Whatever your tipple, Angela Hansen香蕉视频直播檚 liquor store on Vancouver香蕉视频直播檚 Commercial Drive has stock to satisfy, from Prosecco to tequila 香蕉视频直播� so long as you don香蕉视频直播檛 want any actual liquor.

Hansen香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渁lcohol free liquor store香蕉视频直播� Mocktails opened last March, and just a few days into the new year, she was anticipating a 香蕉视频直播渂oom香蕉视频直播� for her business.

香蕉视频直播淒ry January, I think is gonna be a big thing for the alcohol-free world,香蕉视频直播� she said, referring to the global movement to cut back on alcohol this month. 香蕉视频直播淪ome people are begrudgingly doing it, and others are very, very enthusiastic to do it, and they香蕉视频直播檙e excited that they have this. You don香蕉视频直播檛 have to do Dry January with a Coca-Cola or something like that.香蕉视频直播�

It香蕉视频直播檚 not the only business catering to the market 香蕉视频直播� just a block away is The Drive Canteen, a snack-bar that offers 香蕉视频直播渟ophisticated non-alcoholic beverages香蕉视频直播� in its store. In Port Coquitlam, B.C., there香蕉视频直播檚 Bevees, a 香蕉视频直播渂ooze-free bottle shop香蕉视频直播� that opened in November 2023.

The rise of stores like Mocktails and others comes as health concerns around alcohol rise 香蕉视频直播� and as British Columbia香蕉视频直播檚 once-booming craft beer industry goes through tough times. A series of high-profile brewers have closed down or are in financial strife; many cite economic conditions as well as a shift in drinking preferences.

It香蕉视频直播檚 unclear whether greater awareness of health risks associated with alcohol are reducing demand, but the rise of booze-free options offer alternatives to those seeking to cut back after an alcohol-fuelled holiday season.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e coming out of December, which is like the heaviest drinking month of the year for most people,香蕉视频直播� said Dr. Tim Naimi, director of the University of Victoria香蕉视频直播檚 Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research.

The research body launched an online tool this month that allows individuals to calculate their alcohol risks based on their consumption, and Naimi said it香蕉视频直播檚 important for consumers to make 香蕉视频直播渋nformed decisions.香蕉视频直播�

The risks of excessive alcohol consumption are well-documented, but have come into sharper focus in Canada since January 2023, when the government-supported Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction said the risk of cancer rises at much lower levels of alcohol consumption than previously thought.

Any more than two standard drinks a week put people at higher risk, it said in its report.

Last week, the U.S. Surgeon General released a new advisory about alcohol and the risks of cancer it carries, calling for health warning labels on alcohol products.

Naimi was involved in the research that went into updating the CCSA alcohol guidance, and said it is 香蕉视频直播渃ommon sense香蕉视频直播� for the U.S. Surgeon General to call for better labelling.

香蕉视频直播淥ther packaged food and beverage products in Canada require quite a bit of information. But if I buy a bottle of Scotch, it just says 40 per cent (alcohol by volume) and that香蕉视频直播檚 pretty much it.香蕉视频直播�

Naimi said a lot of information consumers get about alcohol comes from the industry, and the calculator tool employs 香蕉视频直播済ood up-to-date science香蕉视频直播� to inform people of their health risks.

香蕉视频直播淏ut more importantly, it香蕉视频直播檚 just for people who are considering cutting back,香蕉视频直播� he said.

The upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic saw alcohol consumption peak, Naimi said.

香蕉视频直播淎lcohol consumption was at an all-time high during COVID and it香蕉视频直播檚 come down a little bit to more like pre-COVID levels,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 think it香蕉视频直播檚 changed that much.香蕉视频直播�

For some in the booze business, though, the aftermath of the pandemic has coincided with tough times.

Award-winning Andina Brewing closed its East Vancouver brewery, just a dozen or so blocks away from Mocktails, in April 2023, after six years in business. Other closures followed, including Burnaby香蕉视频直播檚 Studio Brewing that permanently closed in December 2023, then Riot Brewing in Chemainus on Vancouver Island a month later.

In a farewell message, Studio Brewing cited 香蕉视频直播渃onsumer preference shifting away from craft beer香蕉视频直播� as well as other economic challenges.

After a decade as one of Vancouver香蕉视频直播檚 smallest brewers, Callister Brewing shut down around the same time as Studio and Riot brewing. But it had a fallback.

While the company cited rising costs at its brewery site, it also said there was a need to focus on the 香蕉视频直播渞apid growth香蕉视频直播� of its non-alcoholic Callister Craft Soda.

It pitches the sodas in a language familiar to the craft-beer scene 香蕉视频直播� they are 香蕉视频直播渃rafted locally香蕉视频直播�, and made in 香蕉视频直播渟mall batches.香蕉视频直播�

Meanwhile, B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 craft beer reckoning continues.

In November 2024, Central City Brewing in Surrey 香蕉视频直播� maker of Red Racer beer, as well as de-alcoholized brews under the Street Legal brand 香蕉视频直播� sought creditor protection. Court documents outline post-pandemic financial troubles that required it to restructure.

Company president Daryll Frost detailed 香蕉视频直播渆conomic challenges香蕉视频直播� including minimum wage increases, labour shortages, higher taxes and higher food and supply costs.

Another factor, Frost香蕉视频直播檚 court filing said, was 香蕉视频直播渞educed demand for alcohol products generally.香蕉视频直播�

Naimi said he was unaware whether demand has actually diminished, though he said recent indications that younger people are drinking less than previous generations are 香蕉视频直播渒ind of interesting.香蕉视频直播�

Customers at Mocktails said they had a number of reasons for going booze-free.

Hilary Hansen 香蕉视频直播� no relation to the owner 香蕉视频直播� stopped by for alcohol-free tequila to make margaritas. She said she can香蕉视频直播檛 drink alcohol because she香蕉视频直播檚 pregnant.

香蕉视频直播淥bviously the baby香蕉视频直播檚 the biggest concern, but I would say in general I would like to drink less outside of being pregnant,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not the alcohol, it香蕉视频直播檚 the taste, so I just want something really nice in a cocktail that I can enjoy and not have any negative health impact for either me or, right now, the baby.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淗aving options like this is really nice,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Enrique Rodriguez, the husband of Mocktails香蕉视频直播� owner, said he香蕉视频直播檚 also reduced his alcohol intake after initially not wanting to follow Hansen down a sober path.

He said that at parties with his family in Mexico, he used to see alcohol as 香蕉视频直播渢he climax of freedom, but it香蕉视频直播檚 not.香蕉视频直播�

Now, he said he alternates between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks on nights out.

香蕉视频直播淔or me it香蕉视频直播檚 like an awakening,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 can make better decisions to say, 香蕉视频直播極K, I had enough, I gotta go, you know, tomorrow I have things to do香蕉视频直播� and boom, I had the best of both.香蕉视频直播�