The Booze-Free Beverage Industry Is Getting a Lot of Buzz

In recent years in the beverage world, the adult non-alcoholic category has gotten a lot of buzz. During the pandemic, there was a surge in the number of non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits options for those looking to eliminate or reduce alcohol intake. The past decade has also seen increased participation in Dry January, when people start the new year by skipping alcohol for the month.

The Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association (ANBA) recently held a discussion with industry leaders to discuss trends, insights and highlights of this ever-evolving category. Participants included the founders of Athletic Brewing, which specializes in N/A beer; Gruvi, which makes booze-free wine and beer; N/A spirit brand Lyer’s; and Mocktail Club, a canned beverage line.

Here are five adult non-alcoholic beverage trends they are excited about:

For many, it’s not all or nothing
Certainly, non-alcoholic (containing up to 0.5 percent ABV) and alcohol-free beverages are popular for those who want to completely abstain from booze. But many people who still drink traditional alcoholic beer, wine and liquor are enjoying the ability to incorporate non-alcoholic options into their repertoire as well. At the ANBA roundtable, Athletic Brewing founder Bill Shufelt said that about 80 percent of the brewery’s customers also drink alcoholic beers. The Connecticut brewery, which ranked number 26 on Inc.’s list of 5,000 fastest-growing companies of 2022 and landed on Time’s most 100 influential companies of the year, produces a wide variety of non-alcoholic canned beer.

"An increasing number of drinkers are choosing to save their alcohol occasions for the weekends or special events, and Athletic has expanded the beer category from two to seven nights a week," Shufelt says. "Consumers have realized they can enjoy our great-tasting craft brews throughout the week and still perform at their best the next day."

Shufelt added that he gets feedback that having these non-alcoholic options allows for a flexitarian style of drinking: "We see consumers ordering Athletic during a night out — sometimes as their first or last beer of the night, or as a pacer so they can stay at the bar and socialize longer. We encourage craft beer lovers who might still be skeptical about N/A to give dry a try this January."

The N/A category has seen an increase in drinkers who want to forgo alcohol during specific time periods, too, like enjoying a post-race beer, sipping wine at lunch, or just drinking more moderately overall. These beverages are a popular item for those opting to partake in Damp January, as well — an alternative to Dry January where people reduce the amount of alcohol consumed instead of completely going without.

Restaurants are embracing the non-alcoholic category
Anike Sawni, founder of Denver-based Grüvi, is excited about increased access to non-alcoholic products while dining out. More restaurants are adding options when it comes to the non-alcoholic selection and putting out thoughtful and curated non-alcoholic cocktails. Zero-proof cocktails can be found throughout Denver, and Grüvi can be found at  spots like Park & Co., French 75, the District, Ophelia’s, Avelina and more.

The variety is improving
Gone are the days of there being only one style of beer available in a non-alcoholic form. Drinkers of N/A beverages want the same variety and creativity that we’ve seen in craft beer and other beverage categories, and the industry is responding to that demand. Athletic Brewing’s rotating selection includes everything from a Tropical Triple IPA to its Extra Special Bitter. Grüvi’s beer selection offers two types of stout alongside a pale ale, a wit and more, while its wines range from Dry Secco to sangria and rosé. Companies like Lyre’s are producing non-alcoholic spirits, including booze-free versions of bourbon, whiskey, gin, rum, coffee liqueur and more.

Interest is continuing to increase
There are a multitude of reasons that people have more of an interest in non-alcoholic adult beverages today. The non-alcoholic wine and beer market is poised to jump from around $20 billion in 2018 to over $30 billion by 2025, and sales of non-alcoholic spirits on alcohol e-commerce platforms rocketed by 290 percent in 2021.

Adult non-alcoholic options are getting easier to find
The consensus among the industry leaders was that N/A options are becoming more readily available. Liquor and grocery stores are making shelf space for them, and restaurants and bars are continuing to add non-alcoholic drinks to menus. Many Colorado breweries and wineries are already incorporating non-alcoholic options, too, like Arvada's Ceria Brewing Company, which specializes in booze-free beers, Dos Luces's popular Chica Morada and even Coors, which now offers Coors Edge.