There’s never been a more important time to know what you’re drinking than during the Christmas and the new year party season.

Transparency over exactly how little alcohol is in your alcohol-free or low-alcohol drink is essential for those seeking a hangover-free party season this month.

For those wanting to flex their choice of drink and reduce their alcohol consumption, there are now 100s of low and no alcohol beers, ciders, wines and spirits to choose from. But, with choice comes confusion…What is the difference between ABVs of low and no alcohol drinks? How are they produced? How do you choose the right drink?

And while choosing the right alcohol-free drink can already be a minefield for consumers, new recommendations, currently being considered by government, could add even more confusion to consumer choice across the seasonal period, according to an acclaimed British alcohol-free craft brewer.

Recommendations from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) are currently being considered by UK governing health bodies – and if turned into regulation they could alter the law and allow 0.5% ABV drinks to be labelled as alcohol-free.

Manchester-based Drynks Unlimited has now launched a national campaign calling for more transparency in the alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks market.

It says while UK Government guidelines currently state that in order to be classified as alcohol-free a beverage must contain no more than 0.05% alcohol by volume, the WSTA recommendations could alter that rule and prove damaging for the industry as well as causing consumer confusion.

Richard Clark, Drynks Unlimited’s founder and managing director, said: “Consumers want to have to safe fun this Christmas, despite COVID-19. And they can have fun whether it’s with soft drinks, alcohol-free or Non-alcoholic drinks – there are great tasting options across all 3 areas.

“But we need to let consumers know what they are drinking, through legislation and guidelines. Is the industry up for the challenge? Drynks Unlimited with its Smashed brands is willing to talk and work with other brands to help make this happen.”

Drynks Unlimited, which produces the SMASHED range of alcohol-free beers and ciders, says some brands are passing their products off as ciders, wines and spirits even though they’ve never been through the brewing, fermentation or distillation process. Others, it claims, misleadingly lay claim to being alcohol-free when they aren’t.

Richard Clark added: “A beverage containing more than 0.05% ABV is not classified as alcohol-free and should not be labelled as such.

“But we are aware that The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is in discussions with UK governing health bodies to alter the law and allow 0.5% ABV drinks to be labelled as alcohol-free. We think this could seriously undermine the great strides that have been taken by many British manufacturers and brewers to produce outstanding, truly alcohol-free drinks.”

“Great alcohol-free beers or ciders leave you in no doubt that they are real beer or real cider, just without the alcohol. Whilst there are some very good tasting No and Low alcohol beers made using methods such as reverse osmosis and stunted fermentation, we believe that this ‘real’ taste can best be achieved through a complete brewing, fermentation and distillation process, where the original alcohol is then reduced and removed from the drink. This is why we are currently the only brewer in the UK to use a Cool Vacuum Distillation process, whereby we start with real premium craft alcoholic beer and cider and gently remove the alcohol whilst retaining the characteristics and flavour of the original drink.

“But some Low alcohol drinks across Cider, Wine and Spirit categories were never originally created as alcoholic beverages, instead being produced as imitations using alcohol flavourings; and yet they are labelled as ciders, wines or spirits.”

To address this, Drynks Unlimited, is campaigning for clearer definitions within the UK NoLo drinks market.

They claim that misinformation and confusion created by inaccurate and misleading labelling of some No and Low Alcohol drinks threatens to undermine consumer confidence in the NoLo category and compromises the consumer’s ability to make an informed choice about what they are drinking.

Richard Clark said: “Alongside some other British brands we strive to demonstrate our integrity and commitment to consumers by producing alcohol-free drinks that are derived from genuine alcoholic drinks.

“Product labels should never hide how the product is made and it’s level of alcohol – clear and honest labelling should be a primary legal requirement for the benefit of the consumer, not the industry.

“This is especially important at Christmas when many consumers are looking to measure the amount of alcohol they consume.

“And the bigger picture means It is essential for the British NoLo drinks industry to address these inconsistencies, not only to conform with industry legislation but to present greater transparency to consumers with regards to ingredients and alcohol content.

“There is a real opportunity for all brands across the whole NoLo spectrum, but consumers want manufacturers to be straight with them. Consumers appreciate the respect shown them in being given the chance to make their own informed choice.

“So today, let us, as an industry, come together to promise clarity and transparency and ultimately, to help ensure that No and Low Alcohol drinks become a positive and regular choice for the consumer.

“Consumers want to know what they are drinking. Especially right now with Christmas on the horizon.”

Drynks Unlimited’s Smashed range is made up of a diverse range of real alcohol-free lagers, beers and cider, including; pale ale, lager, citrus beer, berry cider and apple cider.

For more information on No and Low alcohol drinks, the production methods and official alcohol classifications by alcohol volume visit https://drynks.store/pages/know-your-no-lo