The Biggest Trend In Cocktails? Non-Alcoholic Drinks

The Curry'er Pigeon at Sundays in Brooklyn. Photo: Elva Ramirez.

March 31, 2018: Originally published in Forbes. 

It's been eighty five years since Prohibition was repealed, and bartenders are excited about people not drinking again.

Seedlip is a non-alcoholic distilled spirit that aims to bring the same intricacy to drinks that traditional spirits provide. In just over two years, Seedlip arrived to market, sold out of early runs at Selfridge’s London and online, hit the menus of top bars around the world, and garnered a minority investment from spirits giant Diageo.

Seedlip's embrace by the hospitality industry points of things to come.

Seedlip comes in two iterations, Garden 108 (fresh green peas and herbal notes) and Spice 94 (allspice, cardamom, grapefruit). Both expressions offer something that has previously not existed in spirits: a non-alcoholic liquid that works like its boozy cousins (but without the inebriation).

At first blush, it may seem counterintuitive that top bartenders would be excited to showcase no-proof drinks, given the bar’s long and colorful reputation as the place to get tipsy. But the way people drink (or not drink) now has changed, due to factors ranging from the industry’s emphasis on drinking responsibly to the emergence of low-alcoholic drinks (or “low ABV”, in industry jargon) as a major consumer trend.

It makes sense then that the next iteration of “low ABV” would be “no ABV” or no-proof drinks. Additionally, growing consumer awareness of craft cocktails as products that are as intricate and thoughtfully-produced as restaurant dishes means that more people, including non-drinkers, want to take part, but on their terms.

Read the full article on Forbes.