The non-alcoholic drinks boom has been in full swing for quite some time.
Now, a new study by the International Wine and Spirits Record (IWSR) credits millennials as the driving force behind that movement.
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The IWSR is generally considered a leading source of data on the global alcoholic beverage market. Its latest data says that only 13% of Americans who drink consume both alcoholic and non-alcoholic offerings. Gen Z responded to that question with a 15% rate, while Gen X was at 11%. By comparison, millennials, aged 28 to 43, are the highest at 22%.
Millennial non-alcoholic drinkers are also reportedly growing at a rapid rate. In April 2023, the IWSR saw that 45% of all non-alcoholic partakers were millennials. This past April, that number jumped to 61%.
So why is this specific age group gravitating towards the offering?
Being in this bracket myself, I can attest to a few of the trends IWSR pointed out. They said millennials attend more social events, are willing to try new products, and share growing interest in “dry months.” From nightlife to sporting events, there are plenty of opportunities for millennials to mingle—but perhaps the biggest and most unique reason is having young children. It’s not wise to drink alcohol all the time, or too much at a 5-year-old’s 3 PM birthday party, so mixing in non-alcoholic offerings makes a ton of sense.
The market has also become saturated with non-alcoholic beer, wine, seltzers, and other ready-to-drinks (RTDs). Perhaps it’s a chicken-or-the-egg scenario, where it’s unclear if big companies dictated this or if the market organically got hooked. But all of the major players in the beer and spirits industry have inserted themselves into the NA space. Big sporting events on TV have become marketers for the products, with Heineken 0.0 being the official partner of the U.S. Open.
Most bars now have a non-alcoholic offering or a mocktail menu on-site. We’ve moved past the need to crush eight straight Miller Lights and are instead mixing in a few Athletic Brewing cold ones to keep up appearances while not getting obliterated.
