The holiday season is upon us and that means sunny skies, beach trips and sipping on your favourite cold drink or cocktail.
We all have two types of friends when it comes to drinking - those who love a good cocktail mixed with their favourite spirit and those who can still enjoy a turn-up with a non-alcoholic drink, also known as a mocktail.
With the silly season approaching, having one too many cocktails can get you into trouble with the law.
However, a new drinks trend has seen the rise of low alcohol by volume (ABV) drinks.
So you can still enjoy your mojito or pina colada, but don’t have to worry about a babalas in the morning.
I recently spoke to a Johannesburg-based bar owner, Peter Good, who said that low ABV cocktails have been on the rise for five years.
“They are here to stay. A good quality cocktail does not have to be overly boozy... low ABV cocktails are by no means a new trend, it is a drink with an alcohol volume not exceeding 10%,” Peter says.
Silvana Dantu, the co-owner of Zari Sparkling Grape, an alcohol-free juice, says people are moving away from alcoholic drinks for different reasons.
“People don’t get drunk on street corners anymore, they know their actions can be captured on social media. So they want an alternative.
“Then, of course, there is the Muslim market,” she told me.
This summer, you can invite all your friends to the same party and everyone can enjoy a refreshing cocktail to suit their needs.