Until relatively recently, boozing on was considered a vital part of dining out. These days, less so. Australian drinking habits are changing. We’re embracing “damp drinking” (less volume overall), “zebra striping” (subbing in non-alcoholic drinks every other round) and being “99% sober” (a mostly dry lifestyle with the occasional exception).
Australia is not the only country with changing habits. In the US, a Gallup poll found alcohol consumption had reached a 90-year low. The LA Times reports dry bars have become popular with the gen Z crowd, who cringe at the idea of being caught drunk on camera. In the UK, a 2024 Guardian article reported as many as 28% of 16-to-24-year-olds don’t drink at all.
While gen Z is also Australia’s Least Likely when it comes to drinking, lower alcohol consumption is trending across the board.
The numbers are, admittedly, a little confronting for drinkers and venues. The recommendation from Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council for lowering the risk of alcohol damage in adults is no more than 10 standard drinks per week, with no more than four standard drinks in a day.
According to the Australian government’s Agency for Clinical Innovation, the average serving of 150ml of red wine in a restaurant is 1.6 standard drinks, while a 150ml glass of white wine is 1.4. Add a pre-entree martini, which is 1.5 to two standard drinks per serve, and you’re already over the healthy limit by at least one and a half drinks. Never mind the rum baba or crepes Suzette.
Add cost of living to the mix and it’s little surprise a slice of the population has chosen to cut back.
Mike Bennie, owner of independent bottle stores PnV Merchants and Sydney bar L’avant Cave, has long championed low-and-no alcohol choices. He doesn’t believe restaurants can afford to charge less for alcohol due to rent, staff costs and general overheads. “Alcohol is one of the last remaining opportunities to ensure profitability,” he says.
The industry standard markup on alcohol in a high-end restaurant is anywhere from 150% upwards, making it one of, perhaps the only, high-margin products on the menu. As people drink less, it could leave restaurants in a precarious position.
For every restaurateur willing to go on the record to discuss the shifting tide, there were an equal number who refused to be interviewed for this story. Some because they say they’ve witnessed no change in customer behaviour, and others because the subject matter is at odds with promoting a hospitality business.
While it doesn’t necessarily do wonders for the bottom line, diners drinking less at the table does create a more harmonious environment for restaurant workers. Fewer drunk bodies means less risk overall.
“When you don’t have too many wasted people it’s really good for the staff,” says Morgan McGlone, co-owner of Sydney’s Bar Copains, Bessie’s and Alma’s and the newly reopened Vin-Cenzo’s. He hopes this change in atmosphere “might encourage more people to work in hospitality”, alleviating a different, pressing problem for the industry – staffing shortages.
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Degustation restaurants such as Sydney’s Sixpenny and Quay, Melbourne’s Attica and regional Victoria’s Brae are all champions of temperance pairings. “As a regional restaurant, we’ve always had a percentage of the guests either not drinking or doing non-alcoholic beverages,” says Dan Hunter, owner and chef of Brae. “We started a non-alcoholic beverage offering over 10 years ago. More recently, we’ve upped the ante.”
At the farm-to-table restaurant, designated drivers and other non-drinkers can order alcohol-free vermouths, amaros and shrubs, all made in-house. When guests visit, they’re not just eating the garden, they’re drinking it too. “More people are seeing it as a valid option when they’re out at a restaurant of this nature. It gives us a creative freedom,” says Hunter, adding that more people are taking non-alc pairings than ever before.
Bennie notes that while some of his customers are drinking slightly less, they’re choosing more mindfully and spending more money.
“People are drinking quality not quantity,” says McGlone, adding many of his customers are more open to trying something left of centre and veering away from classic big reds. “It’s not [completely] a price point thing. We’re talking about sourcing a little differently, picking up new, young winemakers.”
There’s a definite divide in drinking culture between locals and visitors at Byron Bay restaurant Raes on Wategos. While holidaymakers haven’t altered their drinking habits, residents have cut back. “Locally, you definitely notice the trend,” says general manager Marty McCaig. “Instead of negronis, for instance, people are doing Americanos [a mix of Campari, sweet vermouth and soda water, served over ice] just to tone it down a little bit.”
McCaig has also noticed the quality-over-quantity trend, saying they have sourced more premium drinks to service that demand. “Which has been great,” he says. “Essentially, without even having to try too much, spend is as good, if not a little better. So the consumption’s down, but the price point’s still up.”
Less, it turns out, is actually more.
