‘You’re paying not to feel terrible the next day’: Are we being ripped off by the high cost of non-alcoholic booze?

More Brits than ever are trading their gin and tonics for alcohol-free alternatives that look and taste almost identical. But if they contain none of the same alcoholic ingredients – and therefore aren’t subject to the same taxes – why are they so eye-wateringly expensive? Kate Ng speaks to manufacturers about the pricey truth behind drinking’s hottest new trend

Non-alcoholic cocktails still seem to be subject to mind-bogglingly high prices. Surely it’s in everybody’s best interest to make them more affordable? (iStock)

When I was a teenager, drinking alcohol was the marker of the cool and glamorous. They were the ones who snuck into their parents’ liquor cabinets to decant vodka into plastic bottles and bring to parties. My best friend, the ultimate cool girl, introduced me to Midori melon liqueur from her mother’s stash. It seemed so aspirational at the time. But now, less than 15 years later, all the cool kids just aren’t drinking alcohol any more.

With trends like “sober curious” and “mindful drinking” steadily on the rise, particularly among Gen Z and younger millennials, it seems alcohol has lost its sparkle. There are now two months in the year in which people are encouraged to give up the bottle – Dry January and Sober October – with more than 175,000 taking part in the former this year. To meet the demand, restaurants, bars and pubs have expanded their non-alcoholic (NA) drinks offerings beyond fruit juices and fizzy drinks.

NA cocktails are now all the rage, with nearly every venue offering its own menu. But, more often than not, the prices of these alternatives are eye-watering. I’ve seen them cost anywhere between £11 and £20, which seems totally outrageous when there isn’t any alcohol in them. Every peer and stranger I’ve spoken to about the prices of NA beverages has agreed with me and asked: why on earth are they nearly (or just as) expensive as a stiff drink?