Cut back, reset, new year, new you! Sound familiar?

“Alcohol-free” and “spirit” feel almost like an incongruous string of words. Spirits are traditionally associated with being the booziest of booze, more alcoholic than beer and wine. Hitting the spirits in the bar is the signal for taking the night to the next level – and usually spells misery for the next day. But as the new year begins and people take part in campaigns such as sober October and dry January, or are cutting down on their drinking more generally, they’ll be glad to know there are many great alcohol-free spirits available.

Statistics show that 47% of UK adults are looking to cut back on their alcohol consumption, with it estimated that over four million people will take part in Dry January this year. Will you be joining them?

Someone who can vouch first-hand for the positives from going sober is Jason Stoneham, a client of Almighty. Jason came to Almighty with the hope to inspire others to drink more responsibly after committing an impressive 46 days to being sober himself. He couldn’t believe the improvements this choice had made on his physical, mental health and wellbeing. He had more energy, a calmer mind and was sleeping much better. The only problem he faced in his pursuit was the limited choice of non-alcoholic substitutes. What was on the market at the time, not only didn’t taste good, it often came in at a higher price point than traditional alcoholic brands. This inspired Jason to gather his 30 years in the industry and follow his dream of creating his own 0% alcohol brand.

The challenge: Sales of low and no-alcohol ‘spirits’ increased 32.7% between 2019 and 2020, with the sector expected to witness the biggest volume growth by 2024 compared with other low-and-no subcategories. Jason’s vision was to create a great tasting non-alcoholic spirit, made with premium ingredients, all natural colours and low calorie formulas at a competitive price point.

The process: We worked with Jason to create a name that didn’t take itself too seriously but very quickly articulated what the product is. Straight & Narrow, a tongue in cheek reference to the well known saying that we all associate with being on our best behaviour. The bold but elegant ampersand acts as a striking brand mark, giving the bottles maximum shelf presence in-store and online. As the brand develops it gives Straight & Narrow the opportunity to be playful in their approach to marketing, creating spirited headlines like; Drink & Drive with S&N, and Relax & Enjoy with S&N, to appeal to a wide range of spirit drinkers.

Straight & Narrow’s hero message speaks true to the positives of going alcohol free, but another feel good factor is Jason’s commitment to supporting charities and those in need. Straight & Narrow donate 5% of all company turnover to Cure Leukaemia, all funds raised each year will be invested into the national Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) which Cure Leukaemia began funding in January 2020. ‘Feel good inside & out’

It is estimated over four million people will take part in Dry January this year. Will you be joining them? Alcohol Change is the charity behind Dry January, you can find lots of helpful and inspiring information about the event on their website, or download their Try Dry App to track your progress.

Cheers…to a healthy new year!