Barnes & Brown rides Australia’s non-alcoholic drink boom

Barnes & Brown Distilling is positioning its non-alcoholic spirits for a summer market increasingly defined by moderation, ritual and premium choice. The brand says its range is now stocked across major hospitality venues and retailers in Australia.

Why it matters: - Australia’s premium drinks market is widening to include non-alcoholic serves as a standard option, not a side category. - The shift gives drinkers more control over when and how they drink, while keeping the social ritual intact. - For bars, hotels and restaurants, the change is pushing premium menus to become more inclusive.

What happened: - Barnes & Brown Distilling used the run-up to summer to position its non-alcoholic spirits as part of Australia’s changing drinking culture. - The Bundall, Queensland-based brand says its products are stocked at Crown Casino Sydney, The Roosevelt Lounge Broadbeach, Neil Perry’s Margaret Group, Stokehouse St Kilda, RACV Resorts, Marmelo and The Waterside. - Barnes & Brown also says its range is available through local stores, IGA, Harris Farm and a wide range of restaurants and bars. - The brand says consumers can view the range at barnesandbrown.co and can make stockist enquiries via info@barnesandbrown.co.

The details: - Barnes & Brown’s range includes botanical-led gin, aromatic aperitifs, bourbon-inspired, tequila-inspired and rum-inspired expressions. - The products are designed to be served over ice, mixed into cocktails or paired with a premium mixer. - The company frames the collection around flavour, ritual and good company, with a focus on complexity and character without alcohol. - Barnes and Brown says it is also available online and through major and boutique distributors serving hotels, restaurants, pubs and off-premise stores. - Barnes and Brown says national supermarket distribution includes IGA and Harris Farm. - The company’s social links listed in the release include LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Between the lines: - The release casts non-alcoholic drinks as part of a broader moderation trend rather than a substitute for people avoiding alcohol entirely. - The premium angle matters because the category is moving from niche to mainstream hospitality placement. - The language around “considered” drinking suggests the brand sees experience and presentation as the main competitive edge.

What’s next: - Barnes & Brown is likely to lean on summer hospitality occasions, where long lunches, sunset drinks and group gatherings create demand for premium zero-alcohol options. - Wider retail and venue distribution could help the brand keep building visibility as the non-alcoholic category expands.

The bottom line: - Barnes & Brown is betting that sophistication in Australia’s drinks market will be judged less by alcohol content and more by choice, taste and presentation.