Content created in partnership with AF Drinks
New Zealand is getting its first ever alcohol-free bottle store in Ponsonby, just in time for Dry July. The Curious AF Bottle Shop will launch for a limited time on June 23, and is the brainchild of Eat My Lunch and AF Drinks founder, Lisa King.
The ‘sober curious’ movement has been filling cups with non-alcoholic drinks around the world for a while now, so it’s high time we saw a retail outlet offering a solution for this very valid life choice here in Aotearoa.
You’d be hard-pressed to find many people who didn’t turn to the bottle as a way of getting through lockdowns. Kiwi culture in normal times equates drinking with most occasions so it’s no wonder that we started leaning heavily on ‘wine o’clock’ to get us through those never-ending lockdown days.
All of those 'quarantinis' can add up though, and with lockdowns no longer an excuse, there is a growing group of people eager to enjoy going out (or staying home) without the need for booze. An interest in exploring a reduced alcohol lifestyle, a desire to lead a healthier life, more social freedom and a dislike of hangovers are just some of many reasons that may drive the curious into this pop-up store.
Alcohol-free bottle shops have been growing in popularity across the US, with momentum for them building even since before the pandemic. This momentum has also been felt in New Zealand, where sales of alcohol-free drinks have skyrocketed in the last 12 months.
It makes sense that Kiwis would be excited by this movement: we’re a country that has always taken drinks seriously – after all, we are the inventors of the flat white and L&P. It tracks that if we’re cutting down on our liquor, we’re going to want something else equally delicious to make sure we aren’t missing out.
As Lisa King puts it, “we want people to feel that going dry or reducing alcohol is not a sacrifice and it can still be fun, interesting and easy to do.”
The selection of alcohol-free drinks on offer at The Curious AF Bottle Shop have had as much love and care put into their creation as their boozy counterparts. This is not your grandmother’s alcohol-free wine from the 90s, these are drinks carefully crafted to please the palate.
Usually regarded as a mecca for boozy nights or long lunches, Lisa chose to situate the store on Auckland’s Ponsonby Road because of its association with good food and drink, and because it would naturally draw “people who are open to experiencing something different and new”.
And in line with Ponsonby’s chic reputation, The Curious AF Bottle Shop will look more like an art installation than your local liquor store. Inside, alongside the full range of AF drinks, a selection of carefully curated drinks from around the world will be available, each one painstakingly chosen.
Lisa sampled nearly 100 brands of alcohol-free drinks before settling on the three best ‘Champagnes’, and there will even be an alcohol-free tequila available. Imagine, a world where you can do some shots of a damn fine tasting tequila with your friends without the headache and booze blues the next day. Heaven!
Although Dry July has been around for some time now, the post-lockdown world feels like one of new opportunities and chances for a fresh start, so why not reinvent yourself as a non-drinker?
Indulge that curiosity for Dry July and take a look at this world-class stockist of the best sober brands from around the world. Come for the gorgeous Instagrammable bottle displays and floral arrangements, and leave with the ingredients for a whole new mindset.
Lisa King’s suggestions for any awesome AF occasion:
• Taking to a dinner party at a friend’s house: Our new AF Sparkling Sake with Yuzu is delicate and light and is great as a pre-dinner drink or paired with a light starter.
• A celebration - engagement, new job etc: Thomson & Scott Noughty Sparkling Rose, because nothing says celebration like a bottle of bubbles.
• A casual BBQ: Lowtide Brewing Co. Forgot To Take My PILS is a team pick not just for its deep hoppy taste but also it's super cool packaging.
• A delicious cocktail: The beautiful orange colour of AF Apero Spritz is so impressive in a large wine glass with slices of orange. You really feel like you're on a beach in Italy sipping on a cocktail.
• A cosy roast dinner or winter stew: AF Dark & Stormy, which is our take on the classic spiced rum, ginger ale and lime.
Check out any of the above, available at The Curious AF Bottle Shop, from June 23, at Shop 4a inside Ponsonby Central.
