DRINK DRIVING CAMPAIGNS TRIGGER SURGE OF INTEREST IN NON-ALCOHOLIC OPTIONS

According to Soul Beverages, a New Zealand owned premium soft drink brand specialising in sophisticated non-alcoholic cocktails, there has been a huge increase in enquiries about adult soft drinks over the last two months, with interest rising as the festive season approaches. It is thought that initiatives such as the NZ Transport drink driving campaign have encouraged people to rethink their drink choices and look for alternative non-alcoholic options.

‘Drink driving is still a serious problem in this country,’ explains Geoff Hunt, Managing Director of Soul Beverages. ‘130 people die in a crash caused by a drink driver every year, and a further 2,000 are injured. I think that with all the hard hitting anti-drink driving advertisements on TV and alcohol education programmes, people are starting to take notice and are looking for ways to moderate their consumption. Non-alcoholic wine and beer, along with virgin cocktails are becoming more popular among people that want to avoid alcohol on occasion, if they are a designated driver for example, but still want the taste.’

Geoff doesn’t believe that there enough adult non-alcoholic choices available for New Zealanders who don’t want to drink and thinks there would be many more individuals prepared to be the sober driver in their group if the range was wider. ‘We thought the adult soft drink choices were a little dull, so launched the Soul Virgin Cocktails as an alternative to alcohol’

‘At a lot of parties and bars, the usual choice a non-drinker can expect to make is between orange juice and cola,’ says Geoff. ‘These aren’t exciting options and often people feel excluded if they’re not sipping an interesting drink. If, on the other hand, they have a sophisticated looking drink in their hand, they are much less likely to feel left out socially. If the drink is a virgin cocktail presented in a long stemmed glass or stylish bottle, no one else there will even realise they aren’t drinking alcohol.’

For more information on Soul Beverages, visit http://www.drinksoul.com/