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Finding pubs with alcohol free drinks is getting easier as more Australian venues expand their NoLo menus beyond zero alcohol beer. Mocktails, alcohol free spirits, sparkling wine, still wine and spritzes are increasingly giving mindful drinkers more choice at their local pub.
NoLo Life scouts have been exploring local venues and finding more pubs that recognise non drinkers want proper adult drink options too. The result is a growing number of pubs offering something more interesting than soft drink or sparkling water.
The best pubs with alcohol free drinks offer more than one token zero beer. A genuinely inclusive drinks menu might include alcohol free beer, wine, spirits, spritzes and thoughtfully made mocktails, giving customers a choice that better matches the rest of the bar menu.
Take The Coach, in Ringwood (outer east of Melbourne) as an example – a large unassuming family establishment with sports bar, pokies and bistro. They’ve stocked AF beer and an AF sauvignon blanc for many years. Now, as demand has grown, they have added a range of zero and mid-strength wines for mindful drinkers and designated drivers, with favourite labels such as McGuigans, Pepperjack and Squealing Pig on the menu!
On the other side of town, the Ascot Vale Hotel doesn’t have quite the range of still NOLO wine choices, however, they do have zero alcohol beer, spritz and prosecco available. Nick Schultze, one of the pub owners, explained that a range of factors were at play in choosing to have more than just zero beer for their locals. With the increase of baby showers and first birthdays being held there, the requests for AF options were mounting. Younger patrons, also want to don’t let the Zero tolerance alcohol limits attached to their P-plates get in the way of them joining their mates for a drink at their corner pub.
The big lesson in this for non- and mindful drinkers is that you won’t get what you don’t ask for! The more you ask for the AF or LA (low-alcohol) drink of your choice at your local, the more the message will get across, that non-drinkers like to hit the pub too, and they don’t mind paying for an adult option other than soft drink.
Melbournites are lucky when it comes to AF choices at local pubs, no matter where you are in the Garden City, there will be a NOLO inclusive pub not too far away. From The Wheelers Hill, to The Lincoln in Carlton, and further south to the Middle Park Hotel, you won’t have far to drive (which you can do without counting your drinks with AF options) to find a pub where your whole crew can meet and enjoy an adult drink, with or without alcohol.
Sydney runs a close second when it comes to NOLO-friendly pubs, but the other major cities have some catching up to do. If you look hard enough though, you’ll be able to find a pub that won’t exclude anyone who’s pregnant or breastfeeding, the designated drivers, those on medications and of course, those just wanting to lead their healthiest possible best lives!
Pubs with alcohol free drinks make socialising easier for people who are driving, pregnant, taking a break from alcohol, drinking more mindfully or simply choosing not to drink that day.
Good NoLo choices also help make pubs more inclusive. Customers should not have to settle for water or soft drink simply because they are skipping alcohol. Offering alcohol free beer, wine, spirits and cocktails gives everyone the opportunity to order something that still feels suited to the occasion.
The more customers ask for these options, the stronger the message becomes that alcohol free drinks deserve a permanent place on Australian pub menus.
Looking for pubs with alcohol free drinks near you? Use our NoLo friendly venue search to choose your venue type and location and discover local venues with AF and LA options.
Finding pubs with alcohol free drinks should not have to feel like a wild goose chase. As more customers ask for better NoLo choices, local pubs have an opportunity to make their drinks menus more inclusive for everyone.
If your local pub already has great alcohol free options but is not listed in our venue search, let us know so we can add it. In a world where inclusivity matters, everyone should be able to meet at the local and order a drink they actually want.
