Kiwi entrepreneur and founder of Eat My Lunch and AF Drinks, Lisa King, has opened New Zealand’s first-ever alcohol-free bottle shop in Central Auckland.
Open for a limited time, the Curious AF Bottle Shop offers the world’s finest alcohol-free drinks and aims to deliver a modern twist on the traditional liquor store.
“From rugby games, Friday drinks with the workies, to backyard beersies – New Zealand is known for its big drinking culture,” says King.
“More recently, there’s been a growing trend emerging – and more people have been embracing better, healthier lifestyles, which has been spurred on by lockdowns across the pandemic.
“And now, consumer purchase habits have evolved – we are starting to see a change in acceptance levels and sales of alcohol-free products skyrocket, with alcohol-free zones popping up in supermarkets to accommodate for this change in demand.”
King says by launching The Curious AF Bottle Shop, she wants to continue to normalise the subject of not drinking, so it’s not a socially awkward conversation or situation.
“We want to introduce Kiwis to the vast variety of alcohol-free drinks available.”
And across each week, the AF Drinks team will offer visitors a different tasting experience.
The Curious AF Bottle Shop – Sampling Schedule
Bubbles Week Week 1 Thursday 23rd June – Sunday 26th June
Beer Week Week 2 Monday 27th June – Sunday 3rd July
Wine Week Week 3 Monday 4th July – Sunday 10th July
Cider Week Week 4 Monday 11th July – Sunday 17th July
Spirits Week Week 5 Monday 18th July – Sunday 24th July
Curious Collection Week Week 6 Monday 25th July – Sunday 31st July
It will also showcase the full AF Drinks range, which comprises of AF Classic, Cucumber and Pink Grapefruit G&T’s, AF Apero Spritz, AF Cuba Libre, AF Dark & Stormy, AF Sparkling Sake, AF Tokyo Highball and AF VØd%a Spritz.
“Ultimately, we want people to leave our shop feeling uplifted and empowered, and more open to supporting people choosing not to drink,” says King.
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