HibiscuscominginDecember.Thebeverageis verybrightand
floral– it’sperfectforsummer,”saysTrotman.“OurWildFennel
andAppleis probablymyfavourite– butit’squitepolarising.”
Hewantedtoofferit at Non’slaunchinMaythisyear,“butwe
decidedit mightscarepeopleaway”.It’squite“funky”,hewarns.
Nonisn’tjuststockedat goodrestaurants,either,they’realso
collaboratingwiththem.A beetrootandsanshodrinkwasa result
ofteamingupwithMelbourne’sIdes.Nextupis somethingspecial
withMelbourne’sO.My,andperhapsa custombeveragewith
Ballarat’sUnderbar.TheinterestinNon’sselectionhasmatched
themomentumfordrinkingbooze-free,sodoesTrotmanknow
whyabstinenceis ontherise?“Similartotobacco,alcoholis facing
a downwardturn,”saysTrotman.“Peoplearesickofbeingsick.”
It’salsowhydrinkersareturningtoSeedlip,thepioneering
non-alcoholicspirit,tofueltheircocktails.Thebrandwasthe
firstofitskindwhenit launchedintheUKin2015,andhas
hada blockbusterresponsesinceit becameavailableinAustralia
twoyearslater.Inthepastyear,Seedliphashada 125percent
riseinAustraliansales,andis frequentlymixedbybartenders
at topestablishmentssuchasFred’sinSydneyandDinnerby
HestonBlumenthalinMelbourne.
InAustralia,theamountofSeedlipconsumedin 2019 will
beequivalenttonearlyonemillion(non-alcoholic)standard
drinks.It canformthebasisofa NogroniorMinosa,andat
Sydney’sQuay,barmanagerTakaShinoservesit withan
elderflowerandtonicreduction.“It’sournon-alcoholicversion
oftheclassicGinMartini,”hesays.Therestaurantalsooffersa
TemperanceMenuasanalternativetoa wine-matchingoption,
anapproachthatfirstoriginatedwithSydney’sMomofuku
Seiobo,whichlauncheda non-alcoholicpairingin2012.Today,
MomofukuSeiobo’sdrinksmenuis a collaborationbetween
sommelierMaxGurtlerandassistantmanagerNanceLiong,who
havecomeupwithinventivedrinkssuchasa spicedmacadamia-
milkpunchandbay-leafkombuchawithcucumber.“It'sgreat
toseesomanyothervenuesofferingnon-alcoholicdrinks,too,”
saysMomofukuSeiobogeneralmanagerKylieJavierAshton.
Overat Adelaide’sOrana,KylePooleis creatingbeverages
withIndigenousingredients.“Weusenativefingerlimes
foracidityandbrightness,nativelemongrassforflavouring
andherbalnotes,orquandongsforastringency,which,in
turn,givesussomereallycomplexflavours,”hesays.Andat
Melbourne’sAttica,sommelierandVignetteauthorJaneLopes
is servinga menuwhereshesmokesGrannySmithapple
juiceorturnssaltedmelonsintosomethingyou’dwantto
drink.Thisinventiveness,poweredbythesurgeofSeedlip,is
givingpeoplemorechoicewhendrinkingsocially,saysJavier
Ashton.“Personally,I thinkourdrinkingcultureis becoming
morerefinedbecauseofit – wethinkaboutflavourindrinks
thesamewasaswedofood,whichis reallyexciting.”
“AsI getolder,I'vestartedtoreallypayattentiontowhat
mybodywants,anda lotoftimesit isn’tanalcoholicdrink,”
Lopesadds.“Alotofpeoplestillwantthataddedlevelof
engagementwhentheycometotherestaurant– andjust
becausetheydon't(ordon'twantto)drink alcohol, they
shouldn't be left out of the fun.”●80 GOURMET TRAVELLER