Non-alcoholic beverages are gaining more and more popularity in Canada.
Major brewers are launching products of this kind, specialist producers are offering new, innovative drinks. Several observers claim that it has become more socially acceptable to be “sober and curious”.
“Ten years ago, if we brought non-alcoholic beer to a party, we were asked if we were sick or pregnant, recalls Nicolas Gagnon-Oosterwaal, president and co-founder of the Montreal micro-brewery Sober Carpenter. . But today, the trend is completely reversed. »
Mr. Gagnon-Oosterwaal adds that his industry has come a long way, but can still experience strong growth.
According to Global Market Insights, the global non-alcoholic beverages market will represent in 2022 more than 22 billion US. Its value could double over the next decade.
” [L’essor] what craft beers have experienced over the past five or ten years will be repeated over the next five or ten years for non-alcoholic beverages,” predicts Mr. Gagnon-Oosterwaal.
Non-alcoholic beers have been around since the Middle Ages. Attempts were made to popularize them during Prohibition in the United States. The “Shirley Temple”, the famous non-alcoholic cocktail, was created almost 100 years ago. However, the companies found it difficult to produce a non-alcoholic beer that could also be tasty.
And the German brewery Clausthaler found the solution in the late 1970s. Instead of removing alcohol from beer, they discovered that fermentation could be stopped before the sugars turn into alcohol.
And more than 40 years later, the choice is great. You can buy red, blond, white, Stout and India Pale Ale beers. There are also ciders, red, white or rosé wine. Some non-alcoholic beverages mimic the taste of rum, gin or absinthe.
Many products contain some alcohol at 0.5% or less. Some like kombucha have none at all.
Joël Grégoire, of the marketing research firm Mintel, suggests that the younger generations seem to be at the heart of this growth in the soft drink market. He points out that many consumers have not necessarily given up alcohol, but want to reduce their consumption.
In 2021, a Statistics Canada study revealed that one in five Canadians drank less than before the pandemic. The proportion climbed to 33% among young people aged 15 to 29.
From a sociability point of view, alcohol is difficult to replace, notes Mr. Grégoire. This is why non-alcoholic versions of beer or wine are more appealing than a soft drink, for example.
This allows those who have chosen not to drink alcohol, for whatever reason, to have an uplifting experience.
Joel Gregoire
Beer seems to be the most popular soft drink, followed by wine.
Beer Canada estimates that non-alcoholic beer sales volume is growing faster than other alcoholic beverages, by 22-25%.
The organization says brewers have made significant investments in new production methods. They can market a wide variety of products without sacrificing taste.
And like Clausthaler in the 1970s, companies today are looking to invent new ways to make these products.
For example: Sober Carpenter found a way to make non-alcoholic cider. The brewer has also started selling limited quantities of more specialty beers.
Mr. Gagnon-Oosterwaal does not believe that soft drinks are just a fad. Like meat substitutes, the soft drink industry will continue to grow and improve.
“The trend towards making healthier decisions, like cutting down on alcohol consumption, is here to stay. »