The Great Beverage Revolution: Who's drinking what, why they are drinking it and what this means for the future of the drinks industry
- Women InFoodAndFarming
- 16 hours ago
- 6 min read
Almost ten years ago, newly pregnant and craving something more sophisticated than ANOTHER elderflower cordial at a Christmas drinks party, I discovered Seedlip. It delivered ritual, flavour, and complexity, without alcohol. That bottle marked the beginning of a decade-long journey that evolved from a need to a want, one mirroring a broader transformation across the drinks industry.
As we see another turning point in beverages with 'recovery' drinks and Asian inspired wellness moving from skincare to drinks, I wanted to have a look at how we got here after a decade of change in what we drink, whos drinking, where we drink and why we drink...
The true pivot point in our household came last year, when my husband (already a low and no keeno) ordered a crate of Impossibrew. Until that moment, wine bottles and beer shared shelf space with non-alcoholic alternatives, but weren’t central. As those cans became our go-to for winding down the week or facilitating social cheer, it struck me: our household had flipped. What once felt like a novelty drink had quietly become our preference. We had transitioned into a low- and no-alcohol-first household.
Fear not a crisp rose on the patio is still the mark of summer in many ways, even my kids age five and nine, crow ‘Chicken Wiiiinnneee’ at me when a bottle comes out (if you know, you know, and yes I am a cliché!) but for us, the alcohol that was a main stay is now no longer the norm.
A Decade of Category Evolution
What began with Seedlip cracked open the door to a new way of drinking. Today, the UK’s low/no-alcohol market stands at £380 million, surging year-on-year [1]. Globally, the non-alcoholic and functional drinks sector is forecasted to grow at roughly 6% CAGR, nearing $240 billion by 2033 [2].
Simultaneously, consumption habits are reshaping. In the U.S., only 54% of adults now drink alcohol, the lowest in nearly 90 years - particularly driven by under-35s [3]. In the UK, close to half of 18–24-year-olds identify as non-drinkers [4]. This isn’t about morality; it’s about conscious moderation, aligning with shifting values and wellness priorities.
Generational Shifts: What Each Cohort Brings to the Category
Gen Z
Gen Z leads this shift. About 60% reported abstaining from alcohol for at least a week in six months [5] reflecting widespread awareness of health risks. Approximately 20% less alcohol per capita is consumed by Gen Z compared to Millennials or Boomers [6]. Their reasons are multi-faceted,; health, mental well-being, and social media culture all play parts.
Yet the narrative is nuanced. Legal-age Gen Zers who drank in the past six months rose from 66% to 73%, especially in markets like the U.S. and UK [7], indicating emerging parity with older generations when they have purchasing power and social opportunity.
Gen Z isn’t avoiding alcohol so much as reshaping how, when, and why they drink, opting for intentionality over default consumption.
Millennials & Zillennials
Millennials remain key adopters of non-alcoholic innovation. In the U.S., 45% of non-alcohol beer consumers were millennials in 2023, rising to 61% by April 2024 [8]. Around 65% of Gen Z and 58% of Millennials are open to switching from alcoholic to non-alcoholic options in social settings, far higher than Gen X or Boomers [9].
Zillennials - those born between the mid 1990s and early 2000s, straddle both worlds. Digitally savvy and financially impactful, they prioritize quality, authenticity, and functional value over traditional consumption, guiding emerging trends around wellness and ritual [10].
Gen X and Boomers
Are not as stuck in their ways as other generations perceive them to be, they’re reshaping how they drink and what they drink in their own way:
In the UK, adults 55–64 and 65–74 are consistently among the most likely to report drinking at least once a week; frequency is higher than younger cohorts even as overall national drinking frequency trends down [11].
Heavy or higher-risk drinking persists among older groups: analyses show 13–19% of 55–64s reporting heavy drinking in the prior week across 2006–2021, with 65–74s edging up over time. Older men and midlife women are most likely to exceed weekly guidelines [12].
Yet within no/low, Boomers and Gen X exhibit durable engagement with no-alcohol beer, the sub-category they’ve known longest while Millennials and Gen Z drive diversification into no-alcohol spirits, wine and RTDs. Boomers who buy no-alcohol are more likely to be outright abstainers than moderators [13], which implies different messaging and pack roles by age.
Read together, the picture is subtle: younger cohorts normalise moderation and functional switching; Millennials commercialise breadth in no-alcohol repertoires; Gen X and Boomers drink more routinely but are gradually adopting trusted zero-beer formats and, when they do adopt, they’re likelier to use those products to replace alcohol, not just rotate with it.
The category therefore needs two tonalities: “playful variety and purpose” for younger drinkers, and “familiar, satisfying substitutes that protect ritual” for older ones.
Strategic Consumption: Beyond Categories to Purpose
Consumers no longer default to “water, juice, soft drink, beer”, they think in terms of function: focus, calm, connection, recovery. My own research on a recent project we undertook in taste testing artisan tonic confirms it: people describe the details of their Friday-night G&T and their Monday latte with equal care. Drinks are chosen for how they make us feel and serve our lives.
This propensity aligns with the theory of consumption as a form of social performance, choices are embedded in routines and lifestyles [14]. Today’s beverage rituals reflect this mindset shift more clearly than ever.
Bars, Restaurants & the Untapped Opportunity
Despite retail innovation, hospitality is lagging. Dining out frequently still means reaching for Diet Coke or a basic mocktail, not reflective of the vibrant, functional choices people cultivate at home. Yet the stakes are clear: 37% of consumers deliberately moderate alcohol when socialising [15]. Providing compelling low/NA options isn’t just inclusive, it’s essential. It’s an opportunity to redefine going-out rituals: think adaptogenic spritzes, mood-enhancing mocktails, or zero-proof beers that feel celebratory. Hospitality spaces that meet consumers where they are will gain trust and loyalty.
Back To My Fridge
Ten years ago, Seedlip redefined my social interactions as a non-drinker, and made me consider other options. Last year, Impossibrew recalibrated our household ritual that saw us with much clearer heads for the weekend. As I look at my fridge today, stacked with Purdey’s, iced coffees, kombuchas, functional sodas, and even a protein water or two…I see a microcosm of a global shift. Alcohol remains, but no longer dominates.
Every choice in that fridge now carries intent, whether to energize, unwind, connect, or nurse well-being...or get 'gazeboed' with the neighbours...should we so choose.
Beyond Alcohol: The Clean & No-Sugar Opportunity
While alcohol moderation has been the headline trend, an equally powerful shift is happening around sugar and “clean” credentials. Excessive sugar intake has long been a public health concern [16], with guidelines recommending free sugars make up less than 5–10% of daily calories [17]. Yet for years, “soft drink” was almost synonymous with “sugar hit.”
That is changing fast.
Sugar reduction is now one of the top purchase drivers in beverages: 58% of UK consumers actively seek drinks with reduced sugar or natural sweeteners [18]. The UK’s Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), introduced in 2018, forced reformulation across the mainstream, and created consumer expectations that beverages should be lighter, cleaner and more transparent.
This doesn’t mean flavour or indulgence has disappeared. Rather, it means consumers want “permission to enjoy”: refreshing sodas with natural sweeteners, sparkling waters with botanicals, and low-sugar functional blends. Brands like Dash Water, Ugly and Fibe are tapping into this space, where “healthy” is reframed not as denial but as modern refreshment.
And there’s another nuance: “clean label” matters almost as much as sugar content. Shoppers scrutinise ingredient lists, avoiding artificial sweeteners or colourants. “Clean label” is among the fastest-growing claims in new beverage launches globally [19].
The opportunity, then, isn’t simply to provide alcohol-free options, but to provide guilt-free, sugar-conscious, transparent options that feel modern and aspirational. Just as no/low alcohol gave consumers a way to “drink without drinking,” clean-label beverages give them a way to “indulge without compromise.”
For hospitality, this is a particularly sharp gap. At home, my fridge is stocked with kombucha, botanical sodas and low-sugar iced coffees but in many restaurants, the non-alcoholic alternative still defaults to a full-sugar Coke or a “slimline” tonic. Bars and cafés that curate a clean, low-sugar drinks list with the same pride they apply to wine or beer could unlock a huge, underserved consumer segment.
The Future: Purpose-Driven Complexity Wins
The brands poised to lead won’t simply deliver zero-proof replicas. They’ll distil understanding of human needs; mental clarity, ritual, social connection, into every bottle and can. The winning aisle won’t divide by alcohol content but by occasion: morning activation, midday focus, evening relaxation, performance recovery.
A decade ago, Seedlip showed that not drinking could still feel elevated. A year ago, Impossibrew revealed that it could become the go-to. Now, we see why the house led, the industry is finally catching the intention. And those who embrace that intention will shape the future of what, and why, we drink.
Written By Clare Otridge
IWSR, 2024
Grand View Research, 2025
Gallup, 2025
ONS, 2024
Movendi survey, 2025
OHBEV, 2025
IWSR Bevtrac study, 2025
Wikipedia (teetotalism data)
Commons Library briefing, 2024
IWSR
David Warde, 2005
Mintel, 2024
Public Health England
WHO guidelines
Mintel, 2024
Euromonitor, 2025
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