Jessie Guranathan: Rebelling against the drinking culture

It’s ok to question and challenge the status quo over alcohol.

Telling someone you’re sober used to be social suicide when I was growing up.

It was like a deathly silence would fall upon the room full of party-goers as they’d stare in utter disbelief at the idea someone didn’t want to get voluntarily blind drunk.

As a pre-teen, we relocated to New Zealand, and it was only then that I began to take notice of alcohol and the role it played in society. I would go for sleepovers at a friend’s house and see parents pouring wine, clinking glasses or saying “cheers” with a cold beer in hand. It appeared to be like a reward at the end of a long day’s work. It was a new and foreign concept to me, and I was curious to know what made these liquids so special.

I remember the first time I snuck a sip of beer - nothing prepared me for the bitterness, but I soon discovered it wasn’t really about the taste but the feeling that accompanied each sip.

Liquid Courage - slang: The decrease in timidity or inhibition that comes from imbibing alcoholic beverages.

As soon as alcohol enters the bloodstream, it’s scientifically proven to lower our inhibitions. We feel more relaxed, more confident and more outgoing.

So what’s with the growing phenomenon of Kiwis giving up their liquid courage in favour of low/no alcohol bevvies?

Sobriety used to feel like it was only socially acceptable if it was associated with alcoholism. But, today, sobriety exists on a spectrum.

There are those who participate in ‘Dry January/July/Mocktober’’, temporarily dabbling with sobriety as a bit of a cleanse and reset. Then there are those who are staunch devotees, abstaining from anything that might threaten their pristine, clean lifestyle. There are those who choose not to drink for religious reasons and those who choose to drink on special occasions - using what has been coined “drinking with intention”.

Whatever the reason for this sober curiosity, it’s on the rise - and the beverage industry has been paying attention.

In January last year, a study published by ISWR Drinks Market Analysis’ found that the market value of no/low-alcohol had grown from US$7.8 billion in 2018, to just under US$10 billion in 2021, and that no- and low-alcohol beer/cider, wine, spirits, and ready to drink products now command a 3.5 per cent volume share of the drink’s industry. With consumer demand for zero beverage options continuing to surge, the rise of sober culture grows. Just across the Ditch in Melbourne is Brunswick Aces, billed as Australia’s first non-alcoholic bar and bottle shop.

With its own built-in one-of-a-kind stills, producing “distillates” with intense flavour - minus the booze. From their chic menu, you can enjoy zero per cent cocktails like their King Louis, which blends coconut water and cucumber-mint cordial with the Hearts Sapiir (which has notes of sweet citrus and native Australian wattleseed).

We may not have a trendy zero alcohol bar on our shores just yet, but there are dedicated “Zero Zones” in most supermarkets now that provide an array of locally produced drinks. More public events and festivals are showcasing pop-up bar areas that are entirely dedicated to low/no alcohol offerings - something that never existed when I was a young festy-goer.

The relationship between sports clubs, athletes and alcohol sponsorship has always been a hot topic. In recent years, there has been mounting pressure on clubs and events to pull the plug on deals with alcohol brands. Many of these mainstream brands now offer their own zero-alcohol alternatives, which could help to shift the narrative. It’s already happening overseas with the Astin Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 team sponsored by Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0 per cent.

Steinlager proudly boasts it’s the longest-running sponsor of the All Blacks, dating back to 1986, but with alcohol famously linked to problematic binge-drinking culture in sport, is it time we see them evolve? Perhaps a focus on only promoting Steinlager Zero, the company’s no-alcohol alternative, could be a good compromise?

Whatever your own relationship with alcohol, it has never been easier or cooler to be curious. It’s ok to question and challenge the status quo, the peer pressure, the need for escapism, the desire to fit in, every invitation and expectation to drink. I think there is a real sense of freedom to be had when we allow ourselves to make our own choices, and I think it’s going to become increasingly normal to see more people, especially young people, rebel against the dominant drinking culture that older generations have contributed to and perpetuated for so long.