we are included The Inside Scoop on the buzzing non-alcoholic drinks industry **Part memoir, part insight** By Jane Mckay
As Sober October disappears into our rear view mirrors, I’m looking forward to the holidays with great expectations. I’m discovering what incredible drink options are out there. Popping a club soda or a diet coke works just fine for a daytime thirst but when I’m out for dinner, having friends over, and on any other night of the week I like to have options. It’s really about feeling included in the moments. As a Gen X’er growing up in England, happy hour triple shots for a £1 (~$1) were normal. My favourite college bevvie was a Blastaway, a sickeningly sweet blend of Castaway (think tropical alcopop / white wine blend) and Diamond White (a gut-rotting cheap hard cider). And Blastaway I did once I’d had a few. Over years of drinking, I refined my palate living on different continents. I embraced expensive wines and “sophisticated” cocktails. Don Draper’s signature Old Fashioned in Mad Men became my go-to. I integrated fancy booze into my life in the belief that it polished my edges. It’s a familiar story. By the time I reached the end of my drinking career, the provenance of the booze no longer mattered. Cocktail hour had turned sour and I drank when I could, and often in secret. To the outside world, I was a high- functioning and successful businesswoman, and mum. On the inside I was slowly hollowing out, and desperate. In the Spring of 2020, I got sober and my mask of invulnerability started to slip away. Woven into my recovery rituals was searching for, and tasting interesting adult drinks to bridge the gap between temperance and my tastebuds. The rise of good quality alternatives crafted from botanicals and real plant ingredients have given us much more elevated choices. And since 2020 the industry has exploded. Adjacent to my recovery I launched my business consultancy to help better-for-you emerging food and beverage brands meet their export potential. Serendipitously I began working with a tropical alcohol-free spirit brand Caleño, which was founded in Bristol where I live. I’m now bringing it to life in the U.S.
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker