Sales of non-alcoholic beer are skyrocketing in Australia and new data from Dan Murphy’s shows Queenslanders are leading the pack. Five of the 10 Dan Murphy’s and BWS stores that sell the most non-alcoholic beers are in Queensland, with Dan Murphy’s Noosaville taking out the top spot. 

“Considering the wonderful lifestyle and weather Queensland is known for, it’s little wonder our locals are thirstier than most for cold, non-alcoholic beers,” said Dan Murphy’s Noosaville Customer Experience Manager Rhonda Henderson. “They are the perfect thirst quenchers!”

“Many of our local customers that buy non-alcoholic beers are typically going to a barbeque or a party, and they want to take part in the celebrations, yet still be able to take the car back home.”

According to Endeavour Group’s Head of Merchandise Transformation Bree Coleman, Queensland’s growing affection for non-alcoholic beer isn’t just that it’s healthier, it’s also because the options taste much better than they once did.

“With new technologies and brewing processes, brewers have been able to make better tasting beers in recent years that really replicate the flavour of their alcoholic counterparts,” she said. “This is why non-alcoholic beer is the dominant category in non-alcoholic drinks, making up the majority of all sales in the category.

“Recently, we’ve also seen craft brewers jump on the trend, like Queensland’s Sobah and ACT’s Heaps Normal and they have created delicious, premium non-alcoholic craft beer options.

“Consumers are mainly choosing non-alcoholic products to moderate their consumption, but also because they like the taste; it’s not a compromise to choose a non-alcoholic option any more.”

“We are seeing customers drink less, but better across all drinks categories (not just non-alcoholic). Customers are more selective on what they consume, and are happy to spend more on a craft, premium drink that is produced locally.”

Non-alcoholic wine and spirits on the rise

Dan Murphy’s Noosaville stocks more than 200 non-alcoholic products – from craft beer, rosé and bubbles to craft gin and bourbon.

“I recently helped out a mother-of-the-bride to help disguise her daughter’s pregnancy on her big day,” Henderson said. “The bride was simply drinking non-alcoholic sparkling wine at her wedding!”

Overall, sales of non-alcoholic drinks at Endeavour Group have increased more than 83% in the 12 months.

“Non-alcoholic beer has been around for quite some time,” Coleman said. “Now, we are also seeing a great range of delicious non-alcoholic craft beers explode on the scene.

“Many winemakers have spent the last few years refining methods to make non-alcoholic wines, and many craft the wines as they normally would, and then remove the alcohol, which means the wines have all the flavours, but none of the alcohol.

“The gin-essaince and the premix premiumisation are trends that are reflected in customers wanting to explore non-alcoholic options in those categories.”

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