The Netherlands’ first alcohol-free liquor store is in Haarlem
Alcohol-free alternatives have been on the rise for years. And now – it was bound to happen – the Netherlands also has its first alcohol-free liquor store.
Conscious drinking is the trend. In other words: consciously choosing not to drink alcohol for a while. And it is no longer limited to Dry January. One in every fourteen beers sold in the Netherlands is now alcohol-free. And the end of this growth is not yet in sight. The first alcohol-free liquor store has now opened in the centre of Haarlem. It has an extensive range of alcohol-free beers, including many 0.0 speciality beers, wines and spirits.
Alcohol-free spirits
The initiator is Wim Boekema, who quit his banking job in London for it. Of course, you can find alcohol-free drinks at online shops. Supermarkets and regular liquor stores are also offering more and more choice for 0.0 drinkers. But Boekema is taking it a step further: “Beer is already fairly well accepted. Besides the popular pilsner brands with alcohol-free pilsner, you can also see a growing, high-quality range of alcohol-free speciality beers such as IPA, bitter and stout. But alcohol-free wine and spirits are still much less familiar to consumers. With 0.0 spirits, you can make genuinely delicious cocktails (such as these alcohol-free gin and tonics). With wines, you have exciting sparkling wines that can be really very good.”
Inspiration
Wim was partly inspired by successful boozefree bottle shops abroad. In other cities around the world, similar no-alcohol shops had already opened, some even with multiple locations. Such as Boisson in Brooklyn and Spirited Away in Manhattan, Sans Drinks in Sydney and Nuechtern in Berlin.
Does he also have a tip for an alcohol-free wine for the summer months? Wim: “Wine is the most difficult category in which to find good alcohol-free alternatives. My advice is: start with a sparkling wine. The ones from Noughty are very good. Not a dusty little alcohol-free wine, but a real wine with body and plenty of flavour.”
Also try these favourite alcohol-free wines from top sommeliers and this delicious alcohol-free alternative.
Nix & Nix, Grote Houtstraat 110, Haarlem
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