Low-and-no alcoholic beverages are here to stay

A tippler whorsquos watching their drink a teetotaller whorsquos looking for something new and a sober curious person whorsquos keen to reduce consumption or give up alcohol altogether walk into a bar Therersquos something for all three of them and no wersquore not talking about your average medley of spirits and juices Bars in the city are increasingly churning out artisanal lowalcohol and zeroproof beverages to lure in a new breed of mindful drinkersSvamis zeroproof rangeBeyond the mocktailAt the gastropub chain SOCIALrsquos Khar outlet for instance ask the bartender for the High on Life menu which features nonalcoholic drinks Nilesh Patel beverage head west Impresario Handmade Restaurants insists that this kombucha CampT pickled cucumber and tonic homemade negroni and narsquoreal whisky smoked tea and coconut water ice mouldspacked menu isnrsquot the same as their mocktail offerings ldquoZerononalcoholic beverages are usually nonalcoholic beers or nonalcoholic distilled spirits whereas mocktails are basically a mix of juices and syrupsrdquo he explainsAn explainer on lowandno beverages by the global training programme Diageo Bar Academy reconfirms that consumers today are ready to look beyond boring mocktails It states that nonalcoholic beverages ldquoemploy the use of nonalcoholic spirits teas juices ferments flavoured mixers and so on to develop characteristics that mirror a cocktail but in a creative wayrdquo mdash a fact best exemplified by Svamirsquos range of zeroproof drinks that dropped amid the pandemic A sip of their zeroproof rum and cola will make you wonder if yoursquove been drinking the iconic combo the wrong way all this time Also part of this range are a sober gin and tonic and a pink gin and tonic Aneesh Bhasin cofounder Svami reveals that the collection is powered by the thought that all drinks should be delicious mdash whether alcoholic or not ldquoZeroproof drinks are having a big moment abroad right now The Indian market is at a nascent stage but looks very promising Especially since the pandemic people are looking for alternatives to sugary productsrdquo Bhasin elucidatesNilesh Patel and Aneesh BhasinKeep it lowMixologists note that there has been an increase in the demand for lowalcohol beverages too Generally lowalcohol beverages are referred to as drinks that have an alcoholic strength between 12 per cent abv alcohol by volume to 55 per cent abv Patel informs us adding ldquoWine spritzers aperitifs and lowalcohol beers fall in this category along with vermouth and cidersrdquo In places like Italy and Mexico lowalcohol beverages such as kombucha tepache and aperitivo are part of the culinary culture Izler Thomas mixologist at Cafeacute Panama which serves Latin American grub shares that lowandno cocktails at their bar include kombuchas and zeroproof cocktails infused with nonalcoholic gin and rum ldquoFor patrons who prefer drinking a light beverage during the day and want a minor quantity of alcohol lowalcohol beverage is a good replacement for beers so you donrsquot feel super heavyrdquo Thomas assertsSimilarly at celebrity chef Ritu Dalmiarsquos trattoriastyle Motodo the bar menu offers an aperitivo programme mdash which they claim is Mumbairsquos first and complements their Italian fare Itrsquos where inhouse negronis share space with spritzes lowalcohol cocktails bellinis and more ldquoAperitivo refers to an early evening drink that is meant to lsquoopen the appetitersquordquo explains the head bartenderMore than a trendPatel believes that the lowandno trend is here to stay driven by a combination of factors such as ldquochanging lifestyles a focus on healthier living and the availability of new and greattasting productsrdquo Bhasin adds theyrsquove got great reception from two kinds of people mdash teetotallers and the ones looking to cut down alcohol intake ldquoStudies show alcohol consumption might decline among the youth and there will be a demand for more beverages that taste great and are not just runofthemill colas and juicesrdquo he concludes Cheers to thatBeetroot kanji by Khar SOCIALHappy high This restaurant offers a curated section called Responsible Choice that includes drinks like designated driver and sanguineAT Saz Cafe Lower ParelCALL 9920056688 Choose from outcider lightly fermented pear and apple juice plus oregano beetroot kanji and other options AT Khar SOCIAL Rohan Plaza 5th Road KharWestCALL 7506394243 Sip on erbe negroni frutta or laura spritzAT Motodo Jio World DriveCALL 8591802205 Call for zeroproof GampTs or rum and cola LOG ONTO svamidrinkscom Go for guava paloma or vegetal GampT among othersAT Saltt KarjatCALL 9967725518