TrendWatch: The Rise of Non-Alcoholic Adult Beverages
Consumer trend spotting is one of my favorite “professional” hobbies. I’ve always loved identifying connections between seemingly disparate sources of information and attempting to uncover the stories behind the data. This month, the trend that has piqued my curiosity is the growth of the Non-Alcoholic (NA) adult beverage category. Consumer interest in low alcohol and NA beverage options has been on the rise for several years now, but now seeing so much chatter about pandemic drinking and sobriety trends, I wonder if the NA category is about to explode.
It’s been well documented that Americans increased alcohol consumption significantly during the pandemic (A survey from late 2020 found 75% of Americans increased their alcohol intake during the pandemic), and now we are starting to see more stories about the impact of that increased consumption. Whether it be warnings from the medical community at Mass General about long-term health impacts of increased alcohol consumption or Hollywood’s elite sharing post-pandemic sobriety testimonials, the increasing conversations about alcohol reduction and sobriety are gaining consumers’ attention.
Exhibit A: Pinterest saw a 24X increase in searches for “Mocktails” and 20% increase in searches for “mocktails non alcoholic” in the past 12 months.
Exhibit B: 2022 YTD Google Searches that included the term “Non alcoholic” increased 38% vs. the same period of 2020. (also a 158% increase since 2012).
To better understand the increasing consumer appeal, I used SEEK’s social learning methodology, #nofilter, to get a quick look at how consumers are talking about the NA Adult Beverage category online…
NA beverages are a helpful option for consumers looking to find the right balance between drinking too much and not drinking at all:
"Gone are the days of the binary two options: normal drinkers and alcoholics. We're talking about the middle, as we should, where "normal" drinkers without a dependency are questioning alcohol's role in their lives. I also want to squash the myth that change tends to happen after one hits rock bottom. That's just not true. You can start questioning alcohol any old day. Nothing monumental has to happen." -Instagram
"It tastes just like regular Heineken to me. I’ve got a few of my friends drinking non-beers, and between Heineken and Clausthaler they enjoy them and some have quit drinking with it or now drink a regular then a zero to keep it light. NA beers are finally getting there." -Reddit
"I'm not doing a dry anything but I drink a lot of Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic beer lately when I want a beer-like thing in hand but don't want to be drinking as much." -Twitter
The ideal is taste without tradeoffs. Some consumers enjoy the taste of alcoholic beverages but don’t want to deal with the negatives associated with alcohol.
"Been hearing good word on non-alcoholic beer lately, would be nice to give it a shot. For those of you who don't get it: Beer is great with almost every meal, but the alcohol not so much. I'm sure my body would be happier not to get the alcohol from a beer with lunch." -Reddit
"Tired of all the ‘non-alcoholic beer is pointless’ comments. It's really not that hard to understand some people like the taste of beer but don't want the negative effects of alcohol. Stop criticizing other people's choices just because you wouldn't make them." -Twitter
"Been sober just over 8 months now. I LOVE good beer but can't handle alcohol. So when I started to dive into the NA world, I was very pleasantly surprised to find more than a few good ones. Cheers!" -Reddit
"This is more about avoiding peer pressure. I’ve found that if I get a glass of seltzer w/ cranberry juice, nobody questions or bothers you. My meds don’t work well with alcohol, and I don’t need to explain that to random folks." -Twitter
Mocktails and NA beverages are a welcome and fun alternative for social occasions:
"If I am the designated driver or just choosing to abstain from alcohol, I'm not thrilled with drinking soda. These mocktails are a perfect choice." -YouTube
"I love them. Honestly, after being someone who was a cocktail aficionado before getting sober, being able to experiment with AF cocktails has been so much fun. Also, I shockingly found it’s the ritual that relaxes me, not the alcohol!" -Twitter
"never thought i would be able to order non-alcoholic beer and mocktails at a bar and just play pinball for the dopamine" -Twitter
Offering mocktails is a way to be more inclusive, no matter the reason one abstains from alcohol:
"I don't really do mocktails generally but I love to make drinks for company - and often people don't want to drink either because they never do, or they're driving, or whatever! So this gives me some great ideas for that." -YouTube
"Any pregnant mommas want to drink non alcoholic wine with me? 🥺" -Twitter
"My parents don't drink, and I'm always after interesting things to make them, so I'm super excited to try these out!" -YouTube
"The non-alcoholic drink movement opens up options for the sober community, because life in sobriety should be inclusive... " - Twitter
As we continue to move past “Dry January,” with new alcohol-related news stories, like AARP’s “Why Age and Alcohol Don’t Mix” and NPR’s “Americans are stuck in unhealthy pandemic habits. Here's how to reboot,” the stage is set for consumers to reconsider their alcohol consumption. Consumer interest in NA Adult Beverages seems poised to increase further this year as more high quality options are made available.
Have you tried a non-alcoholic adult beverage recently? Do you think this trend will continue? How can brands support consumers’ NA curiosity and potentially alcohol-related health goals? I’d love to hear what you think! Follow us on linkedin or email me directly courtney@seekcompany.com.
