More Brits than ever are dreaming of a dry Christmas, but it may come at a hefty price.
The low and no-alcohol drinks market has more than doubled since 2016 and a fifth of adults are teetotal.
But while a six-pack of market-leading Heineken 0.0 lager can cost just £4, booze-free wine and spirits are often far pricier than the harder stuff in shops.
Seedlip’s non-alcoholic spirit Spice 42 and Garden 108 herbal drinks are about £26 for 700ml; Gordon’s London Dry Gin is £16 a litre. At £26.80, Cornish-made Pentire Adrift costs as much as top gin brands like Hendrick’s and Bombay Sapphire.
Made in Chelsea TV star Spencer Matthews’ Clean G gin alternative is £19 a bottle.
And wine lovers can be stung for avoiding alcohol, with booze-free tempranillo at £13 and a cabernet sauvignon for £9.99. Alcoholic varieties of both reds can be a fiver in the high street.
Researchers Mintel said the UK zero-alcohol drinks market has shot up from £75million in 2016 to £171m now.
Drinks analysts IWSR also forecasts a 22% rise from 2019 to 2024. Some 10.4 million Britons – mainly 16 to 24-year-olds – do not drink, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Mintel’s Angharad Goode said: “Saving money is one of the key factors pushing people away from alcohol. So justifying a premium price poses a notable hurdle for low and non-alcoholic drinks.”
