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This article originally appeared in a special digital supplement about Beer & Wine Sales.
By Kathleen Furore
Is the low-/no-alcohol (NA) trend just a fad? Or is it here to stay?
It’s a question anyone responsible for ordering bar inventory at Mexican and Latin restaurants is likely wondering as they hear terms like “sober curious” and see “events” like Dry January, which has become a much-talked-about timeframe when consumers give up all things alcohol to kick off the new year.
According to recent research from consumer insights platform Veylinx, the talk about abstinence from alcohol is more than just a social media fad.
“More than three-quarters of Americans say they've temporarily given up alcohol for at least a month in the past,” Veylinx reports, noting that 46 percent of drinkers are trying to reduce their alcohol consumption and that 52 percent of them are replacing alcohol with non-alcoholic beverages.
It’s a trend making its way into onto the restaurant scene, according to Victoria Novo, national sales manager at Goya Foods, Inc.
“We’ve been seeing more interest from our clients in dealcoholized wines, particularly over the past year or so,” says Novo. “Consumers see these products as great-tasting, healthier beverage options that enhance their dining experience. For example, our Tres Ceros wines have the beneficial properties regular wines offer — things like polyphenols, anthocyanins and antioxidants. And because they are dealcoholized, they appeal to consumers who don't want to or can't drink full-alcohol beverages. They also have just half the calories of regular wine, and also are vegan, gluten- and sugar-free."
A Demographic & Category Break-down
The Veriflex data doesn’t stand alone when it comes to the move toward alcohol-free drinking. Information from the beverage alcohol e-commerce platform Drizly echoes that data.
“The desire to try non-alcoholic beverages continues to climb, with half of respondents having tried NA beer, wine or spirits,” the 2023 Drizzly Consumer Trend Report says.
The demographic breakdown is interesting and can help inform restaurants and bars trying to decide on an NA lineup that makes the most sense for their establishment.
According to Drizly, the NA category “is sparking the most interest amongst Gen Z and Millennials who have tried these drinks more frequently than other generations, as well as men, who reported drinking NA beer, wine or spirits more often than women.”
Kantar Global MONITOR reports similar, slightly nuanced findings.
“Although Gen Z drink alcohol the least among generations, Millennials are currently the most likely consumers to drink low- and non-alcoholic beers and spirits,” Kantar data says.
Beer and wine, data shows, are the two categories driving the low-/no-alcohol movement.
At retail for example, “beer is poised to drive overall NA growth,” according to Drizly’s 2022 Retail Report, which shows that “nearly 61% of respondents called out beer as the non-alcoholic product they’re planning to stock more next year – nearly 30 points ahead of second-place finisher wine.”
Drizly’s 2023 Consumer Trend Report echoes those findings.
“While NA beer may be the most preferred zero-proof drink of the moment …looking forward, respondents are most curious to try NA wine in 2023” that report says.
Liz Paquette, Drizly's Head of Consumer Insights, sums up the market this way: “…consumer preferences are changing when it comes to beer, wine, and spirits — more Americans, especially Gen Z and millennials, are gravitating towards zero-proof options…”
It’s something to consider when planning a bar menu that will generate orders from alcohol- and non-alcohol drinkers alike.
Click here to read about 5 alcohol-free cocktail recipes
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