Jen McDonald
Henley
Step aside, “Dry January.” Low-to-no alcohol beverages are hot right now—and here to stay. Today, hospitality venues around the country, and here in Nashville, are capitalizing on the growing trend.
You can thank Millennials and Gen Z for this budding teetotaler movement. As these two groups capture more marketplace influence and power, breweries and liquor companies are paying closer attention to how and what they drink. Interestingly, a 2018 report from Berenberg Research found that respondents in their early 20s were drinking more than 20 percent less per capita than Millennials—who drank less than Baby Boomers and Gen Xers—did at the same age.
Chances are, the next time you skim over a cocktail menu at a bar, you’ll find a strong representation of booze-free (or, almost booze-free) beverages populating the page.
Jen McDonald
M.L. Rose
At local craft beer bar M.L. Rose, they’ve added two new specific categories to the winter beer menu: non-alcoholic and recreation/low-cal, where you’ll find bottles like the Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza (4% ABV, 110 calories) and the Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher (zero-alcohol, zero-calorie).
“If someone’s taking a break from drinking, they don’t want to shut themselves off from the world and their social life. There’s a social aspect to drinking beer, and a sense of connectedness and community. Breweries are finding ways to extend that to those who don’t drink alcohol, and the market is responding positively,” says Austin Ray, owner of M.L. Rose.
“In a market like this, we have to ask the question, ‘Does demand drive new product or does new product drive demand?’ I think in this sense, it’s beautifully reciprocal.”
But the trend goes beyond beer: Take a sip of the cold brew-and-honey laced “Speed Trap” over at Rambler in Melrose and you’ll get a taste of how local cocktail bars are stepping up their game when it comes to the low-to-no movement.
“Cocktails without alcohol are only great if a bar program is based on freshness, quality, and a variety of ingredients. This is about fresh juice, homemade syrups and sodas, and even coffee or CBD or other tinctures,” adds Sam Clarkson, beverage manager at Rambler.
Jen McDonald
Rambler
“In crafting drinks, there is something called the golden ratio. Usually this is applied with alcohol, but the principle remains the same—you need a strong base product, something acidic, and something sweet. Following that rule, you can craft something both delicious and simple that caters to a wide variety of people.”
That ratio is expertly applied across town at Henley in the form of the Switchel Soda, a mixture of house-made spiced grapefruit and lime shrub topped with a citrus tonic and a spiced sugar rim that can be found on the restaurant’s “For Those That Don’t” menu. Benjamin Rouse, the head bartender, loves the challenge of creating a balanced and complex beverage with little-to-no alcohol, but also supports the inclusivity fueling the movement.
“It gives us the opportunity to make the bar that social, loving, safe space we all need after a long week or a tough day.”
Ultimately, the movement behind the low-to-no alcohol trend isn’t about quitting drinking entirely, but rather, being more mindful about it and remaining connected to those around us while still respecting the ingredients and process behind the craft.
“It's no longer just a thirst quencher or a stress relief,” says Hayley Teague, beverage director at Hathorne, a West side restaurant that’s also adopted the zero-proof trend. “Cocktails are seen as a piece of the dining experience. We’re even looking at the possibility of introducing mood-enhancing herbs and tonics into our drinks in the near future.”