After exporting the ritual of binge drinking, the English have become the great promoters of nolo. Either abstinence (no alcohol) or moderation (low ABV, for low alcohol by volume, ” low in alcohol ‘) in beverages. This vogue launched by the nation which, in 2013, invented the Dry January (month of January without alcohol), and whose capital remains that of cocktail bars, is turning into an international groundswell. And reflects directly on the recipes and products assembled in the shakers.
“Taking a non-alcoholic cocktail was before a punishment in terms of taste and social image. »Thierry Daniel, Associate Director at Liquid Liquid
“This quest for well-being, which goes hand in hand with healthier consumption patterns, does not however sacrifice taste pleasure and refinement”, remarks Thierry Daniel, associate director at Liquid Liquid, a consulting agency specializing in spirits, co-organizer of Paris Cocktail Week, a benchmark event that increasingly promotes alcohol-free creations.
“Taking a non-alcoholic cocktail was before a punishment in terms of taste and social image”, he notes, remembering the not-so-distant time when mocktails – those alcohol-free ersatz (virgin mojito, virgin mary, etc.) – really made fun of the world. “Today we can rely on the creativity of bartenders to experience real emotions and share festive moments. “
Reproduce the sensations
Here again, the English have been at the forefront. With, in particular, Alex Kratena (named four times best bartender in the world), who, in his HQ in Artesian, in London, at the beginning of the 2010s, was the precursor of an offer nolo. Another British innovation is the launch in 2015 of the Seedlip brand, created by a young farmer, Ben Branson, who had the idea of blending alcohol-free distillates from plants, spices, bark and fruits to reproduce the sensations and uses of certain spirits. A concept referred to as “Spirit free”, become one of the musts of the moment.
If France is just discovering these alcohol-free spirits, a Parisian store, Drinks & Co, located on the edge of Saint-Lazare station, reflects this international craze. Of the 1,200 references are “10% alcohol-free products”, underlines Samantha Pitts, purchasing manager. “A share destined to increase. “
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