I used sugar for my lawn New Britain, CT USA zone 6 for several years and found it to be excellent. I still used fertilizer but much less than I would have previously. In addition you must mow grass high 3"+ and leave clippings behind on the lawn. This requires mowing as often as needed to keep it looking tidy but not short. The grass eventually crowds out the weeds. It worked very well and no my house was not invaded by killer ants.

Soda, wine, molasses, beet molasses, beer all do wonders for the lawn. I don't necessarily look at it as a replacement, but rather a stimulant to get the lawn in the groove. I get the cheapest sugar from walmart. and throw it around with wild abandon. It feeds the microbes, they multiply and also make nutrients more readily available for the grass.