Hello, welcome back, and Happy New Year! Whether you've just had your first sober Christmas, you're trying Dry January or you just want something in your fridge beyond Diet Coke, we've got recommendations for you – and some live taste testing, too.

Find our own new books (and some of our favourite non-alc ones about great drinks) on our Bookshop.org shop.

If you’ve got a favourite drink, or a menu that you’d like to celebrate or shame – or if you're a soft drinks fan going "OH THANK GOD!" and would like to come and chat about your faves – then email us at [email protected] or on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast. We’ll see you soon, soda speak.

Helen's on BlueSky @HelenLOHara and Instagram @heleno84

Kat's on BlueSky @katbrown and Instagram @katbrownwrites

Artwork: Ilutaka

Music: HoliznaCC0

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pop Culture is officially international! A little while ago, Helen visited Board Dublin, another fantastic alcohol-free bar with a massive selection of non-alc drinks. By day, you can enjoy food, coffee and interesting drinks upstairs in the bright and airy cafe, as well as delving in to the massive selection of board games on offer (bagsie the Jurassic Park chess). By night, the traditional-style pub opens up downstairs, with non-alc beers on tap, Irish-related wines and much much more, as you can see on their Instagram here.

As luck would have it, the pub's Chris Raymond was there on the same day, trying to get some work done in a corner when Helen buttonholed him and requested an interview when he had a minute. We finally managed to get online and have a chat a little later, so here's what goes in to opening a non-alc bar in the Irish capital, and just how much hate you're going to get for it. The key, it seems, is to absolutely avoid research. Have a listen to learn more.

If you’ve got cool knowledge about soft drinks that you'd like to share with us, or any other non-booze-related gossip, then email us at [email protected]. You can see what and where we've been drinking lately on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast, and join our mailbag! DM us a voice note, a question, or your thoughts on all things drinks so we can share it on a future show.

Pop Culture is on Bookshop.org! Read books by us, our guests, and others we like, while helping to support the show. Thank you for listening and, until Helen comes up with another catchphrase, keeeeeep drinking!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kat and Helen are off on another adventure this episode, visiting Club Soda in London. Club Soda is a fantastic resource for those wanting to drink less or not at all: founded almost a decade ago by Laura Willoughby as a sort of non-drinking equivalent to Weight Watchers, a community for non-drinkers, former drinkers or those trying to cut down or cut out temporarily. As well as campaigning for better non-alcoholic options in all walks of life, Laura has established a business selling interesting non-alc drinks online and now set up a tasting room on Drury Lane in Covent Garden. It's a cool little bar full of no-alcohol and some low-alcohol options for anyone who wants to drink less or not at all. You name it and they probably have it; it's a bit of a dream come true for people like us. So we went along to talk to Laura about how things are changing, what she hopes for the future and whether you'll ever get a similar selection down at your own local pub or favourite restaurant.

If you’ve got cool knowledge about soft drinks that you'd like to share with us, or any other non-booze-related gossip, then email us at [email protected]. You can see what and where we've been drinking lately on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast, and join our mailbag! DM us a voice note, a question, or your thoughts on all things drinks so we can share it on a future show.

Pop Culture is on Bookshop.org! Read books by us, our guests, and others we like, while helping to support the show. Thank you for listening and, until Helen comes up with another catchphrase, keeeeeep drinking!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special bonus episode of Pop Culture, your hosts Kat Brown and Helen O'Hara reunite to catch you up on what's been happening since you last heard us, and explain the new plans for the show (we're going fortnightly, basically - or if you're American, every two weeks). We also took the opportunity to try a new tipple we'd been sent. Wednesday's Domaine has just launched two new sparkling non-alc wines, an Eclat and a Cuvée, so we put them to the taste test and Helen tried her best not to just say that they tasted wine-y (though, you know, what else would non-alc wines taste like?). Elsewhere, we discuss the delights of beetroot cocktails at Ognisko (are we sure? Ed) and the surprising trend in German soft drinks after our time away, and get ready for a brand new season!

If you’ve got cool knowledge about soft drinks that you'd like to share with us, or any other non-booze-related gossip, then email us at [email protected]. You can see what and where we've been drinking lately on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast, and join our mailbag! DM us a voice note, a question, or your thoughts on all things drinks so we can share it on a future show.

Pop Culture is on Bookshop.org! Read books by us, our guests, and others we like, while helping to support the show. Thank you for listening and, until Helen comes up with another catchphrase, keeeeeep drinking!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it overkill to say that Ben Branson basically invented the non-alc drinks space as we have it now? Through his invention, Seedlip, a billion-dollar non-alc industry now exists, bringing quality drinks into restaurants, bars, and homes around the world. Ben tells us the hard truths of launching a new product when you're one person (especially when it's non-alcoholic), the best and worst things people said to him, his secret future plans... it was truly a breath of fresh air to speak to him.

Ben's latest invention is seasn cocktail bitters, beloved by sommeliers Melania Bellesini (The Fat Duck) and Helen McGinn (Saturday Kitchen – and check out our episodes with both of them to hear them raving about them). Ben was diagnosed with ASD and ADHD in 2022, and subsequently founded the charity Prism ND to bring better awareness of neurodivergence to media coverage. Prism ND's first project is The Hidden 20%, a brilliant podcast where Ben interviews neurodivergent people with a central concept that "great minds think differently". Kat especially is a huge fan, so check it out.

If you’ve got cool knowledge about soft drinks that you'd like to share with us, or any other non-booze-related gossip, then email us at [email protected]. You can see what and where we've been drinking lately on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast, and join our mailbag! DM us a voice note, a question, or your thoughts on all things drinks so we can share it on a future show.

Pop Culture is on Bookshop.org! Read books by us, our guests, and others we like, while helping to support the show. Thank you for listening and, until Helen comes up with another catchphrase, keeeeeep drinking!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What the hell happened to Lilt? If you were blindsided over its reincarnation as a Fanta drink in 2023, then consumer journalist Rob Brown is here to tell you what happened and why. Plus, cocktails that taste like Yankee Candles (bad) and Blue WKD's reinvention as a 0% drink (erm, good, we guess?) and a lovely mailbag of listener stories and feedback to last week's Coca-Cola episode with Chris Hewitt.

Helen's prepping for the Empire podcast tour (tickets here) and Kat's getting to ready to launch her next book, No One Talks About This Stuff (preorder here).

Extra Lilt deep dive stuff:

The data (Marketing Week)

Killing Lilt (The Brand Gym)

Rob's piece on the reaction (The Grocer)

Episode transcript

If you’ve got a favourite drink you’d like to share with us or any other non-booze-related gossip, then email us at [email protected]. See what and where we've been drinking lately on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast.

Pop Culture is on Bookshop.org! Read our books, our guests’ books, and other books we like, while helping to support the show at https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/pop-culture-soft-drinks-podcast

Artwork: Ilutaka

Music: HoliznaCC0

Lilt advert via: 101soundboards

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After last week's Fat Duck episode where we learned that fine restaurant had created its own cola in part to tempt Coke-addicted diners into trying something familiar but different, we are thrilled to welcome Helen's colleague from the magnificent Empire Film Podcast, and podcasting's number one Coke fiend, Chris Hewitt, onto the show to talk about all things Coca-Cola. We discuss Diet Coke, Coke Zero, New Coke, and everything in between, as well as thoughts on brand loyalty, nostalgia, identity, and how much sugar is too much sugar. Plus, all the latest non-alcoholic news, what we've been drinking and doing this week, we have a cola-themed mailbag, and Chris has some excellent stories about both Diet Coke and 'popcorn'.

Empire podcast tour & tickets

picture proof of Chris's Bond marathon in 2006

Episode transcript

If you’ve got cool knowledge about soft drinks that you'd like to share with us, or any other non-booze-related gossip, then email us at [email protected]. You can see what and where we've been drinking lately on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast, and join our mailbag! DM us a voice note, a question, or your thoughts on all things drinks so we can share it on a future show.

Have a lovely week!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Fat Duck is one of the most creative restaurants in the world – we've paid to go, twice – and since 2018, Head Sommelier Melania Bellesini has made sure its soft drinks have measured up to its vast wine list. We were invited to get the gossip on their non-alc drinks and, unsurprisingly, jumped at the chance! From Melania's attempts at perfecting an own-label cola to the drink the staff vetoed, she shared her knowledge and then some – this is completely fascinating and has revolutionised how both of us think about putting a drink together and how we pair drinks with food. Put it this way – Helen's favourite drink is now a dead ringer for an Old Fashioned, and Kat's finally caved and brought some of the seasn 0% cocktail bitters which were used in lots of Melania's drinks, and is one step away from taking out shares in Wild Eve, Monin syrups, and Non. Plus, we asked Melania last week's listener question about food and booze, and someone fell down the stairs mid-interview – they're totally fine, but that's what the kerfuffle was all about. A big thank you to Melania Bellesini for her time and expertise, and to everyone at The Fat Duck for hosting us so beautifully. We did leave, eventually.

Episode summary

Introducing Melania. (3:21)

Where to start with creating a non-alcoholic drinks pairing. (8:07)

How to create a signature cocktail. (12:17)

Creating alternatives, not replacements. (19:21)

Pairing the right drink to the right dish. (26:16)

The importance of glassware – and coffee. (32:36)

What a sommelier drinks at home. (39:55)

The Fat Duck version of Coca-Cola. (46:11)

Non-alcoholic drinks at The Fat Duck restaurant. (52:34)

Episode transcript

The Fat Duck drinks menu

If you’ve got cool knowledge about soft drinks that you'd like to share with us, or any other non-booze-related gossip, then email us at [email protected]. You can see what and where we've been drinking lately on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast, and join our mailbag! DM us a voice note, a quesion, or your thoughts on all things drinks so we can share it on a future show.

Pop Culture is on Bookshop.org! Read books by us, our guests, and others we like, while helping to support the show. Thank you for listening and, until Helen comes up with another catchphrase, keeeeeep drinking!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listener Richard Kirke emailed in to offer us some explanation of how decisions are made around sweeteners and sugar in soft drinks, and how companies balance them out – especially post-sugar tax. Why Richard? Well, as well as being a composer, Richard glories in the job of beverage technician – he is one of the people who designs drinks and recalibrates them when they need to change but keeping their taste. It's a fascinating discussion and taught us a lot about taste, different sweeteners and – Helen's new favourite term – bricks.

Episode notes

What we drank at Kat's book launch (0:00)

Insomnia, cheese, and book writing. (2:57)

Froot Shoots, air up, and the nostalgia of squash (7:08)

What are we drinking? Wednesday's Domaine (10:38)

Richard Kirke interview (19:54)

Launching new drinks and reducing sugar content. (23:12)

Sugar alternatives in the food industry... (28:33)

... and their limitations. (31:57)

Artificial sweeteners and their potential health risks. (37:36)

Food industry trends and sugar reduction. (41:30)

Favourite soft drinks and exotic juices. (46:22)

The mailbag! (47:22)

Food and drink options for non-drinkers and vegetarians. (52:19)

Episode transcript

If you’ve got cool knowledge about soft drinks that you'd like to share with us, or any other non-booze-related gossip, then email us at [email protected]. You can see what and where we've been drinking lately on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast, and join our mailbag! DM us a voice note or your thoughts on all things drinks – we love to hear from you, and we might share it on a future show.

Pop Culture is on Bookshop.org! Read books by us, our guests, and others we like, while helping to support the show. Thank you for listening and, until Helen comes up with another catchphrase, keeeeeep drinking!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello if you've come here from Grazia! If you're listening before Feb 1st, your two favourite pop enthusiasts have written about all things soft and you can read our piece in the current issue. Our guest today is Professor David Nutt, the renowned neuropsychopharmacologist and all-round science legend, who has dedicated much of his career to understanding how alcohol and drugs affect the brain. He co-founded GABA Labs to bring greater choices to adult social drinkers, and the first available result is Sentia: a non-alcoholic drink that gives you a two-drink buzz. We talk about why humans enjoy booze in the first place, and Prof Nutt's forthcoming products for GABA Labs – including Alcarelle, a genuinely revolutionary molecule that could be to alcohol what sweetener is to sugar.

Tom Whipple's Sentia piece in The Times

How drugs compare in terms of harm

Episode summary:

We're in Grazia! (0:00)

What are we drinking? M&S Frizzantea (2:34)

Mailbag! Shirley Temple drink and its history. (6:13)

Non-alcoholic drinks and drug policy with Professor David Nutt. (10:27)

Alcohol's effects on social anxiety and harmful usage. (17:33)

GABA and its role in the brain and food. (22:13)

GABA-based functional drinks and their effects. (26:26)

Alcohol harm and the future of Prof Nutt's non-alcoholic alternatives. (31:51)

*smug fist bump to Duolingo lads who knows that 'Frizzantea' is a pun on 'frizzante' which means fizzy, and also, actual Italians*

Episode transcript

If you’ve got a favourite drink you’d like to share with us, or any other non-booze-related gossip, then email us at [email protected]. You can see what and where we've been drinking lately on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast, and join our mailbag! DM us a voice note or your thoughts on all things drinks – we love to hear from you, and we might share it on a future show.

Pop Culture is on Bookshop.org! Read books by us, our guests, and others we like, while helping to support the show. Thank you for listening and, until Helen comes up with another catchphrase, keeeeeep drinking!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.