Non-alcoholic drinks on the rise in Ireland

Описание: (9 Sep 2019) LEAD IN:
Health conscious Irish folk are switching to non-alcoholic alternatives, with alcohol free beer the fastest growing sector in the Irish drinks industry according to Diageo.
Now even Dublin pubs want to get in on the trend with some offering a selection of alcohol free alternatives and the launch of a new bar that is completely alcohol free.

STORY-LINE:  
Dublin's pub culture helps make the city a popular draw for tourists.
Visitors come from across the world to sample Irish whiskey and stouts like Guinness and enjoy the craic (fun / atomsphere)  in a traditional Irish pub.
But while drinking alcohol remains popular amongst the Irish, a growing number of Irish people are quitting drinking altogether or they are drinking less.   
According to Diageo alcohol consumption in Ireland dropped by 23 percent between 2001 and 2017 and non-alcoholic beer is the fastest growing sector in the Irish drinks industry.
Seeking to tap into the trend venues like Dublin's popular Coppinger Row bar are now offering customers healthy non-alcoholic "mocktails".
Their aim is to produce drinks that match traditional cocktails in terms of taste and sophistication but without the alcohol.   
Costing 6 euros (6.6 US dollars) each, Coppinger's 'Boozeless Beverages' menu offers alcohol-free cocktails like the 'No & Basy'  this one made with fresh basil, elderflowers, agave and apple juice or the popular 'Spring Spritz' made with rhubarb syrup, grapefruit, coriander and tonic water.  
Daphne Wright is Coppinger's marketing manager.  
"At the beginning of 2019 it became very important for restaurants and bars to all have non-alcoholic options on their drinks menus. Especially because everyone kind of starts the year on a health kick, dry January and all that," she says.
"However I do feel like its slightly fizzled out. Due to the summer people tend to kind of want to drink cold beers, aperol spritz, glasses of rose outside in the sunshine. The real test will be Christmas time whether people still want to choose non-alcoholic options or not."  
In any group of customers there are those who want to drink alcohol and those who don't be it for health reasons or because they are the designated driver for example.    
In the past the latter group was often limited to sugary soft drinks or mineral water but more and more venues recognise that many people prefer a more 'adult' alternative like a cocktail.   
One bar in Dublin has taken things a step further.
Opened in May this year, The Virgin Mary is Ireland's first totally alcohol-free bar offering a range of non-alcoholic beers, wines, spirits and cocktails.
Operating regular bar licensing hours from 4pm to 11pm, it has all the trappings of a regular bar but without the alcohol.
With drink prices ranging from 2.50 euros (2.75 US dollars) for tonic water to 8 (8.79 US dollars) euros for a cocktail, the idea is to offer people who don't want to be around alcohol, a venue that feels like a regular bar.
"We're not saying you know, don't drink," says owner Vaughan Yates.
"What we're saying here is we believe we're at the forefront of  this cultural shift of being mindful about what you consume."
Oisin Davis is the Director of drinks industry consultants Great Irish Beverages, as well as small investor in The Virgin Mary.
He says that the time is right for an alcohol free alternative to the traditional Irish pub.
"You know it might be nice to socialise, it's great to see your friends, it's great to go out on dates and go out to restaurants. But it's not always great to kind of overindulge perhaps," Davis says.

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