Summer is coming and Sober October is here! The No & Low drinks category is now an accepted part of our drinking repertoire but marking out these months gives us time to re-evaluate our relationship with alcohol – no matter the time of year.
Abstaining from alcohol is now a fully-fledged wellness trend but if you want to test the waters, why not try a month of detoxing from alcohol? Sober curiosity surged post pandemic and we have seen a major shift in drinking culture. Growing up in the Internet age means we’re more aware of the choices we make as well as the image we project. Younger generations of drinkers walk the talk of their clean-living images: now we’re more likely to see a celebrity taking a selfie with a smoothie than falling out the club.
Luckily the No & Low movement has never been better and offered more choice: you can still join or create the sophisticated nature of a party if you have a plan in place with smart swops for non-alcoholic options – it’s about the ritual more than the ABV. According to research published in 2021 from the International Wine and Spirits Record (IWSR) Drinks Market Analysis: ‘The total sales of no/lo drinks are predicted to grow by over 31% by 2024.’
Research released by the IWSR on ‘Key Trends Driving the Global Alcohol Industry in 2022’, states that while 36% of the British boomer generation will substitute alcoholic drinks with no/lo options,’ it is also estimated that as many as 1 in 10 UK adults are now non-drinkers.
The Free Spirit Collection offers a world class portfolio of non-alcoholic spirits, perfectly paired with Fever-Tree, the world’s bestselling mixer (as voted by Drinks International 2022.) This collection was curated by premium drinks company Truman & Orange who carefully selected the best the world has to offer and combined these exciting products into a convenient portfolio. “You’re welcome” they say.
“People have already started to drink more mindfully, and the trend to ‘Drink Better’ is continuing to grow,” explains Rowan Leibbrandt, founder of Truman & Orange. “The inclination towards global wellness has spurred a move away from artificial flavours to lighter, more natural ingredients. South Africa is no different and our mission at Truman & Orange is to be able to offer greater choice to those of us having a no/lo moment or choosing to abstain from drinking for a while.”
Seedlip is the flagship of the collection; the one that started it all, with the guiding principle that ‘everyone deserves a seat at the bar.’ Seedlip is on a mission to change the way the world drinks with the highest quality non-alcoholic spirits and is stocked in the world’s most premium bars, restaurants and retailers. The founder, Ben Branson, spent years meticulously perfecting the spirit, which combines his farming heritage with a love of nature and design. Try any of the three variants available in South Africa with Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Tonic for a fresh, clean and low-calorie adult drink.
Our distillers weren’t far behind and the locally made Abstinence collection has three variants which each feature a hero ingredient that’s intrinsically South African. Cape Citrus, Spice and Fynbos all draw inspiration and ingredients from the Cape Floral Kingdom. Enjoy a fresh take on a pink G&T by building 2 tots of Abstinence over ice and topping with Fever-Tree Raspberry Tonic.
A classic Italian-style bitters, Abstinence Blood Orange Aperitif exudes rich flavours of citrus and natural botanicals and makes a perfect spritz paired with Fever-Tree Indian tonic.
Meaning free in Zulu (in this case, free from alcohol and artificial ingredients), Mahala Botanical was the winner of the ‘Low-No Alcohol Spirit Award’ at the prestigious Michelangelo International Spirit Awards in the same year it was launched. The brainchild of Danielle Schoeman, one of the Cape’s few female master distillers, it’s made with nine hand-sourced botanicals. Mahala is a complex triple distilled spirit layered with aromas of spices and subtle florals with honey bush adding a soft sweetness. It’s a true farm to glass process using plants from Danielle’s family farm and water sourced on the property. Create a spin on a classic cocktail with a Mahala Mule: mix with Fever-Tree Ginger Beer, a splash of fresh lime and garnish with a slice of apple.
“The quality of your mixer is just as important as the drink itself,” continues Rowan, “my personal recommendation is the award-winning Fever-Tree collection, based on the premise that if ¾ of your drink is the mixer, mix with the best.”
So with the festive season just around the corner, and your Free Spirit Collection in the bar, it seems that October is perfectly positioned to be a month of regrouping, taking a deeper breath and consolidating your energy for a period of fun and craziness ahead of us.
Cheers – we’ll drink to that!. For more information on the Free Spirit Collection of no/lo options visit www.cutlerdrinks.co.za
FIND YOUR FREE SPIRIT WITH THESE COOL COCKTAILS…
Garden & Tonic
50ml Seedlip Garden 108 topped with Fever Tree Indian tonic, garnished
wth a lemon peel and fresh berries
Cosnopolitan
50ml Seedlip Grove 42 topped wuth cranberry juice, lime juice and sugar syrup, garnished with an orange disk
Mahala Mule
50ml Mahala Botanical topped with ginger beer and lime juice,
garnished with lime
Epilogue & Cola
50ml Abstinence Epilogue X topped with cola, garnished with a lime slice
Cape Fynbos & Tonic
50ml Abstinence Cape Fynbos topped with fever Tree Indian tonic, garnished with a lemon peel and fresh berries
Lemon Spritz
50ml Abstinence Lemon Aperitif topped with soda water, garnished with
a fresh lemon peel
