Temperance Society

Australians are increasingly skipping the booze, with our alcohol consumption at its lowest point in half a century. But this growing trend of abstinence has only inspired more creativity from sommeliers, bartenders and drink producers, writes LEE TRAN LAM.

- Lee Tran Lam

Launching a beer isn’t the most obvious thing to do after embracing sobriety. Especially when you work as a psychologist in drug-and-alcohol rehabilitation. But giving up the drink was the catalyst for Clinton Schultz to start his range of Sobah brews with wife Lozen Schultz. A punchy use of native ingredients such as finger lime, pepperberry and lemon aspen is one reason their pilsners, IPAs and cervezas have ended up in Eskies and fridges, but drinkers are also attracted to the Gold Coast brand for another reason: Sobah is entirely booze-free.

“Clinton quit drinking in 2014, which he found relatively easy, but the social side of things was a challenge,” says Lozen. “There was a stigma around him not drinking, his mates didn’t cope with it very well and he found that there were no decent non-alcoholic drinks.” This is why they launched Sobah two years ago, as an alternative for non-drinkers. Clinton was inspired by the quality of zero-alcohol craft beers in Europe, while the zesty brightness of finger lime and lemon aspen, and the spicy crackle of pepperberry not only gives the drinks a unique flavour profile, but also connects him to his Indigenous roots.