by Andrew Mallinson, Maverik co-founder
The drinks section of any supermarket has undergone a significant change. The increased interest in low and no alcohol has resulted in this genre of beverages no longer being confined to a dusty bottom shelf but now earning a dedicated 'low/no' fixture within retail.
Where once low and no was merely a consideration during Dry January in an effort to dilute the ravages associated with excessive festive drinking – or reserved for those who may need to abstain on religious grounds, be pregnant or be the designated driver, today, these drinks represent an informed buying choice year-round.
What have been the triggers for this sea change amongst UK consumers?
Certainly, one could safely assume that the pandemic provided a lens through which the entire nation became more focused on the fragility of good health. Clearly, regular visits to the local pub or long boozy dinners with friends and family were off the agenda, and we were all forced to accept a very different lifestyle and adapt our routines accordingly.
Even a trip to the supermarket to purchase alcohol for in-home consumption lost its appeal as the nation struggled to find toilet paper, let alone the preferred brand of choice! The dark COVID years also resulted in a tidal wave of mental health concerns, and perhaps those struggling with their mental well-being acknowledged that drinking alcohol would only serve to enhance, rather than dull, those problems.
The influence of youth
But there's more to this trend than simply the backlash of a major worldwide health scare. The younger generation, categorized as Millennials and Gen Zs, were beginning to question the need for a lifestyle that required - sometimes excessive - alcohol to 'have a good time' way before the pandemic.
Millie Gooch, the 20-something-year-old founder of The Sober Girl Society, gave up alcohol in February 2018 when she acknowledged that 'years of partying and hangovers had started to take a toll on her mental health'. She started the Sober Girl Society seven months later, with the sole purpose of 'showing the world that you can still live a fun and fulfilled life without alcohol. Today, there is a best-selling Sober Girl Society Handbook, events up and down the country from boozeless bottomless brunches to sober sweat dance classes, as well as a virtual club which connects girls across the Sober Girl Society's 201k-strong Instagram community.
So, the move towards alcohol-free or a more moderate approach to drinking may be founded in accepting people for their 'authentic self'. In a society that is working hard to embrace diversity, perhaps the attitude towards using alcohol as a 'shield' to mask the real you is losing its appeal.
Today, the statistics clearly point to the fact that low-and-no-alcohol products are enjoying widespread acceptance amongst UK consumers, particularly driven by young people:
A third of under-25s claim they never drink alcohol (UCL)
Tesco, Britain's biggest supermarket chain, recently announced that for the first time, sales of low-and-no-alcohol beer were 25 per cent higher this June than in January, the traditional dry month.
Sales of no and low-alcohol beer in pubs are up 23 per cent on a year ago, while "normal" beer sales have fallen 6 per cent (British Beer and Pub Association)
Half of the UK adult population bought a no or low-alcohol product last year (IWSR)
Looking forward
It would be inappropriate not to reference the role that successful NPD (new product development) has had in helping to boost sales of low and no. From the early days when these products represented a taste compromise, there have been massive advances towards achieving more appetizing drinks on a level footing with the alcoholic version.
The giants of the beer world, such as Heineken*, Budweiser*, and Peroni*, have all delivered favourable zero-per cent alternatives, as have a plethora of spirits, wines, and cocktail producers.
Given the nation's renewed focus on health, there's no surprise that 'natural' flavours, vegan, gluten-free and low-calorie offerings represent important buying triggers within low/no. At Mavrik, our focus on providing an appealing non-alcoholic cocktail for the 'free-spirited' focuses heavily on creating delicious pre-mixed cocktails prepared with natural ingredients and fresh spring water. Making sure that these indulgent drinks are far from being a poor relation to their alcoholic counterparts has always been a priority, and the feedback we're receiving indicates that we've got this right!
We've been surprised at the number of younger people who are tuned into our – and other – low/no brands. It is the Millennials and Gen Zs who will be dictating the future of this category, and there is no doubt that they are shaping the nation's views on either total abstinence or simply moderating alcoholic intake and adopting these revised drinking habits in line with the rest of the population.
Whilst purchasing these drinks for in-home consumption is becoming the norm, accessing them in the mainstream on-trade is more of an issue. Still, there is little doubt that the powerful 'voice of youth' will be lobbying for change, so we predict a seismic shift in the on-trade offering in the not-too-distant future.
Gone are the days when 'happy hour' signalled a cost-effective route to achieving an alcohol-fueled state of carefree abandon; today's happy drinkers are just as likely to imbibe a virgin cocktail – and not just because they are driving.
Andrew Mallinson is the co-founder of Maverik. Home of top quality non-alcoholic, low-calorie pre-mixed cocktails made with totally natural ingredients and fresh Spring Water.
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