Drinks Non-alcoholic drinks are on the up.

Interesting, intentional, and made with provenance in mind, Mike Bennie looks to the new-gen of non-alcoholic drinks.

WE’VE REACHED A tipping point in our drinking culture. We’re investing in fancier wines, interesting beers, unique spirits and, increasingly, non-alcoholic options that aren’t an afterthought. We’re drinking less, but better.

New generations of drinkers are treating alcoholic drinks with consciousness and consideration, valuing the story behind them. We are interested in quality and experience over heroic consumption.

“Our generation is on the end of the 'go out and get smashed' culture. Younger drinkers are more educated and interested in how they are drinking,” offers chef William Wade, co-founder and coproducer of the astonishingly good NON non-alcoholic beverages.

NON are complex, aromatic, textural drinks that sit somewhere between a juice, tisane and non-alcoholic wine. It uses verjuice as a base with organic fruit, spices and botanicals layered on top. The range is compelling, serious, delicious, and demand is outstripping supply.

Better sources, less additives, natural products and ‘healthier’ drinks seem to be adding up, and the non-alcoholic category is thriving. The best are born from consideration, inventiveness and good provenance. Non-alcoholic spirits and beers are making serious headway, we're seeing an upswing in artisan drinks, high-quality cordials and kombuchas, and teas and tisanes are finding their footing.

This movement isn’t about replacing alcohol entirely, it’s about breathing life into a better drinking culture. Drinking smarter and more diversely is the key.

“My vision is that when you rock up to a dinner party, you bring a bottle of something non-alcoholic that's really interesting and made with good intent and, alongside, a bottle of natural wine or an attention-grabbing beer,” says Wade. “We want all drinks to be talking points in their own right. They should have equal status on the table.” There’s something in this for all of us.