December 5, 2025 • 8 mins
More and more people seem to be opting for alcohol-free drinks.
The success of Lisa King’s AF Drinks really brought it home to Kevin Milne just how much alcohol consumption habits are changing.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News talks at be Jack.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Did you just give us one verse this morning versus
multiple verses? Bravo, Jack. You've made the sixty three year
old woman not feel quite so old as she rails
against the decline and language standards and usage. Thank you.
I now have hope again that standards may not be
at risk of completely disappearing. So funny, Jack, Love it.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Jack.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I always though it was rearing to go, as in
a horse rearing, rather than the rearing I hear. Now. Look,
there are so many examples, right, So those are just
the ones, the ones that get me going, that get
my goat. I'm sure you've got a few examples as well,
so by all means, send them through. Ninety two. Ninety
two is the text number Jacket Newstalks HEV dot co
dot NZ. Kevin Melner is with us this morning more
(00:54):
than a Kevin.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
What in a Jack? Are we going to talk about
Christ's College?
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I think we should leave it, don't you think, Kevin?
I think we should leave. They've been in the news
enough this week. I think we can leave them, leave
them be, I think, But I.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Think there's a lesson that wasn't there that if if
you're going to get involved in that kind of thing
and make a national issue, make sure that the that
the offending words don't suddenly become part of a whole
national diction. What's the word national conversation? Conversation?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yes, yes, effect, I thought to the whole thing. Actually,
I did think, well this is I now had all
of these people saying to me, you're from christ Church.
What does this mean? I said, yeah, we probably don't
need to go there, but no idea, Yes, yes, yes,
did You used to get corrected when you're on for
your go from time to time, you probably never made
any usage.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
My memory was one day reading the lunchtime news on
national television, and I'd always up to that moment thought
that the alternative spelling for jail was which was G
A O L was pronounced goal, And so I read
(02:12):
a line that said something like so and so was
sent to goal for ten years. It was a long
time to spend on the gold Mouth.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
It's an awful, awfully long time to see in the
gold Mouth.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Yeah, And of course you got back to the newsroom
and everybody's cheering and taking the mac and it was awful. Really, yeah,
you just have to.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
It's a terrible.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Place to find out, is it live TV to such
a huge audience. It's a terrible way to find out
that you've been mis pronouncing a word.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Well except that, except that when you are an insufferable
curmudgeon like me, who's who never holds back on correcting
everyone else from time to time, it's probably a little
bit of usage justice just to come in and see
your email and box full of people saying Jack, it's
versus not verse. I knew it as well. That was
a frustrating thing that anyway, Kevin, we digress. Hey, Kevin,
(03:08):
you you want to talk about changing drinking habits this morning.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
I was impressed to hear on Thursday that New Zealand
Alisa King has secured a big deal selling her AF
drinks that's alcohol free canned cocktails throughout the UK. These
drinks mimic the taste of classic cocktails, but without using alcohol.
(03:32):
Here's a woman who started AF Drinks at her home
as a COVID lockdown project just five years ago. Five
years then launched successfully into the huge US market. Her
can drinks are now in forty one states across America.
So she's just announced she's now launching through Morrison's supermarkets
(03:55):
and convenience stores in Britain right through the UK. What
I especially like about this though, it's breaking into what's
an expanding no alcohol, low alcohol market, especially among young drinkers.
As King says, this isn't about sobriety, it's about moderation
(04:16):
and I love this from her. A new wave of
mindful drinkers is redefining what it means to be social,
sophisticated and in control. Doesn't that sound cool? Jack? What
do you reckon?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah? Yeah it does. Yeah, I think it sounds great.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I think if there's a's a new generation of drinkers
coming through who just don't want to drink till they
fall over, this is wonderful. According to Statistics New Zealand,
the volume of alcohol and beverages available in New Zealand,
the volume of alcohol is going down. In other words,
(04:54):
New Zealanders are saying, yes, I still want to drink,
but I don't want so much alcohol in it. I
remember when no alcohol beers first appeared in ousive markets.
I talked on the show about but how tasty some
of them were. I hoped drinkers were given them a try. Well,
now none of the pubs that I go into are
(05:14):
without them, So let's make sure we've got some loaves
or nose in our fridges over Christmas for guests who
want to be social, sophisticated and in control.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yeah, well, said Kevin. It is a really interesting trend,
and it's actually been led by younger people, which is
the most intriguing thing about the whole kind of shift really.
And I think so I'm a sort of I'm a millennial, right,
so I'm thirty eight at the moment, and you know,
I honestly I reckon I wouldn't have had I would
(05:51):
have had an absolute maximum of three drinks in a night,
and I wouldn't have exceeded that for probably ten or
fifteen years maximum, whereas I think the generations have gone
before me would have had more. The truth is, personally speaking,
I just never I enjoy a drink from time to time,
but I never want to feel bad the next day,
(06:12):
and I never want to do anything that imperils my sleep.
So but but I think, I think for for some
younger people and gen Z, it's you know, it's even
more pronounced and you know. I look at my wife,
for example, who doesn't doesn't drink at all, and she
loves all of the non alcoholic options because they're a
bit more sophisticated than just your lolly waters, you know.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'd never had an af AF drink.
And then after I've heard this news, I happened to
be have my head in my my beer fridge out
in the garage, and there were a couple of cans
of a drinks obviously that my daughter had in that,
so that was interesting. They were they were a flavor
(06:52):
I wasn't all that keen on.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
But.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
They had ginger in them, which I wasn't so sure about.
But I think it might have been whiskey and very good.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Oh it's a good's. It is amazing. It is very
much a trend at the moment, Kevin. Thank you sir.
We will catch again very soon. And thank you so
much for all of your messages. Gosh, we've had so
many texts. Jack, life is too easy of these language
things in all you. I don't know about that nice
opening gambit this morning, Jack, that was an excellent piece
of writing, a great lesson in the English language. Jack,
you are the same as most no at alls I meet,
(07:26):
often correcting us all but then honestly I'm no different
as my Scottish terminology so often breaches grammar, tense basic
guides around the English language. Yeah, look, how are You're
not the only one there. I think there are lots
of us who many of us who enjoy or who
don't hesitate to correct others, but then get a little
(07:48):
bit frustrated when we get corrected ourselves. Jack. As a
fellow corrector, I'm continually annoyed by the misuse of the
word utilize. One uses some for its intended purpose and
utilizes something for its unintended purpose. That's a good one. Oh,
here's a classic. Sue says, amount and number. I think
people use amount to sound more intelligent, but it conveys
(08:10):
the opposite.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to News Talks ed B from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News talks at be Jack.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Did you just give us one verse this morning versus
multiple verses? Bravo, Jack. You've made the sixty three year
old woman not feel quite so old as she rails
against the decline and language standards and usage. Thank you.
I now have hope again that standards may not be
at risk of completely disappearing. So funny, Jack, Love it.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Jack.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I always though it was rearing to go, as in
a horse rearing, rather than the rearing I hear. Now. Look,
there are so many examples, right, So those are just
the ones, the ones that get me going, that get
my goat. I'm sure you've got a few examples as well,
so by all means, send them through. Ninety two. Ninety
two is the text number Jacket Newstalks HEV dot co
dot NZ. Kevin Melner is with us this morning more
(00:54):
than a Kevin.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
What in a Jack? Are we going to talk about
Christ's College?
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I think we should leave it, don't you think, Kevin?
I think we should leave. They've been in the news
enough this week. I think we can leave them, leave
them be, I think, But I.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Think there's a lesson that wasn't there that if if
you're going to get involved in that kind of thing
and make a national issue, make sure that the that
the offending words don't suddenly become part of a whole
national diction. What's the word national conversation? Conversation?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yes, yes, effect, I thought to the whole thing. Actually,
I did think, well this is I now had all
of these people saying to me, you're from christ Church.
What does this mean? I said, yeah, we probably don't
need to go there, but no idea, Yes, yes, yes,
did You used to get corrected when you're on for
your go from time to time, you probably never made
any usage.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
My memory was one day reading the lunchtime news on
national television, and I'd always up to that moment thought
that the alternative spelling for jail was which was G
A O L was pronounced goal, And so I read
(02:12):
a line that said something like so and so was
sent to goal for ten years. It was a long
time to spend on the gold Mouth.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
It's an awful, awfully long time to see in the
gold Mouth.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Yeah, And of course you got back to the newsroom
and everybody's cheering and taking the mac and it was awful. Really, yeah,
you just have to.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
It's a terrible.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Place to find out, is it live TV to such
a huge audience. It's a terrible way to find out
that you've been mis pronouncing a word.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Well except that, except that when you are an insufferable
curmudgeon like me, who's who never holds back on correcting
everyone else from time to time, it's probably a little
bit of usage justice just to come in and see
your email and box full of people saying Jack, it's
versus not verse. I knew it as well. That was
a frustrating thing that anyway, Kevin, we digress. Hey, Kevin,
(03:08):
you you want to talk about changing drinking habits this morning.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
I was impressed to hear on Thursday that New Zealand
Alisa King has secured a big deal selling her AF
drinks that's alcohol free canned cocktails throughout the UK. These
drinks mimic the taste of classic cocktails, but without using alcohol.
(03:32):
Here's a woman who started AF Drinks at her home
as a COVID lockdown project just five years ago. Five
years then launched successfully into the huge US market. Her
can drinks are now in forty one states across America.
So she's just announced she's now launching through Morrison's supermarkets
(03:55):
and convenience stores in Britain right through the UK. What
I especially like about this though, it's breaking into what's
an expanding no alcohol, low alcohol market, especially among young drinkers.
As King says, this isn't about sobriety, it's about moderation
(04:16):
and I love this from her. A new wave of
mindful drinkers is redefining what it means to be social,
sophisticated and in control. Doesn't that sound cool? Jack? What
do you reckon?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah? Yeah it does. Yeah, I think it sounds great.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I think if there's a's a new generation of drinkers
coming through who just don't want to drink till they
fall over, this is wonderful. According to Statistics New Zealand,
the volume of alcohol and beverages available in New Zealand,
the volume of alcohol is going down. In other words,
(04:54):
New Zealanders are saying, yes, I still want to drink,
but I don't want so much alcohol in it. I
remember when no alcohol beers first appeared in ousive markets.
I talked on the show about but how tasty some
of them were. I hoped drinkers were given them a try. Well,
now none of the pubs that I go into are
(05:14):
without them, So let's make sure we've got some loaves
or nose in our fridges over Christmas for guests who
want to be social, sophisticated and in control.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yeah, well, said Kevin. It is a really interesting trend,
and it's actually been led by younger people, which is
the most intriguing thing about the whole kind of shift really.
And I think so I'm a sort of I'm a millennial, right,
so I'm thirty eight at the moment, and you know,
I honestly I reckon I wouldn't have had I would
(05:51):
have had an absolute maximum of three drinks in a night,
and I wouldn't have exceeded that for probably ten or
fifteen years maximum, whereas I think the generations have gone
before me would have had more. The truth is, personally speaking,
I just never I enjoy a drink from time to time,
but I never want to feel bad the next day,
(06:12):
and I never want to do anything that imperils my sleep.
So but but I think, I think for for some
younger people and gen Z, it's you know, it's even
more pronounced and you know. I look at my wife,
for example, who doesn't doesn't drink at all, and she
loves all of the non alcoholic options because they're a
bit more sophisticated than just your lolly waters, you know.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'd never had an af AF drink.
And then after I've heard this news, I happened to
be have my head in my my beer fridge out
in the garage, and there were a couple of cans
of a drinks obviously that my daughter had in that,
so that was interesting. They were they were a flavor
(06:52):
I wasn't all that keen on.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
But.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
They had ginger in them, which I wasn't so sure about.
But I think it might have been whiskey and very good.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Oh it's a good's. It is amazing. It is very
much a trend at the moment, Kevin. Thank you sir.
We will catch again very soon. And thank you so
much for all of your messages. Gosh, we've had so
many texts. Jack, life is too easy of these language
things in all you. I don't know about that nice
opening gambit this morning, Jack, that was an excellent piece
of writing, a great lesson in the English language. Jack,
you are the same as most no at alls I meet,
(07:26):
often correcting us all but then honestly I'm no different
as my Scottish terminology so often breaches grammar, tense basic
guides around the English language. Yeah, look, how are You're
not the only one there. I think there are lots
of us who many of us who enjoy or who
don't hesitate to correct others, but then get a little
(07:48):
bit frustrated when we get corrected ourselves. Jack. As a
fellow corrector, I'm continually annoyed by the misuse of the
word utilize. One uses some for its intended purpose and
utilizes something for its unintended purpose. That's a good one. Oh,
here's a classic. Sue says, amount and number. I think
people use amount to sound more intelligent, but it conveys
(08:10):
the opposite.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to News Talks ed B from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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