Mocktails, dealcoholized wine and low- or no-alcohol beer are becoming more and more popular at bars, restaurants and retail establishments worldwide. Where once, you’d be lucky if a bartender could make an alcohol-free version of your favorite margarita or spritz, you now can find entire sections of menus dedicated to the fruits of nonalcoholic beverage production.
From gin to whiskey, lagers to stouts, pinot noir to sparkling rosé, beverage producers are bringing new products to market that cater to a zero-proof culture. Bottle shops are even opening that sell nothing but nonalcoholic beverages. Is this just a trend? Or is this a new culture taking shape that is here to stay?
How Much is Too Much?
COVID-19 changed so many things about our lives, including, for many, the amount and frequency of our alcohol consumption. When we were sent home in 2020, many people upped their alcohol consumption to help pass the time and handle the stress and loneliness of isolation. Virtual happy hours became a worklife-norm to keep teams connected from a distance, and alcohol at-home delivery services reported record revenue numbers.
Studies showed that people increased their amount of drinking days in a month by 14%. For women, there was a 41% increase in heavy drinking days during the pandemic. As restrictions were lifted, this caused many, especially younger Millennials and Gen Z, to take a hard look at their drinking habits.
Making Mindful Choices
Over the past two years, we have seen emerging alcoholic beverage trends such as the “zero-proof lifestyle.” While this term is not inherently new, it’s now beginning to take root with young adults.
Millennials and Gen Z take things like mindfulness, moderation and protecting their energy very seriously. When it comes to staying in or going out for a night of heavy drinking, many opt for the consequence-free next morning. In lieu of partying every weekend, these generations are approaching alcohol through the lens of mindful drinking.
Moderation is the key behind the mindful drinking movement. Instead of relying on alcohol to help you unplug, unwind or cope, you drink when you feel like you don’t need it. While there aren’t formal rules around it, mindful drinking encourages people to be aware of why and when they drink, and to stay within their limits while indulging.
Younger generations are reframing their ideas of moderation and consumption as they explore alternative activities to help cope with stress, anxiety and general overwhelm. Millennials and Gen Z are even considering activities like dry dating. The goal is to create experiences that allow people to have authentic connections instead of becoming their most “fun selves” through a buzz. It’s about knowing your limits and how to indulge without going too far.
And the beverage business is taking note. With alcohol-free drinks being in such high demand, nonalcoholic beverage production presents a growth opportunity for bev alc companies looking to diversify.
The Benefits of Conscientiousness
Mindful drinking is also referred to as “sober curious” or “conscientious drinking” – the idea that alcohol doesn’t own you. Your life moves forward with or without it. You aren’t using it as a crutch or anchoring your routines around having a couple of drinks and getting buzzed.
For most people, arriving at this point is a personal journey, and if they choose to pursue a sober lifestyle or one of mindful drinking, that reason often falls into one of these buckets.
Physical Health
Millennials and Gen Z are becoming highly focused on health, wellness and their own life goals. This population isn’t drawn to drinking because it isn’t aligned with their physical milestones.
Drinking impacts the liver, sleeping patterns, hydration and it increases toxins in the body. Individuals looking to achieve health goals are less likely to be interested in drinking their calories and messing up the habits they spend so much time instilling in themselves.
Mental Health
When it comes to drinking, most adults aren’t interested in having no recollection of what happened, where it happened, and most importantly, what they did the night before. People are anxious about getting drunk in public, being mugged, assaulted or harmed, especially when drinking around people they don’t know.
Some drinkers talk about feeling shame or embarrassment about the actions they have taken when under the influence, and the younger generations are ready to take charge of that. No more shame, no more embarrassment. They are opting for smarter consumption patterns that allow them to enjoy social drinking without taking things too far.
Emotional Wellbeing
With an overall focus on wellness, Millennials and Gen Z are dedicated to working through their emotions using techniques like mindfulness, meditation, therapy, journaling and yoga, among other ways. Most people who struggle with anxiety and hyperactivity can experience some short-term peace of mind when they drink; however, negative or unsettled thoughts can return stronger when they sober up.
For many, excessive drinking can be counterproductive to their progress in overcoming emotional struggles. Conscientious drinking or adopting a zero-proof lifestyle are more constructive methods of improving overall health and wellbeing.
Fad, Phase or Here to Stay?
The rise of mindful drinking has left people looking for the alcohol experience without the hangover, and low- to no-alcohol products make this easier. Thanks to advances in nonalcoholic beverage production, when people go out, they can still enjoy a delicious beer, glass of wine or cocktail while staying sober.
But is this sober-curious trend around to stay? We think so.
In January, the Mindful Drinking Fest allowed attendees to sample alcohol-free versions of their favorite cocktails, beers and more. This sold-out event held in Washington D.C. featured a variety of drinks from popular brands such as Heineken, Betty Buzz and Ritual Zero Proof. They also held a cocktail contest between six top mixologists, judging them on taste, creativity and presentation.
The craft beer world is also jumping on the zero-proof trend, with big brands like Athletic Brewing Co., a Crafted ERP customer, seeing exponential growth in the nonalcoholic beer sector. Athletic was recently listed as the fourth fastest growing business in America, ranking alongside emerging software, IT, pharma, cosmetics and healthcare companies. They were also named one of Time’s most influential innovators in 2022.
So, not only are people talking about making these kinds of conscientious changes to their lifestyles, but they are doing it and loving it, and the business of low- to no-alcoholic beverages is booming! With revenue in the nonalcoholic drinks market expected to reach nearly $500 billion USD in 2023, and an expected growth rate of 3.9% per year until 2027, the impact the younger generations are having on the segment is quite clear.
The Curiosity of it All
Whether you adopt a zero-proof or just a more mindful lifestyle, or are pregnant and looking for safe alternatives to alcohol, the bev alc industry can meet you where you are. Mocktails may not be a new thing, but the availability and variety of nonalcoholic beverages on the market is greater than it has ever been before.
Complex flavors, high quality ingredients and some of the world’s leading beverage producers make up the line of alcohol-free drinks in stores across the country. Whether you want to mix up your own gin cocktail or indulge with a ready-to-drink canned beverage, you can purchase nearly anything you can imagine alcohol-free.
Mindful drinking may not be for everyone but it is a trend taking the drinking world by storm. More and more beverage producers are creating new nonalcoholic products to bring to market.
If you’re a craft beverage company looking to expand your operations to low- or no-alcohol drink production, Crafted ERP can help. Together, we can help you stay on top of inventory, forecasting and industry trends so you can stay focused on creating a great product and enabling your team to scale.
Learn more about what Crafted can do for you.
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