For years, those who couldn’t or chose not to drink alcohol had a paltry smattering of uninspired options when it came to low- and no-alcohol alternatives to wine, beer, coolers, cocktails and spirits.
And while many of these unappealing options still linger, gathering dust on shelves in grocery stores and Liquor Marts, the launch of the Søbr Market two years ago transformed the non-alcoholic drinks landscape in Manitoba in a profound way.
After initially operating out of their garage with a focus on online sales, Shane and Jessie Halliburton opened the Søbr Market on Academy Road in a space they quicky outgrew; in July they moved down the street into their current digs at 390 Academy Rd.
The Søbr Market in the Exchange District
The shop features hundreds of low/no-alcohol beverages of all sorts and from around the world, and has seen the shop develop a devoted following in Winnipeg. Beyond the city’s borders, the popularity of the drinks they’re slinging has also seen the Søbr Market open three Toronto locations in short order, while retaining a strong online presence, with orders being placed from all corners of the country.
The arrival of the shop couldn’t have come at a better time: studies show younger adults are choosing to drink less, or not at all, a reality reflected in slumping sales in many liquor categories.
The Søbr Market’s presence in Manitoba has also spurred private wine stores, beer vendors, grocery stores and, to an extent, Liquor Marts to up their game when it comes to alcohol-free (or almost free) drinks offerings.
All of which means that those taking part in Sober October, considering non-alcoholic options for the holidays, gearing up for Dry January or simply choosing not to drink (or drink less) no longer have to settle for coffee, pop, juice or water.
Whether you don’t drink, are sober curious or simply want to test-drive some of these non-alcoholic options, the Common at The Forks Market is running a Sober October pop-up bar tonight starting at 5 p.m. in unit 147 (the old Passero space), which will feature a range of low- and no-alcohol drinks from the Søbr Market and Wolseley Kombucha available for purchase.
@bensigurdson
(Non-alcoholic) drinks of the week
Unlike liquor in Manitoba, prices on non-alcoholic drinks aren’t regulated, so cost (and availability) may vary.
Heineken 0.0 Premium Malt Lager (Holland — around $14/6x330ml bottles, most grocery stores)
Medium gold and clear in colour, with that bitter/herbal and malty combo of aromas the real-deal version typically brings. Bone-dry, crisp and refreshing, with that typical Heineken bitterness from coming with solid underlying and fresh malty notes. All the flavour of the original, but without the booze (as the name suggests, it’s zero per cent alcohol) — well done. Widely available. 3.5/5
Collective Arts Non-Alcoholic Hazy Pale Ale (Hamilton — around $4/355ml cans, the Søbr Market, select private wine stores and beer vendors)
Pale straw and hazy in appearance, with lovely floral, grassy and tropical fruit notes coming through aromatically from Citra and Mosaic hops. Crisp, dry and malt-driven, with fresh and tasty tropical fruit and citrus rind notes, subtle herbal (but not bitter) flavours from the hops and nice texture typical of hazy pale ales. Lands at 0.4 per cent alcohol. 3.5/5
Sober Carpenter Irish Red (Montreal — $3.50-4.00/473ml cans, most grocery stores, select private wine stores and beer vendors, the Søbr Market)
Deep cola brown with a beige head in appearance, and with upfront roasted malt and barley aromas and a hint of caramel. Dry, medium-bodied and robust, with loads of dark malt and barley flavours that retain a hint of that caramel/Tootsie Roll component. Must love grainy, malty flavours; the can notes it contains less than 0.5 per cent alcohol. 2.5/5
Bellwoods Brewery Jelly King Raspberry & Blackberry Dry Hopped Sour (Toronto — $6.50-7.50/473ml cans, the Søbr Market, select private wine stores, beer vendors and boutique grocery stores)
Deep pink and hazy in appearance, with a tart/saline note that works in tandem with deep, jammy berry aromas. Dry, light-plus bodied and chewy, with jammy fruit, a slightly salty note some mouth-puckering tartness — just how a sour beer should be. There’s a reason local breweries offer Bellwoods brews as low/no-alcohol options (0.4 per cent, in this case) in tap rooms. Excellent stuff; picked this up at De Nardi Wines. 4.5/5
Leitz NV Eins Zwei Zero Sparkling Riesling (Germany — around $6-7/250ml cans, the Søbr Market, private wine stores)
Medium straw in colour and clear, with pleasant (and classic Riesling) red apple, waxy and chalky lemon aromas. Light-bodied and medium-sweet, with fresh green apple, lemon and chalky notes as well as racy acidity and crisp bubbles that help the flavours linger. Also available in 750ml bottles for around $18-$22 at most of the same locations. 3/5
Benjamin Bridge Vineyards NV Ruby Piquette (Gaspereau Valley, N.S. — $4.25-5/250ml cans, the Søbr Market, The Pourium).
Features grape extract, hops, sea salt and berry extract among the ingredients, and pours a vibrant, deep pink in colour. A bit muted aromatically, with subtle red berry and grape skin aromas, but tart red berry flavours explode on the bone-dry palate, which is slightly grippy thanks to the tannins in the grape extract and the bite of the hops. Also available in 750ml bottles for $12 at the Søbr Market. Zero per cent alcohol; impressive. 3.5/5
Savyll Beverage Co Inspired by Bellini (U.K. — $5.00/250ml cans, the Søbr Market)
Features white grape concentrate and peach juice concentrate among the ingredients; medium gold in colour, with plenty of peach candy and ripe grape aromas. It’s off-dry and crisp, with lovely fresh peach notes coming with light effervescence that provides nice texture and a fun, fruity finish. Zero per cent alcohol and delicious. 4/5
St. Agrestis Phony Negroni (Brooklyn, N.Y. — $7.50-8/200ml bottles,the Søbr Market, Black Market Provisions)
Looks and smells just like the real thing — bright red and clear in colour, with lovely herbal, orange peel and bitter aromas with hints of cherry and cranberry. Off-dry and light-plus bodied, bringing classic negroni bitterness with cherry and orange peel flavours, bright effervescence and a remarkably accurate texture. Outstanding stuff; the Søbr Market also carries the same company’s takes on mezcal and espresso negronis. 4.5/5
Ben Sigurdson
Literary editor, drinks writer
Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press‘s literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben.
In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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