Whether you are planning on partaking in Dry July or want to jump off the booze bandwagon, a bar with a twist has been booming in Invercargill for those who crave a social outing - without the hangover.
The first-ever alcohol-free bottle shop and bar in the South Island, Altered opened its doors in December and has been buzzing ever since.
The idea was born by owner Kelly Blomfield, who is three years sober and found herself wanting to avoid the dreaded question for the firewater-free: "Why aren't you drinking?"
"I kind of avoided social situations because it is a very awkward conversation to have with people," Blomfield said.
"It's the only drug in the world that you've got to actively have a reason for not partaking in."
Sick of waiting for someone else to make the plunge into the growing fad of non-alcoholic booze, Bloomfield made the decision to open the bar while sipping on her Terps & Co mocktail to avoid curious looks at a social gathering.
"That's it," Blomfield said. "This is what I wanted to do, this is what I want for other people too."
It all happened very quickly from there, Blomfield said.
"One day it was an idea, the next day I registered a company and within three weeks we were open."
Altered offers it all from beer, wine, cider, RTDs, and cocktails to even alcohol-free tequila and absinthe. While it started as a tastings bar, Altered quickly grew to host functions, work-do's, club meetings, and soon evolved into a bar and bottle store.
"The support is absolutely fantastic. I have some of the most loyal and fantastic customers, they literally make my day," she said.
Sobriety and the 'sober-curious' movement have gathered momentum in recent years, with studies finding US consumers now spend nearly $400m annually on non-alcoholic drinks.
Demand has also been bubbling away in New Zealand. In 2021, zero-alcohol beer sales alone have increased by 40 percent, and sales of zero-alcohol wine have doubled.
Some of Altered's customers include recovered alcoholics, pregnant women, people with alcohol allergies, people on medication, those wanting to make better health choices and parents buying drinks for their party-going teens.
Altered is taking part in the iconic Dry July campaign as the movement enters its 11th year.
Since launching in New Zealand in 2008, Dry July has had over 61,000 Kiwis take part and raised over $9 million to support cancer patients, their families and carers.
The store is running month-long events and for anyone participating in Dry July, 10 percent of their sales go to the trust.
