The rise of low-alcohol: New drinks at Fuller’s
Are you among the millions of people trying Dry January or opting for a low-alcohol lifestyle? Our new range of low-alcohol drinks means you needn’t compromise on flavour, or your social life.
Usually a trip to the pub means enjoying a pint of your favourite beer, a glass of wine, or another alcoholic tipple, but more people are reaching for low, and no, alcohol drinks at their local.
Rethinking how we're drinking
Dry January is a particularly popular time for pub-goers to swap their favourite pint for an alcohol-free alternative at the bar. The one-month alcohol-free challenge inspires millions to re-think the way they drink each year.
According to statistics provided by Alcoholchange.org.uk, since 2005, the overall amount of alcohol consumed in the UK, the proportion of people reporting drinking, and the amount drinkers report consuming have all decreased.
In recent years, more people than ever are actively looking to reduce their alcohol intake – whether that's having a night off, alternating between alcohol and no alcohol, or giving up alcoholic drinks altogether.
But whether you're cutting down, trying Dry January or simply fancy the night off, it doesn’t mean you should sacrifice your standards and enjoyment of a deliciously satisfying beverage, or your social life. There's never been a better array of low and no-alcohol drinks on the bar, and this is particularly true at Fuller’s pubs.
Think big, drink small: Low alcohol beer by Small Beer Brewing Co.
Why try low alcohol alternatives?
We asked David Begg, the founder of Real Kombucha and advocate for the low-alcohol lifestyle, for insight into the low-alcohol trend, and tips for leading a low-alcohol lifestyle.
Commenting on the change in UK drinking habits in recent years, David said: “About 30% of the country is now tee-total [choosing to abstain from alcohol], and an even greater proportion of the country is drinking less frequently,” he explained.
“In the past, customers have cited the lack of good no-or-low alcohol alternatives as the main reason they haven’t cut back, but 2019 saw an explosion in the range of non-alcoholic drinks available in the pub and in stores. This will only increase in 2020, and I think a lot more people will be changing their relationship with alcohol, drinking less in both quantity and frequency.”
David Begg, founder of Real Kombucha.
When a soft drink doesn’t cut it
David said the rise of quality low-alcohol drink options in pubs and in stores is helping people to change the way they drink.
“Non-alcoholic drinks generally really struggle to compete with their alcoholic brethren both in the level of sweetness and their lack of complexity. If you’re trying to reduce your alcohol consumption, a cola just doesn’t make a good replacement for your favourite craft beer,” he explained.
“We started Real Kombucha because we wanted to give customers a proper non-alcoholic alternative to their favourite alcoholic drinks, so they feel they have a proper choice. It means when you step into the pub on a busy night out, but you have an early start the next day, you are driving, or just don’t fancy a drink, then there is an option that still makes you feel like one of the crowd.
“It’s about being able to choose when, where and if you want to drink alcohol, without feeling like you’re missing out if you don’t.”
New low & alcohol-free alternatives at Fuller’s
We’ve been searching far and wide for the best low alcohol alternatives to your favourite alcoholic drinks, creating an exciting range that doesn’t compromise on flavour or quality. Each of our pubs will have its own unique non-alcoholic offering, but here's a summary of the low-alcohol drinks you could find behind the bar.
For beer and cider lovers, our non-alcoholic and low alcohol range includes Peroni Libera, Heineken 0.0%, Sheppy's non-alcoholic cider, Small Beer and Big Drop.
Gin enthusiasts needn't miss out on their favourite mix, because we now offer Square Root Alcohol Gin & Tonic, and the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit distiller Seedlip allows our bartenders to craft mocktails and mixed drinks full of flavour.
For those looking to lessen their alcohol intake, as well as their waistlines, Real Kombucha is a popular tipple low in sugar and calories, with a tart, and slightly sweet taste and natural fizz, available in a variety of flavours.
Alcohol free: Cocktails crafted using alcohol-free distilled spirits by Seedlip.
3 tips for cutting back on the booze
1. Experiment and persevere.
David said: “No longer does a dry night out have to mean a Diet Coke, or a lime and soda served with ice and a straw. There's now a massive range of non-alcoholic spirits that can replace your gin and tonic, non-alcoholic beers have come on a long way since the Kaliber of the 1980s, and of course Real Kombucha is a great alternative to a glass of wine or bubbly.”
2. Don’t be hard on yourself.
“Just like a healthy diet is more about eating more fruit and veg than ditching the meat altogether and becoming vegan, healthy drinking is about cutting back rather than cutting out. If you fancy a great pint, have it. But if you don’t feel like a second, don’t feel under any pressure. Don’t let not drinking stop you going out and having fun, as there are plenty of other great options.”
3. Just try it
“You may be surprised by the benefits of cutting back. So many of our customers have told us that once they started drinking Real Kombucha in place of their usual alcoholic drink, their energy increased, they started sleeping better, they think more clearly, they’ve lost weight, and they have even had a lot more fun on their nights out. So, just give a low-alcohol alternative a try. What’s the harm?”
Visit Real Kombucha for more information.
Try alcohol-free tipples at your local Fuller's pub
Whether you’re doing Dry January, are actively trying to reduce your alcohol intake, or want to go out for a few drinks with friends but don’t feel like ‘drinking’, your local Fuller’s pub has plenty of new low and non-alcoholic drinks to try.
Click here to find a pub near you.