Appetite for non-alcoholic drinks brewing in Nova Scotia

One local purveyor of non-alcoholic beverages says she's seeing more interest in her products, weeks after the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction released new guidance on booze consumption.

The centre said in a January report that no amount of alcohol is safe, and warned of increased cancer risks for people who consume between three and six drinks a week, with further risks associated with every additional drink.

"We are seeing an increased demand," said Alexis Moore, the co-founder and director of Goodmore Kombucha. "I am attributing it partly to these new guidelines and partly to a movement I believe was happening anyway."

February is normally a quiet month for her business in Dartmouth, N.S., she said. But it has been different this year, with higher sales than expected.

"I think it could be connected with this," she said. "I think that draw is coming from people making mindful choices when it comes to what they drink."

The fermented teas she produces with her husband, Kevin Moore, are carried in a number of local bars, restaurants and stores.

Moore said they've been noticing people searching for alternatives to alcoholic drinks for the past few years. With demand rising, they're now operating close to capacity and are considering expanding into a larger space.

Sales on the rise

The province's appetite for booze is still rising. The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation reported the volume of alcohol sold rose slightly between October and January, compared with the same period a year ago.

But the NSLC is considering the idea of carrying non-alcoholic drinks in its stores, and is currently doing research about the possibility.

A number of local bars and restaurants are now offering an expanding range of non-alcoholic beverages as well.

Dear Friend Bar in downtown Dartmouth offers a zero-proof cocktail menu with two options. The bartenders there will also create cocktails of flavours people request using non-alcoholic ingredients.

"They're steadily rising in popularity," said co-owner Jeff Van Horne.

It's a challenge to create complex flavours in cocktails without alcohol, he said, but an ever-improving range of new non-alcoholic spirits is changing the landscape.

"Not having a drink should not mean that you cannot go out and meet new people and have a great time enjoying food or drink at a restaurant," Van Horne said.

Some patrons alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, he said.

Brewers taking notice

Making sure everyone feels included is also a key reason why Propeller Brewing Company offers a number of alternatives. It recently released a second 0.5 per cent beer, NA Hazy, which is available alongside its NA Lager.

"We want something for everyone," said Noah Turner, retail and taproom manager at the company. "When we have come out with something that is new and non-alcoholic, certainly the people who are already going down that route are excited to see it."

Propeller also offers ginger beer and root beer.

Lee-Anne Richardson is happy to see the growing number of options available. She stopped drinking and launched a website called Sober City about three years ago.

"The culture is changing and I think it's only going to get better," Richardson said.

"I do think it has a lot to do with the guidelines as well, because a lot of people just didn't really realize that alcohol is a carcinogen and it has a lot of these negative consequences."

Richardson has made it her goal to share ideas about exploring the city without drinking.

More people are subscribing to Sober City, she said, while she is also receiving more emails about events she holds.

Her website lists restaurants and bars that have non-alcoholic options and a guide showing the kind of non-alcoholic drinks that are now available.

Producers like Alexis Moore at Goodmore Kombucha are confident the trend will continue.

"People are choosing not to drink, to drink less, to find wonderful alternatives and there are so many exciting options out there," she said.