Why are alcohol-free drinks so popular?
The evolution of alcohol-free drinks is somewhat similar to the growth in the popularity of plant-based food. In essence, if a product or sector gets enough support from the public then companies are more willing to invest, which means improvement and more public support … and you create a snowball effect.
Over the past five years, an increasing number of brewers have jumped on the non-alcoholic bandwagon. Some of these companies are recognisable such as Brewdog and Adnams. However, there are also new kids on the block whose products are purely alcohol-free such as Nirvana and Infinite. What do they all have in common? Well, they are driving the supply of alcohol-free products to satisfy the increase in demand.
So what’s driven the demand? Well, society, especially Gen Z and Millenials, have become a lot more health-conscious, they don’t necessarily go out for ‘benders’ anymore – in fact, the opposite, they are moving towards alcohol-free drinks.
The stigma of asking for a non-alcoholic drink
at the bar is thankfully becoming a thing of the past – and why is that? Well, the benefits of alcohol-free booze are numerous and the quality of the products is award-winning. No longer do people need to suffer from hangovers and pile on the extra pounds. You can now have a couple of beers and a cocktail (obviously alcohol-free) and still drive home. In fact, in certain cases, it’s actually healthy to drink non-alcoholic beers, reducing your risk of heart disease and mild illnesses like the cold.
The rise in alcohol-free drinks
Thanks to all this demand there is now a record investment going into alcohol-free drinks. What does this mean for you and I? Well firstly there is a general improvement in the taste of the drinks, especially beers; sometimes it’s almost impossible to tell the difference between the alcoholic version and the non-alcoholic one of some beers! Sure there is still room for improvement and it can be quite hit and miss but this is where My Dry Bar excels, helping you navigate the mine-field by reviewing the top alcohol-free tipples vs those you want to try and avoid.
At the end of the day, there is always going to be a market for alcohol (sometimes you can’t beat a glass of Malbec with a juicy sirloin or a Martini in a swanky Soho bar) and personally, I believe everything should be in moderation including booze. This sentiment can also be seen with the large increase in people buying both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks showing that people like the best of both worlds.
All we know is that the number of options for non-alcoholic drinkers are on the rise (just take a look at the shelves in your local supermarket) and we hope this trend continues.
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