Piquette Zero in the Press
We’re making a splash in the zero alcohol space! Read more below.
Non-alcoholic drinks barely existed as a category five or six years ago. Now there are too many options to keep track of. Fortunately, with this round-up of 13 excellent NA drinks, you don’t have to.
Summer’s a great time to kick back on a patio, in a backyard or poolside with a refreshing beverage. And while an ice-cold beer, a fun cooler or a glass of white/bubbly/rosé can really hit the spot in warmer weather, there are times when you might not want the buzz that comes with them — or perhaps, for whatever reason, you’ve chosen not to drink alcohol.
Thankfully the selection of non-alcoholic beverages (beyond soda) continues to get bigger and, in many categories, better. Here’s a roundup of some zero/low-alcohol drinks tried recently, many of which are worth your time even if you do regularly imbibe.
“For Nova Scotian wine wizards, Benjamin Bridge, creating extraordinary sensory experiences connected to a sense of place is at the heart of everything they do. Of late, there has been a massive boom in low-to-no-alcohol beverages across Canada, especially in the easygoing Piquette category.”
Whether or not the Motherly figure in your life chooses to drink or not, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be treated to the glitz and glamour that is a cocktail! I show off one of my favourite products behind the bar that supports a local Winery here in Canada. Mixed with Lemon, Basil, Elderflower Syrup and Glitter, you’ll definitely want to check this out!
If you’d like to see how this cocktail is made, make sure to check out the link HERE as we chat all things Mother’s Day on CTV’s The Social.
How close a non alcoholic wine comes to replicating the real thing is a metric that many dry drinkers use to measure and evaluate the non alcoholic products they are trying. Whether you still drink the full octane wines or not, we have all been trained to seek that complex dance of grapes, phenols, tannins and the warmth coming from alcohol.
Mass produced non alcoholic wine often lacks subtle complexity and also a connection to the land and to place. Labels are vague and brands lack the story of terroir that consumers are inspired by.
Kurtis Kolt finds the good in a much-maligned category.
As a professional in the wine industry and a sommelier by trade, I often find myself not only recommending things, but also trying to convince people that certain assumptions are unfounded. Riesling can be very dry, and so can Sherry. It’s OK to drink rosé in the winter and sparkling on a Tuesday. Here’s my latest. Ready for this? Good alcohol-free wine exists.
Two Maritime-based drink manufacturers are teaming up to offer non-alcoholic alternatives this holiday season.
In a Dec. 15 release, Upstreet Craft Brewing and Benjamin Bridge announced a partnership that will see in-store promotions, digital campaigns and sober-curious socials in Halifax and Charlottetown.
“The way people choose to consume alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages is changing so fast, and that hard line in the sand between the drinkers and non-drinkers is quickly eroding,” said Upstreet Craft Brewing co-founder Mitch Cobb.
Non-alcoholic craft cocktails are having a moment. By 2024, the consumption of low- or zero-alcohol distilled spirits is projected to increase by 31 per cent, according to an industry study conducted in 10 countries, including Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. To meet demand, beverage brands are coming to the table with a selection of non-alcoholic products with artisanal bona fides and layered flavour profiles. Here’s a roundup of some of our favourite Canadian products in the category, as well other great stuff for the sober sipping set.
A few years ago, Mark Kuspira decided he was drinking too much. An Alberta-based wine and spirits importer of note, Mark knew it was an occupational hazard. He spent a week in the mountains in British Columbia hiking, kayaking and not drinking and resolved to do that more often. Maybe even a week a month.
In early 2020, a supplier told him about Oddbird, a Swedish-based non-alcoholic brand.
“The story was good, the samples were good, I was reading more and more about people turning to alcohol-free brands; it seemed to be slapping me in the face,” said Mark. “It was the trend.”
Even before the stringent two alcoholic drinks a week guidelines were released last week, requests for recommendations of non-alcoholic wines have been increasing. Such e-mails were commonplace as abstinence challenges approached, in the form of Dry Januarys and Februarys or Sober October, but now they are almost a daily occurrence. Many people are looking to reduce consumption or, in some instances, exclude alcohol completely.
Putting together a piece? We’d love to speak with you. Contact wines@benjaminbridge.com.
