Zero-proof spirits an option for a non-alcoholic holiday

Julia Knight says she is looking forward to having a beer again.

The pregnant bartender works in the tasting room at a Victoria brewery.

Her baby is due in January and she says the growing popularity of "mocktails" is something that has made it easier to work in the service industry while not being able to partake in alcoholic beverages.

"I've still gone out for drinks with bartender friends and the bartenders make me beautiful mocktails, which I so appreciate."

Mocktails have slowly been growing in popularity on restaurant and bar drink lists but distillery owner Alayne MacIssac thinks the rise of zero-proof spirits will help elevate the non-alcoholic concoctions.

MacIssac founded Sheringham Distillery on Vancouver Island and earlier this year they released a non-alcoholic version called Lumette.

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The "alt-gin" is made with a combination of botanicals like juniper, grand fir and cucumber.

MacIssac says the idea is that cocktail lovers can substitute Lumette for gin and maintain a similar flavour.

"A non-alcoholic gin will enhance that and bring a non-alcoholic mocktail to the next level of cocktail-ness because you'll get the botanicals and aromatics that you'd get from a gin, but you don't have the alcohol."

She says a craft, zero-proof gin is something she has wanted to do for three years.

"I actually don't drink that much, but I love the cocktail culture and I love being able to pour something and have a cocktail with friends that's not necessarily alcohol."

While Knight has tasted Lumette and enjoyed it, she says it doesn't taste much like gin.

"It was just a really cool flavour, like a little bit citrus-y and a little bit floral. Super tasty mixed with tonic."

She says she hopes to see more zero-proof options.

"I hope it's not a fad because I like it. I think it's fun and really great because not everyone can drink alcohol."

Peter Gardner has never been a drinker and says he's becoming more interested in mocktails.

"I just went to a local cocktail bar this weekend for a friend's birthday and I was so excited to drink a Cocojito, which is just a minty, coconut, non-alcoholic drink for people like me. It was wonderful."

Gardner says he's open to trying non-alcoholic options, but is not necessarily drawn to something like a non-alcoholic spirit.

"I have friends who have stopped drinking caffeine but still have decaf coffee all the time because they like the coffee experience. I don't long for gin because I've never had it, so I don't know what I'm missing, I guess. I would definitely try it if it was on a menu."

Meanwhile, Knight has some advice for people who may not want to draw attention to themselves while abstaining from alcohol over the holidays.

"My go-to for that would be a gin and tonic," butskip the gin, which is something she says she did before she was ready to tell people she was pregnant.

"I did that many times ordered a tonic with a slice of lime and it looks exactly like a gin and tonic, no one would ever know."