Is January the new Ocsober?

If you spent the last year anywhere besides under a rock, you’d know that we are in the middle of a pandemic. With South Africa experiencing its second wave of Covid-19 infections, the number of positive cases are rising exponentially. This has driven President Cyril Ramaphosa to enforce harsher restrictions. Thus, an adjusted level 3 lockdown: no social gatherings, an earlier curfew and the dreaded prohibition of liquor.

The liquor industry has contested this decision and even proposed different restrictions but were met with no compromise or change. So! In the spirit of “dry-January”, when life hands you lemons, toss the tequila and add it to your favourite non-alcoholic drink.

We have seen the rise in popularity of non-alcoholic drinks over the last few years as there has been a drive to be more sober conscious. Whether you’re taking a break from booze, the designated driver, pregnant or under level 3 lockdown, there are far better options to choose from. Previously, non-alcoholic beverages were boring and lacked both flavour and diversity. Things are a lot different now. Craft breweries are joining the game and are pumping out some serious contenders.

Here is a list of some of the non-alcoholic drinks that we think deserves all the hype

Hey Joe non-alcoholic Wit IPA

A balanced non-alcoholic Wit IPA with citrus, grapefruit, passion fruit, and floral aromas backed with a wheat base for added mouth-feel. A juice aroma bomb without the guilt.

Devils Peak Zero to Hero

Devils Peak have truly outdone themselves by releasing not 1 but 3 different variants to their non-alcoholic range.

Zero to Hero

With those crisp, hoppy beer flavours, aromas and mouthfeel. Yep. We get it. And we heard you. Just crack open a non-alcoholic Devil’s Peak Hero and be prepared to be surprised. Very surprised. This is a real beer. With a real beer taste. All that’s missing is the alcohol.

Zero to Hero Lemon 

Lemon flavoured Non Alcoholic Beer, offering all the hoppy beer refreshment, this time with a hint of Lemon, for just that extra bit of freshness.

Zero to Hero Twist of Citrus

So you don’t want the alcohol. But you want the real taste of a crafted, authentic, premium beer? With those crisp, hoppy beer flavours, aromas and mouthfeel. Yep. We get it. It is a matter of taste. Devil’s Peak has brewed a hero that’s close to zero and still tastes like a full beer, now with a twist of citrus. To be enjoyed when the occasion demands. It’ll blow your mind. Not your resolutions

Castle Free

Castle Free is South Africa’s first Homegrown 0.0% Alcohol Beer and brewed with the same local ingredients as the motherbrand, Castle Lager. Finally, a beer that delivers on flavour, taste and real beer satisfaction without the alcohol! Mzansi’s first home-grown alcohol-free beer is aimed at empowering consumers with choice, through offering them the option of still enjoying all the sociability of beer without alcohol.

Becks Blue

Beck's Blue is a light, crisp and refreshing non-alcoholic beer with no compromise on taste. And, at only 53 calories per bottle and fat-free, it makes the perfect light refreshment. Golden in colour, Beck's Blue is a classic German-style pilsner lager with over 140 years of heritage. Beck's Blue goes through the same brewing process as traditional Beck's and contains the same four natural ingredients - barley, hops, yeast and water. The only difference being that Beck's Blue undergoes de-alcoholisation, so it's alcohol free.

We are always looking at increasing our offering so stay tuned to see what other non-alcoholic products hit our shelves.