Zero to hero: How nolo drinks are taking over the bar scene
With the booziest time of year officially over and quite a few of us looking to get back on the wagon, at least for a few weeks, we’re taking a look at the rise of the nolo (non-alcoholic and low alcoholic) category.
If you’d wanted to ditch the drink say a decade ago, you might have struggled. (Lemonade, anyone?). But today, with more and more people looking for healthier nolo alternatives, brands have not only listened, but surpassed expectations.
Without getting too much into the nitty gritty, first a bit of context. As the cost of living continues to rise (meaning less disposable income for leisure spending) combined with the broadening cultural trend of teetotalism, moderation and mindful consumption (especially, but not exclusively, to the younger gens). A new angle in drinking habits has ascended.
Between 2022 and 2023, alcoholic beverage volumes declined by -2% (and have been at a constant -1% decline since 2018), the nolo segment has almost doubled (+47%) and the category is forecast to grow by +19% by 2028.
5.2 million fewer UK adults drank weekly in 2023 than in 2021, 47% of UK adults are ‘zebra striping’ (that’s the practice of switching between alcoholic and nolo drinks on the same occasion, if you wanna be down with the kids).
During the Euros 2024, Ocado reported a 20% jump in nolo drinks and Gen Z drink on average 20% less than millennials (who also drink less than their elders).
In reaction to this apparent increased seeking out of non-alcoholic substitutes, the global beverage industry has begun to gradually shift.
Sometimes it’s hard to determine whether the alcohol industry made every drink into an occasion, or if we instinctively ritualise drinking. Crafting the perfect drinks occasion is something we know how to do well here at Purple. It’s a time-honoured marketing strategy that undeniably creates beautiful, aspirational content as we raise a toast to… well, life. Nobody wants to miss out on that. So, as health consciousness rises, brands are upping their game for a new demand that takes wellbeing into account without the social sacrifice.
As a case study for the way the industry has moved, here’s a look at one of the first of its kind (but almost definitely not the last): no and low venues. Based in London’s Covent Garden, Club Soda is a shop meets bar that stocks and serves a curated collection of the best in low and alco-free beverages. Even offering specialised courses in cutting down.
The newfound success of businesses like Club Soda just goes to show how alcoholic drinks fit into our societal reward structure, proving why it’s important to provide non-alcoholic variants that feel just as special or celebratory.
According to Pernod Ricard, 71% of their non-alcoholic consumers still drink alcohol, which says something for how brands communicate with audiences – these are people who know and like real booze. So, their non-alcoholic counterparts need to match the quality (both beverage and branding) and brands are having to expand their portfolios in order to capitalise.
If you want that quality. You wouldn’t be stupid to assume that nolo drinks should be less expensive (they don’t require the same lengthy production process or have the same tax as alcoholic drinks, right?). Not quite. Premium non-alcoholic beverages are pricey. It is alcohol that often creates most of the flavour and texture in a drink, so to then recreate these layers in a ‘soft’ drink, involves artisanal processes and quality, seasonally sourced ingredients.
Does that healthier non-alcoholic marg taste as good now that it’s just the same price as normal one? And if nolo is equal in price to its intoxicating counterparts, is it more about choosing what’s actually better for us or valuing the alcohol itself more?
It’s still early days. I’m not telling everyone to give up their celebratory Friday evening glass of sav by any means, but as brands invest in a more thoughtful and intelligent approach to dry drinking (offering the same taste without the alcohol) and venues are increasing nolo availability, it’s comforting to know that there are non-alco alternative orders that aren’t just a bog-standard diet coke.
Showing no signs of stopping, people aren’t just shopping for sickly sweet mocktails but are actually looking for quality replicants and even real branded alternatives of their favourite alcoholic drink.
So, without further ado, here are some of our favourite nolo’s for you to swig your way through Dry Jan (or just to try because they’re delish anyway!). It’s not a definitive list, but it’s a good place to start:
The zero percent ready-mixed cocktail
The mid-strength beer
The 0% Lagers
Asahi Super Dry 0% and Kozel 0,0% (the only semi-dark 0% lager)
The low alcohol straight spirit
The zero percent wine
The fake fizz
Mack Duley
Copywriter, Purple Creative
Sources:
* IWSR 2022
** KAM insight 2023
*** Grocery Gazette 2024