CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI, and HALIFAX, NS – Thirsty for better non-alcoholic options? Upstreet Craft Brewing, a B-Corp certified beverage company and Benjamin Bridge, Canada’s premier sparkling wine house, are joining forces to quench the thirst for non-alcoholic beverages during the holidays, Dry January and beyond. Upstreet’s award-winning alcohol-free craft beer Libra and Benjamin Bridge’s original alcohol-free wine-style beverage Piquette Zero give Canadians a better-tasting ‘no to low’ beverage experience with all the flavour and none of the headaches. The two brands will work together on in-store retail promotions at Sobeys in Atlantic Canada, digital campaigns and sponsoring ‘sober curious’ socials in Halifax and Charlottetown to help people find their balance.
Upstreet Craft Brewing and Benjamin Bridge Serving Up Non-Alcoholic Libra Craft Beer and Piquette Zero for the Holidays and Dry January. (CNW Group/Upstreet Craft Brewing)Piquette Zero (CNW Group/Upstreet Craft Brewing) Moderation is the name of the game as Canadians’ relationship with alcohol shifts. The global non-alcoholic beverage market has reached $3.1 billion in off-premise sales compared to 291 million a year ago** and 58 percent of no/low consumers report that they choose to switch between no/low and full-strength alcohol products***. This new approach to drinking has been fueled by the pandemic and the fact that 66% of millennials are opting to drink less to maintain their wellness goals****.
“The way people choose to consume alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages is changing so fast, and that hard line in the sand between the drinkers and non-drinkers is quickly eroding. People will come in to have a beer after work followed by two NA beers, or will drink NA beer during the week and traditional craft beer on the weekend,” says Mitch Cobb, Co-Founder Upstreet Craft Brewing and Libra.” We are thrilled to be working with Benjamin Bridge to put the spotlight on the non-alcoholic beverage market and help educate and inspire Canadians to be social on their terms.”
“We’ve applied over two decades worth of knowledge from growing region-defining wines in Nova Scotia into Piquette Zero. We’ve longed for this non-alcoholic option in our personal lives and it turns out we’re not alone — there is a growing community of people seeking a tasty, well-made wine alternative that they can confidently share at their get-togethers or include to round out their dinner table offerings.” says head winemaker Jean-Benoit Deslauriers, Benjamin Bridge.
Upstreet Craft Brewing and Benjamin Bridge want to become leaders in this growing market. By collaborating, the two Atlantic Canadian brands hope to build awareness, showcase their expertise and passion for creating great-tasting non-alcoholic beverages with half the calories and sugar. Dry January socials will be held in mid-January, and more details will be available on both drinklibra.ca and benjaminbridge.com.
Libra was created by Upstreet owners Mitch Cobb and Mike Hogan’s need to socialize without sacrificing their health. The award-winning Libra Pale Ale launched in October 2020 and was quickly followed up by Libra Hazy IPA, Libra Pilsner and a new Libra Stout, which will be launching mid-December. Benjamin Bridge’s Piquette Zero is a lively and delicious alcohol-free wine-style beverage with zero sugar that launched last year, offering a creative and unprecedented craft option to industrially dealcoholized wines that are so often stripped of their character. Instead of relying upon the forceful removal of alcohol, they tapped into the knowledge gained from making their artisan light wine refreshers, called Piquette.” Both non-alcoholic beverages are available at Sobeys in Atlantic Canada, select liquor stores and online.
*Global Market Insights, July 11, 2019
**Neilsen IQ Insights, October 2021
***IWSR, London, February 2021
*****Beverage Daily, March 15, 2021.
About Upstreet Craft Brewing
Upstreet Craft Brewing is a beverage company on a mission to refresh the community with its collection of craft beer, line of vodka seltzers, craft sodas, and Libra, a brand of non-alcoholic craft beer. It was the first company on Prince Edward Island to gain B-Corp certification and has three locations across two provinces and national distribution on Well and at Sobeys in Atlantic Canada.
About Benjamin Bridge
Benjamin Bridge strives to nurture not only healthy soils but healthy lives in a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming workplace. Our Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia-based sparkling wine house runs on the hard work and dedication of our passionate team, and we value diversity in the people we hire, the people we work with, and the people we serve. Our wine-style alcohol-free beverage Piquette Zero is available in the Maritimes through Sobeys and retailers throughout Canada.