You Can Drink Your Own Way: Your Low/No Choices Are Valid
- Denise Hamilton-Mace
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Recently, I've noticed some pushback about the growth of big alcohol brands in the low and no-alcohol space, and it's time we had a chat about it. While I'm thrilled about the explosive growth of the low, no, and light market (and I presume you are too; that's why you're here), not everyone shares the same enthusiasm when it comes to the involvement of 'Big Alcohol'.
After sharing news about Heineken's* growth in the UK market—they're now available in 1-in-3 pubs nationwide and have just hit 1,000 draught taps—I received some criticism. But here's the thing: in Low No Nation, I share news from all corners of the low, no, and light drinking world. Why? Because I'm here to serve you, the drinker looking for options for when you choose to live a life less intoxicated, whether that's for a night, a week, a month, a year, or a lifetime.
The Big Brand Reality
Not everybody wants to be sipping on £10 bottles of small-batch yuzu-infused kombucha brewed on the Forest Moon of Endor by the fingers of celestial nuns. That's simply not a path everyone wants to take. Some people prefer mainstream options, and you know what? That's completely okay.
Personally, I don't care what you drink. I don't care if you choose alcohol-free beers, wines, spirits, or ciders if you prefer 0% or 0.5%, if you like mid-strength drinks, or if you're completely teetotal. It's not relevant to me, and it shouldn't be relevant to anybody else, how you choose to drink.
Big alcohol brands exist for a reason. They offer:
Accessibility
Affordability
Familiarity
These brands are often how many people find their way into the low, no, and light drinking space in the first place. The first alcohol-free beverage I ever had was a Peroni 0.0*, and look where it's led me!
Your Choices Don't Need Validation
I want to make sure that everybody in Low No Nation understands something crucial: choosing a well-known alcohol-free beer or any mainstream brand doesn't make you less of a mindful drinker. It doesn't make you less qualified to be sober curious. It doesn't mean you aren't welcome to drink at our table.
What matters is finding what's right for you. It's about being intentional with your drink choices. It's about being mindful about how your drinking impacts you and making choices that serve the way you want to live—not choices that make other people think you're cool or trendy.
Your drink simply needs to be something you can hold in your hand at a social occasion, making you feel like you're having an adult drink and are part of the community. That's what's most important.
Big Alcohol AND Independent Brands
Don't get me wrong, I wholeheartedly acknowledge that big alcohol brings challenges to the low and no space, and as you'll know by now, I am a huge advocate for independent brands. Part of the reason I created this platform was to help smaller, independent brands reach drinkers like you who want to know what they've got to offer.
And yes, some big alcohol brands are terrible. I'm not waving the flag, saying that Diageo and Heineken and all those massive conglomerates are the way forward. Some of them are genuinely awful.
But here's the point: you have to go and find that out for yourself. It's about what makes you feel good and what you enjoy. Just as some big alcohol brands are awful and can turn people away from the category, some independent brands are awful as well. That's just life and business. There's no category where everything is amazing, and there's definitely no category where everyone thinks everything is amazing (you can't please all of the people, all of the time).
That's why we have variety and choice—so you can find what works for you.
Finding Your Favourites
There are some very big brands in this space that I don't enjoy—not because they're bad, but because they don't work for my palate. And that's okay. There are also some big alcohol drinks I don't enjoy for the same reason.
The only way I know this is because I've tried different things. I've experimented with mixing drinks, adding garnishes, and pairing them with different foods. You try different things until you find what you like, and some of that will be from big alcohol companies, which is fine, and some will be from small, independent brands, which is also fine.
My only request is that you keep trying and give independent brands just as much of a chance to impress you as you do with big alcohol.
No Medals for Obscurity
It's absolutely okay if you don't care about botanical pairings and subtle oak finishes. This isn't a competition, and there are no medals for finding the most obscure drink with the most unique ingredient. The only reward is the pat on the back that you give yourself for making choices that serve you best, and that's the goal I hope to support you in achieving.
Sometimes, that support comes in the form of me telling you about big alcohol brands and for that, I do not apologise.
At the end of every podcast interview episode, I ask founders what they like drinking most in this space, and so far this year, the most popular answer has been Guinness 0.0*. I've had founders of independent beers, wines, and spirits tell me they'd take a bottle of Heineken 0.0* or Peroni 0.0* to a barbecue.
I've also had some tell me about really niche brands from the middle of Copenhagen that I've never heard of and can't find anywhere in the UK. Both are perfectly valid options.
What Really Matters
What matters is how you feel when you're drinking. It matters that your choices support your goals. It matters that you enjoy the flavours, that you feel comfortable, and that your drinking fits into the way you want to live your life.
You don't have to impress anybody with what's in your glass, and you don't have to justify your choice to drink low and no to anyone—and that includes other mindful drinkers.
Everybody is welcome to drink at our table. You can drink your own way, and that is more than good enough.
Listen in to episode #83 of the Low No Drinker Podcast
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