FIRST SIP
MAKING MORE OF LESS
Consumers have never had more options when it comes to beverage alcohol . These include craft cocktails and beers , local wines and spirits plus new imports from unsung regions , hard seltzers , teas and sodas and the crush of ready-to-drink options , to name just a few .
Yet people are drinking less . Alcohol consumption in the U . S ., which peaked in the mid to late 1970s , according to Gallup , has been slipping : It dropped from 65 % of adults polled reporting that they drank alcoholic beverages in 2019 to 60 % in 2021 .
Why ? Baby Boomers are getting older and not consuming as much alcohol , while the younger generations don ’ t drink as much as the Boomers did .
Millennials and Generation Z in particular are more mindful about consuming alcohol . They ’ re also more open to new beverages and more fickle about switching between categories and brands .
As a result , the low- / no-alcohol beverage category , which surpassed $ 11 billion in 2022 , is expected to see double-digit volume growth from 2022 to 2026 , according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis . And much of that growth will come from the noalcohol sector .
What does this mean to full-service restaurants ? You need to get on the no-spirit beverage bandwagon if you ’ re not already .
Make sure that you offer a few craft mocktails , or whatever you want to call them , as well as some decent zero-proof beers . ( Demand for alcohol-free wines has not been as robust , but with more and better options , this category will likely increase .)
New products seem to hit the market every week , from spirit-free sprits to craft mixers and nonalcoholic brews . Mixologists have been generous about sharing recipes , tips and techniques for zero-proof drinks . Check out the Drink Responsibly supplement in this issue for some inspiration .
Losing any high-margin alcoholic beverage sales may hurt , but the no-spirit movement also presents new opportunities . After all , a nondrinker who might have defaulted to soda or water may opt for a mocktail or other , more profitable nonalcoholic options if offered .
What ’ s more , IWSR found that switching between low- / no-alcohol and fullstrength alcoholic beverages is common — both in the same occasion and in different ones . So be ready to serve up what guests want in the moment .
Cheers !
Melissa Dowling Editor
Summer 2023 Vol . 35 No . 2
Editor Melissa Dowling 763-383-4442 • mdowling @ epgacceleration . com
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