Why are alcohol-free drinks just as expensive as their alcoholic counterpart?

So why are alcohol free drinks so expensive I hear you ask? You go to all that effort to ditch the booze and keep the High Vibes (see what I did there 😊) - but the cost is still the same?

It’s a common misconception that alcohol free drinks should be lower in price than alcoholic drinks, some people even think non-alcoholic drinks should be as cheap as the kid’s soft drink.

Well here at High Vibes Drinks, I have explore this commonly asked question to shine some light on this mystery.

Its all in the process

There is more to the process when making non-alcoholic drinks. A non- alcoholic wine is made in the same way as your normal wine, but then has the next step of alcohol removal, this takes time and money. In addition to this, a lot of that beautiful wine is lost in the dealcoholizing process, which means wine producers need to begin with more wine than what is left at the end.

This process means the alcohol free wines that are on the market are vastly superior to the same priced alcoholic drinks as produces need to use the best grapes available! So you are getting the very best as they can't use standard grapes, because there is no alcohol to hide behind. 

Its new and boutique

The non-alcoholic drinks industry is still in its infancy. It costs money to build something new, then test and learn, and then test some more, to bring the best flavours to the market.

And because people are still getting to know this style of drinks, these alcohol-free drinks are not mass-produced. They are often made by independent drink companies, family businesses and new entrepreneurs who simply don’t have the economies of scale of the large global drink’s companies. Smaller independents pay more for things like the processing, ingredients are shipping.

In the coming years as these companies grow to meet increasing market demand, we might start to see prices change. So tell the others, because it helps support this idea, and bring prices down for everyone.

The flavours are really, really complex

The creation and production of non-alcoholic drinks is a complex process that requires a lot of work. These small non-alcoholic drink independents don’t just focus on flavour, they consider the full drinking experience!! The flavour, the smell, the taste, the mouth-feel - every element of the alcohol drinking process is explored.

And the good news is, this isn’t done by just adding lots of extra sugar and artificial flavours. Producers of alcohol-free drinks use cutting edge technology to infuse the best botanicals that can replicate the flavour of the real thing. I absolutely love this, and it's one of the reasons I want to help spread the word about these amazing drinks.

But what about the taxes?

It's true that the cost of alcoholic drinks includes excise tax. However, while some producers may pay alcohol excise, there are numerous excise rebates and subsidy schemes in place to help support the alcohol industry as a whole. So, the taxes aren’t as costly as they appear.

So, let’s review, the cost is reflective of small independent produces sourcing the best products to give you the most amazing drinking experience – WIN!!

You get great flavoured drinks that are lower in sugar and calories and have less artificial ingredients – DOUBLE WIN!!

I am starting to wonder why anyone would drink anything else?

I hope this clears things up a little. And don’t forget to make every day great!

Elise

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