and driving becomes a major red flag for a lot of people.

“People are more concerned about their health, making healthier choices, trying to live a healthier lifestyle and then also the social responsibility aspect of it is a huge driver for our store.”

While many of their wines come from California or Europe, he’s hoping to stock more Okanagan-made products.

Summerland-based Ones+ started selling one-per-cent alcoholic wine with no added sugar in the fall of 2022 using B.C. grapes. It is now one of the major producers in this province.

Arrowleaf Cellars in Lake Country recently started making a 5% alcohol Piquette that "sips like a hybrid of wine and seltzer".

“I’d like to see more, for sure,” said Jobe.

“I think that the issue becomes when you have a larger winery attaching their name to a non-alcoholic brand, they want to get it right. So, I hope that they’re working on it. I certainly would encourage that because they’re definitely an audience out here for it.”