Top eight ‘healthful’ spirits initiatives

As health and wellness trends continue to pervade all aspects of modern life, spirits brands are keen to show that alcohol and wellbeing need not be unhappy bedfellows in a balanced lifestyle.

These are some of the most interesting ‘healthful’ spirits initiatives in the industry

The key millennial consumer group is a case in point. According to Hartman Group, for them “health and wellness encompasses the physical and the emotional, the tangible and the intangible. For millennials, well-being encompasses staying active and learning to let go.”

While many (including the UK’s NHS) would argue that there is no safe level of alcohol intake, consumers want to have their cake (cocktails) and eat (drink) it when it comes to drinking and health.

With that in mind, click through to discover our selection of top “healthful” spirits initiatives of recent times – concepts that have a healthier, or wellbeing-centric approach to alcohol consumption. After all, as Aristotle’ said, “moderation in all things”.

Belvedere Spritz Collection

Alongside its Be Natural manifesto, Belvedere Vodka recently unveiled a series of spritzes celebrating naturalness. Part of the initiative is to highlight and help consumers reduce their sugar intake when it comes to cocktails.

“At Belvedere, we believe that being natural should flow into everything we do, and our new manifesto highlights our all-natural attitude, from the fresh local ingredients we select, to the agriculture partners we support, to the environmental impact we strive to reduce,” said Claire Smith Warner, head of spirit creation and mixology at Belvedere Vodka.

Belvedere’s “Be Natural” manifesto has 10 points including: “We source local ingredients where possible”, “We follow a minimalist recipe” and “Drinking responsibly means sweetening responsibly too” – feel-good cocktails indeed.

The gluten-free trend

While the gluten-free trend certainly has its roots in bona-fide health concerns, for US consumers in particular, following a gluten-free diet is a lifestyle choice rather than a medical necessity. It is this audience Stoli is targeting with its recently launched Stoli Gluten Free variant. “As with all of our innovations, we conduct consumer research and discuss with our trade partners to identify unmet consumer needs in the marketplace,” said Patrick Piana, president and CEO, Stoli Group USA. “Stoli Gluten Free will resonate with younger legal drinking age consumers who have an active lifestyle and greater focus on the products they consume.”

Some brands do see a “healthier” side to gluten-free spirits. “Healthy drinks are vogue and vodka is often a great spirit to carry this out,” James Chase, marketing director, Chase Distillery, told The Spirits Business when discussing the trend.

Mood-enhancing cocktails

Let’s face it: there’s no point looking healthier if you don’t feel it. And this is where Barts bar comes in – thought to be the first drinking establishment to utilise ingredients “scientifically proved” to boost an imbiber’s mood. Serotonin is the magic component, said to help regulate neurotransmitters and hormone activity in the body.

The London-based bar’s Mood Menu includes the Happiness, Relax and Focus serves, with ingredients spanning calcium, magnesium, fruits and spices. Tasty and soothing all at once.

Redemption bar

Not strictly a spirits initiative as Redemption is an alcohol-free establishment, but with a menu designed by nutritional therapists and a mantra that encourages patrons to “spoil yourself without spoiling yourself”, this haunt deserves a spot on our ‘healthful’ list.

Cocktails include the Cocotini, a coconut water and berry-infused “Martini” shaken over ice with a squeeze of lime; the Apple Mock-jito, made from muddled apple presse, fresh mint and lime, served over ice and topped with soda; and a Tomato Tonic, a healthy take on a Bloody Mary made with fresh tomatoes, sage, garlic, and agave syrup – thought-though and incredibly virtuous for cocktail enthusiasts who just need a dry day.

Smirnoff Sourced

Back to healthful new product development – and Diageo’s vodka behemoth Smirnoff has developed its Sourced line extension – a flavoured vodka range infused with real fruit juice, labelled gluten-free and devoid of high-fructose corn syrup. Available in three variants – Ruby Red Grapefruit, Cranberry Apple, and Pineapple – Smirnoff Sourced is reckoned to bring “authenticity to an often artificially flavoured category of the spirits business”.

While stopping short of labelling the range ‘healthy’, Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes said Smirnoff Sourced “leverages all the growing trends in food and beverage which have not yet been available in spirits at a mass scale.” And of course, consumers are increasingly interested in health and wellness.

Organic greens

Less of an initiative and more of an ever-building trend, organic, vegetable cocktails continue their rise – and consumers seem to like the idea of getting one of their five a day while kicking back with a cocktail. Bartenders too have embraced using the likes of avocados, squashes and beetroot in purees – and as more and more bars look to the kitchen for inspiration, this looks to be a trend set to sate demand for both healthier drinks and inventive serves.

Vitamin Vodka

Billed as the “world’s first” vitamin-infused organic vodka, The Vitamin Alcohol Company’s Vitamin Vodka is produced from organic Australian sugarcane and water from the Hunter Valley near Sydney. The liquid is then distilled 12 times in copper pot stills, before being diamond-filtered and packaged in a glass decanter and gift box.

Vitamins B, C and K are used in the vodka, and apparently it takes four shots to equal one multi-vitamin.

The Power of Positive Drinking

In 2013, actress and AquaRiva Tequila founder Cleo Rocos released The Power of Positive Drinking – a guide on how to drink well. The book includes tips on low calorie cocktails, how to stay fresh on a plane and even how to consume hangover-free alcohol.

“This isn’t a guide on how to get drunk. This is a master class on how to drink and be merry,” said Rocos at the time. “I want to teach you how to drink successfully. How to reach that delicious level of intoxication where you and your fellow drinkers become the favourite versions of ourselves and stay there.”