More beverages on offer
P.E.I.'S alcohol industry sees soaring demand for low- and no-alcohol drinks
People in P.E.I.’S alcohol industry say there’s a growing demand for low- and noalcohol drinks, signalling a positive cultural shift.
Mitch Cobb, CEO of Upstreet Craft Brewing in Charlottetown, said that the company's non-alcoholic beer, Libra, which was launched in 2020, has experienced increasing demand.
“We've just been overwhelmed by the support and the growth over the last couple of years,” he told Saltwire in a recent interview. “And we've seen a real shift in people's perception of what nonalcoholic products can be and how they can taste and also shifting the stigma around choosing not to drink.”
Due to the growing popularity, Libra, initially part of Upstreet, has become a national brand with five flagship varieties. While Upstreet is more of a local craft brewery, Libra's growth prompted Cobb to establish Libra Beverage Co. with a focus on expanding Libra to a national level.
SAFER OPTIONS
At Lone Oak Brewery, the low-alcohol beer, Noble, has also gained traction.
Jared Murphy, who is coowner and CEO of Lone Oak Brewery, said since Noble's introduction three years ago, it has been well-received by Islanders.
“The low-alcohol category is definitely seeing an increase in demand. I think that people are looking for safe options if they're driving from one place to another. And I also think that people are making more health-conscious decisions,” Murphy told Saltwire in an interview.
Noble recently achieved recognition by winning two national awards at the Canada Beer Cup and the Canadian Brewing Awards, earning a gold and a silver, respectively.
“People seem to like it, and we’ll definitely be carrying it long into the future,” he said.
Seeing more people wanting low-alcohol and nonalcoholic choices, Murphy said his company plans to put mocktail options on the menu at Lone Oak Brewpub restaurant in Charlottetown. These will be added to the menu before summer.
SOCIAL NORMS
The shift towards low- and no-alcohol drinks isn't just happening in Prince Edward Island.
Lee-anne Milne is the founder of Sober City, an online site providing information and resources for newly sober individuals in Halifax as well as providing meetups and peer-support groups.
Milne said from speaking with people who are getting sober or thinking about getting sober, she’s noticed an increasing interest in these alternative products, particularly non-alcoholic drinks.
“I'm definitely seeing a huge boom in these products coming on the market. It's amazing.”
She has noticed younger generations, especially Gen Z, are choosing these products more often, most likely because mental well-being is a prominent topic among younger party-goers, Milne said.
“They’re seeing a lot of negative effects of drinking with mental health. And I think because so many more people are talking about mental health nowadays and realizing that, ‘I don't even want to get into it.'”
These products can challenge social norms around drinking, Milne said. There's often a feeling that people have to drink to fit in when socializing, but as these alternatives become more popular, it gives people choices. And slowly these products are making an impact and starting to change how society approaches drinking, she said.
“We're in an alcohol-soaked culture here, especially on the East Coast. So I think that, yes, these products are having a positive impact on the drinking culture,” said Milne.
However, Milne often tells people to be cautious when consuming these alternatives, especially with non-alcoholic drinks, as they could be triggers for those dealing with alcohol use disorder, similar to what she faced before getting sober 10 years ago.
“Sometimes, drinking these products can trigger them into wanting to drink the real thing,” she said.
“It took me eight years of being sober to feel like I was brave enough to try non-alcoholic beer because I was afraid that it would trigger me into thinking about a relapse.”