Is it just Dry January, or an overall cultural shift to healthier lifestyles? Alcohol brands including Corona, Heineken, Coors, and more are brewing up packaged mocktails to meet sober audiences.
Maybe these beer brands are onto something – since the global non-alcoholic beer market is expected to grow to $23.27 billion in 2025, according to Research and Markets.
Low and no-alcohol options are rising in popularity, giving people a way to sip and socialize without the effects of alcohol. These sober-friendly drink options are particularly popular with ages 25-34 – with 41% of young beer consumers open to switching to no or low-alcohol beers, according to findings from Research and Markets. Plus, alcohol-free beer can actually boost cardiovascular health and bone mineral density, while reducing risk of osteoporosis – according to an article from Upstream Brewing Company.
“This is just the beginning for the [non-alcoholic beverage] category, with consumers continuing to drive demand for a wide variety of beverage options,” said Borja Manso Salinas, vice president of marketing at Heineken USA. “Pushing the category forward is the rise of the sober-curious consumer: someone who drinks alcohol but at times chooses to abstain. The category isn’t growing because consumers are suddenly deciding to give up alcohol, rather it’s growing because consumers who drink alcohol are discovering that great-tasting non-alcoholic options like Heineken 0.0 can fit into their lifestyle, too.”
As Salinas pointed out, the market for low and no-alcohol brews isn’t only dominated by sober consumers. More and more people are shifting to a “moderation-focused lifestyle” that exists separately from complete alcohol abstinence. A societal, rising interest in health and wellness points to a need for more sober options. And with mindful alcohol use on many people’s minds, this trend is picking up.
What do you think? Will the low and no-alcohol market continue to grow, or is this just a trend?
