Dry January doesn’t have to be boring.
If that non-alcoholic wine you found in the corner of the supermarket isn’t quite cutting it, or you’re bored of resorting to a lime and soda at the pub, then there’s another option to help you get through the month – and beyond.
Enter Maya: London’s first non-alcoholic cocktail bar.
Female owned, the pop-up on Brick Lane is launching this Thursday, January 12, and will be open every Thursday to Saturday, for the next three weeks.
The bar will offer an extensive menu of classic cocktails – only they’re all booze free.
There’s also a selection of carefully chosen non-alcoholic wines and beers available.
The UK’s non-alcoholic drinks sector grew by 180% last year, and is forecast to be worth £450m by 2024.
And more people than ever are thought to be taking part in Dry January. In 2022, one in five adults signed up, a figure that was up from 13% in 2021. If the current trend continues, it’s likely even more people will be turning away from their booze cupboard right now.
We also know that attitudes towards drinking are shifting amongst younger generations, with gen z buying less alcohol then their millennial counterparts.
Founders Miriam and Lisa were inspired to start their business, after both working in corporate roles centered around a heavy drinking culture.
While they both loved socialising, the lack of non-alcoholic options was having an impact on their physical and mental health – the pair realised they needed a credible option for a night out, that meant they could remain sharp and head-ache free the next day.
Lisa said: ‘We worked really hard to create legitimately entertaining drinks, because how often have you ended up drinking alcohol, just because there was no palatable alternative?’
Miriam added: ‘This is about giving people genuine freedom of choice through plausible alternatives, and that involves going beyond simply combining a non-alcoholic spirit with tonic.’
‘For so long non-alcoholic options have been an afterthought, at Maya’s it’s the alcohol which ends up the afterthought.’
The pair have also been working with independent brands to bring the best drinks to their customers – ensuring even the most avid cocktail fans will enjoy that,
Brands stocked at Maya’s include east London based Kahol, Swiss start up Rebels, and Danish brand ISH.
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