The rise of the alcohol-free spritz

With 72% of UK consumers expressing a preference for spritz serves, many brands are leaping to capitalise on the trend, triggering a flurry of releases to hit the market in anticipation of summer.

With the no-and low-alcohol sector expected to grow by a third by 2026 (IWSR, 2024), bars, restaurants and hotels are going head to head to conjure up the best alcohol-free spritzes this summer.

Alcohol-free sparkling brand Wild Idol is partnering with a number of high-end hospitality venues over the coming months, starting with a premium spritz menu at The Dorchester Garden, featuring two of its unique concoctions. Created in partnership with the team at the Vesper Bar inside five-star London hotel The Dorchester, the Wild Idol Spritz and Wild Idol Sgroppino will be available throughout summer.

is the luxury choice this summer, providing consumers who are moderating their alcohol intake with a premium option without compromising on taste or quality.

Alongside The Dorchester, notable venues such as The Pig Group and 1 Hotel Mayfair will also serve bespoke Wild Idol Spritz menus this season. The collaborations follow on from Wild Idol securing a listing earlier this year with luxury Scottish hotel Gleneagles.

“We are delighted to be leading the way with Wild Idol Spritz offerings at esteemed venues across the UK as the popularity of alcohol-free drinks continues to rise,” said Paul Beavis, CEO of Wild Idol. “Perfect for the summer months, Wild Idol is becoming the go-to premium option for spritz drinks among the on-trade.”

Wild Idol is a vegan, gluten-free and naturally alcohol-free sparkling alternative to wine and Champagne, handcrafted using a superior blend of grapes from exceptional vineyards. Unlike other non-alcoholic wines which use alcohol extraction, Wild Idol’s pure blend has never contained alcohol and has never been fermented. 

The brand aims to target “conscious hedonists”, consumers who want to moderate their alcohol intake with a premium drink that doesn’t compromise on taste or quality.

The premium alcohol-free trend is here to stay this year, with consumers increasingly coming to expect more diverse options on wine and cocktail lists.

In January, the drinks business reported that The Ivy had launched its first alcohol-free fine wine list featuring 10 wines to be rolled out across The Ivy Soho, The Ivy Chelsea Garden, The Ivy in the Park: Canary Wharf, The Ivy City Garden, The Ivy Kensington Brasserie and The Ivy Cobham Garden.

Meanwhile, last month an intellectual property tribunal rejected an application from Alcohol Change UK to ban brands from using the phrase ‘Dry January’. The tribunal dismissed the request, saying that the use of the term Dry January has become “generic within the low and no-alcohol sector”. It’s good news for alcohol-free brands as it protects their freedom to refer to the month-long period of abstinence at the start of the year, without legal comeback.