Time to tackle the question that comes up again and again: why do alcohol-free drinks cost so much when there’s no alcohol in them?

This is part one of a two-part mini-series on the true cost of drinking alcohol-free.

Today I’m breaking down the industry economics behind your favourite low and no drinks — from the surprising truth that alcohol is often the cheapest ingredient, to the eye-watering costs of research, development, small batch production, and simply getting bottles onto supermarket shelves.

Next time, I’ll flip the script and look at what it costs you personally to drink alcohol-free, and the impact that choice has on your life.

0:00 Why Alcohol-Free Costs the Same
2:19 Alcohol is cheap
3:26 Tradition, research & development
6:20 The technicalities of taste
9:12 Preservation and Shelf-Life Issues
11:20 Small batch production
13:20 Costs of dealcoholisation
17:42 Marketing & promotion
20:19 Distribution: supermarkets & online
25:13 Recouping the costs
26:36 Speculate to accumulate great drinks

Also mentioned:
Days*
Lucky Saint*

Best episode to listen to next:

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🌱 Reset the way alcohol shows up in your life with the 4 Week Midlife Mindful Drinking Reset
https://www.lownodrinker.com/4weekreset

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🧮 Drinking Impact Calculator: Find your personal tipping point
https://mindfuldrinkinginmidlife.com/products/drinking-impact-calculator

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🗣️ Join the growing community on Substack
https://lownodrinker.substack.com/

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🧐 Take the quiz and find out what's REALLY driving your midlife drinking habits
https://www.lownodrinker.com/

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💰 Get 10% off drinks at Wise Bartender with code LOWNODRINKERMAGAZINE
https://wisebartender.co.uk/lownodrinkermagazine *

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*Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, Low No Drinker may earn a commission. Thank you.