Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer Coming To Atlantic Canadian Costcos
HALIFAX — With the New Year around the corner, people are jotting down their resolutions. A common promise is to drink less alcohol in 2023, and doing a so-called“Dry January” is a common pledge.
There are signs that this trend is more than just a one-off resolution. More and more people, aware of the risks of alcohol consumption, are turning to non-alcoholic beverages as an alternative. Sales of these beverages in the United States increased 20 percent this year, and a recent report predicts worldwide sales will reach $23 billion by 2025.
Craft brewers in Atlantic Canada are stepping up to meet that demand. Libra is a non-alcoholic beer brewed out of PEI. Cofounder and CEO Mitch Cobb, who is also a co-founder of Upstreet Craft Brewing, says Libra’s sales have jumped 300 percent since last year.
It’s soon going to be easier for the rest of Atlantic Canada to buy Libra. The beer is expected to hit the shelves of the six regional Costco outlets in early January. Libra products are already found in other major grocers in the Maritimes and in outlets across the country.
“We’re looking forward to 2023 and we’re planning to see similar growth,” said Cobb. “Retailers are starting to take notice. For the longest time, the nonalcoholic section in grocery stores collected dust. People didn’t really even go down that aisle or even look at all the products. So, it’s really an area that’s ready to grow and more people are starting to take notice.”
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The idea for Libra came to Cobb a few years ago, after he had already started Upstreet in 2015. Being in the Craft Brewing world, it became normal for Cobb to partake in the lifestyle himself. He soon realized he needed to make a change for his health.
“Myself and my business partner decided to quit our day jobs and start a brewery,” said Cobb. “After a couple years, there was always an opportunity to have a beer, whether that was at a meeting, a lunch, or after work with the staff.”
“Over time, it really started to take a toll on my health. I had gained a lot of weight and I wasn’t really feeling on top of my game. So, I made a decision to start focusing more on my health and one of the things that I chose to do is cut back on the amount of craft beer I was drinking, and then I decided to cut back on alcohol altogether.”
But Cobb still wanted to enjoy the social aspects of drinking. Anyone who has ever gone to a party with soda or water knows it can be awkward to feel like the only person not drinking alcohol. That was one reason he and his partners started developing a new non-alcoholic drink, so people could still enjoy a great-tasting beer without getting intoxicated.
“It shifts the conversation from ‘why you’re drinking water tonight?’ to ‘what are you drinking?’” Explains Cobb. “And you’re not trying to hide in the corner or cover it up. You’re proud and excited to be drinking a really great-tasting beverage that you want other people to try it.”
Cobb also believes there’s been a major shift towards people looking after their health. In 2020, many people began drinking more thanks to the stress of the pandemic and alcohol available delivered to their doors. There was also a lot of snacking while couped up and not much exercise outdoors. Now more people conscious, three years later, of they eat and drink.
Cobb notes how non-alcoholic drinks were brewed for people who had past problems with alcohol or were forbidden to drink it due to serious health issues. But he’s noticed a change in people’s attitudes.
“It’s really shifted [a mindset] of moderation,” said Cobb. “So, in our taproom, people will come in after work, and they’ll have a 6 percent IPA, but they have to drive home or they have to go do something so they’ll have a couple of Libras after that.”
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].