A Brief History Of Alcohol-Free Spirits
As recently as ten years it would’ve been unthinkable to go out to a bar and not drink. But yet, here we are, with a huge array of non-alcoholic drinks available in supermarkets, bars and pubs. And there is now an evergrowing sector of non-alcoholic drinks. But what changed? When did we go from Seedlip to 500 different drinks? And what is the history of alcohol-free booze?
The Middle Ages
Low or no-alcohol drinks are not a completely new concept. Some low or no-alcohol drinks already existed as far back as the middle ages. Little beer is the first of these that we know about. This was a beer that had a high enough alcohol content to kill bacteria in water. Both children and adults would drink little beer because it was deemed safer to drink than water.
The Stuarts UK
During the 1600s or the Stuart ages, physicians would distil herbal remedies using homegrown herbs, vegetables and fruits. The aims of these were to cure common maladies. One farmer, called John French, published these recipes in a book titled The Art of Distillation. Little did he know that this would one day become the inspiration for a whole market of drinks.
Prohibition in The US
The first time that low or no-alcohol beer was brewed on a large scale was during prohibition in the US. Between 1920 and 1933 alcohol was illegal due to the National Prohibition Laws. But whilst there were many low or no-alcohol beers available, alcohol-free spirits were not really around.
The Shirley Temple
Alcohol-free cocktails, otherwise known as mocktails, were for many years not taken seriously. The first widely known mocktail was the Shirley Temple, which was a combination of ginger ale and grenadine, served with a sweet maraschino cherry. A sugary, overly sweet drink.
For many years mocktails were seen as drinks aimed towards children and drinks that were entirely packed with sugar. They were a far cry away from what we would now consider an alcohol-free cocktail.
SeedLip
Now we have to skip forward several decades, through decades when drinking was promoted as the only way to relax or have fun. And we reach Ben Branson.
Ben Branson discovered John French’s book about distillation, purchased a copper still, and began experimenting with the herbs in his garden and the recipes from the book. After one too many disappointing, sugary mocktails Ben decided to launch a range of alcohol-free spirits and thus Seedlip was born.
Seedlip launched its first alcohol-free spirit in November 2015, which was received with enthusiasm. Since then his drinks have spread worldwide, and are now available in shops, bars, restaurants and hotels around the world.
The Pandemic
Whilst Seedlip was an immediate hit, before the pandemic, their drinks, along with other alcohol-free drinks, were still niche products. So what prompted the unprecedented growth of the alcohol-free drinks market? Well, it seems like the pandemic had a huge impact on people's drinking habits.
Prolonged lockdowns, difficult and unprecedented times, left many people in the UK drinking far more heavily than ever before. The recorded number of adults drinking levels of alcohol than would negatively affect their health rose from 6 million in February 2020 to 8 million during the pandemic. As a result of the negative effects of this, many people decided they wanted to cut down or cut out alcohol.
At the same time, many people also stopped drinking during lockdowns because they were no longer going out and seeing people, and began to notice the health benefits. Taking a break from alcohol enabled people to more critically look at their relationship with alcohol and begin to drink more mindfully.
As a result of this, worldwide around 58% of adults want to cut down on drinking alcohol, and in the UK around 49% of adults want to lower their drinking levels (this was discovered in research carried out by the International Wines and Spirits Record).
As a result of this, the alcohol-free market has been booming. There are constantly new delicious drinks available on the market, and these taste far more sophisticated, flavourful and interesting than many of those available just five years ago.
The Future?
With the increasing number of adults looking to cut down on alcohol and the large number of gen Zers choosing not to drink, it looks like the alcohol-free market will just keep on expanding. And that is exciting for you.
If you tried one of the early Seedlip drinks and didn’t like it, make sure to try one of at least 500 new non-alcoholic spirits to see if you prefer that. After all, most people don’t like every flavour out there, alcoholic or not, and with such a wide variety of drinks available, it would be a shame to dismiss an entire category based on one drink.
Discover The World of Alcohol-Free Drinks With JOMO
If you want to dive headfirst into the world of alcohol-free booze, then sign up for a JOMO subscription box. That way you will receive a monthly box filled to the brim with exciting, and mindfully chosen alcohol-free drinks.
Each box contains:
A full-sized alcohol-free spirit bottle
Mindfully selected mixers, garnishes and snacks
A selection of ready-to-drink cans and bottles
A magazine filled with alcohol-free cocktail recipes, interviews and information about the products.
JOMO will help you discover the joy of missing out, and taste test a whole range of alcohol-free spirits and drinks so that you can find your favourites!