Club Soda, the mindful drinking movement, is once again holding the UK’s only festival for mindful drinkers this summer, at its favourite east London hangout. Spitalfields Market.

Seven million people in the UK are sober curious1, and sales of adult low and no alcohol drinks are at an all time high.2  With that in mind, Club Soda will be showcasing 40 of the best tasting adult-orientated drinks brands in the industry, some recognisable from previous events and others which are brand new. The free to attend event is expected to attract over 5,000 fans, from the sober curious and mums-to-be, to foodies and fitness fanatics. 

Club Soda supports individuals to rethink their drinking habits, has built an online guide featuring the best pubs and bars for mindful drinkers, and curates the best alcohol-free drinks at the Mindful Drinking Festivals. The movement already has 35,000 members who are actively changing their drinking habits. 

Visitors will get the chance to taste the new wave of alcohol-free drinks including beers, spirits, wines, kombuchas, shrubs, elixirs and a whole host of delicious cocktails invented by radical alchemists, before soaking up the sunshine in a deck chair to enjoy live DJ sets from London’s musical talent.  

The sponsors of the July festival are Lindeman’s Wines, Big Drop Brewing Co, CEDER’S Alt-Gin and The British Soft Drinks Association. Launches, tastings and surprises from both festival sponsors and new craft producers alike – there’s something for everyone and for every occasion!

This festival further boasts a fantastic line-up of botanical alcohol-free spirits; 13 brands will be making their mark at this summer’s event. Alcohol-free spirits is one of the fastest growing segments of the entire drinks industry; the value of alcohol-free spirits sold in the UK has grown from £17.5 million to £25.9 million3 and there’s been 40 new entrants to the alcohol-free market from 15 different countries in the past year.4 With the industry and consumers looking to create an alternative cocktail ingredient or the same experience as a gin and tonic, you can expect to see dynamic growth in this market over the next few years.

What’s exciting about botanical spirits are the exotic or unusual ingredients used in these drinks which include Cape floral fynbos, rooibos, Helichrysum italicum, lemon verbena, Inca berry, angelica root and Sea Kelp! Attendees will therefore get the chance to put these flavours to the test by participating in one of the cocktail masterclasses, curated by Camille from La Maison Wellness.

Several of the brands attending are a co-production between couples, meaning that this segment of the market boasts four women founders (Silk Tree/Caleno/CEDER’s/Sea Arch) and many founders were inspired to create their drink because of a personal change in their drinking habits (Silk Tree/CEDER’s). New brands at the festival include Atopia, Senser Spirits, Xachoh and Stryyk.

Club Soda co-founder Laura Willoughby MBE, said:

“We have been running Club Soda, the Mindful Drinking Movement, for four years. And the most popular question we get asked is about what to drink instead of alcohol?

“Not only have we built up an amazing knowledge of the range of drinks out there, but we are also witnessing the explosion in the number of well-crafted and enjoyable alcohol-free drinks. Mindful drinkers too deserve beautifully served concoctions, that take them on an intriguing taste journey and so our Festivals are about bringing some of our favourite drinks into one place for everyone to try.

“This exciting array of alcohol-free spirits, beers, wines and ciders is making its way into pubs, healthy alternatives like kombucha and herbal infusions are becoming mainstream, and even Tesco now has an easy to find, well stocked alcohol-free drinks aisle.

” Whether you are on a health kick, moderating your drinking habits, pregnant or trying, or just a bit interested in making more mindful drinking choices, this is your chance to find a new favourite tipple.”

The Club Soda Mindful Drinking Festival is hosted by Spitalfields Market in east London, on Saturday 20th July from 11am to 5pm.