“Dry” January
We are nearly wrapping up the phenomenon known as “Dry January.” Whether you’re staying true to going without, or have had a few sips here and there (no judgement), I wanted to give some insight from a flavor chemist’s perspective on the leading demographic of low-to-no alcoholic beverage customers, grey areas of the market and experimenting with flavor innovation in the segment.
Demographic of Low-to-No Alc Beverage Customers
There are typically three distinct demographics seeking low-to-no alc beverages:
Older Generation (50+) whose health has made drinking alcohol either not recommended or impossible.
Middle Generation (30-50) who have determined alcohol is a bad long-term health choice but don't want to go completely sober.
Younger Generation (21-30) who have limited experience with alcohol but see it as a negative health and social choice.
Customer Relationships With Low-to-No Alc Category
For the first demographic (50+), they want a like-for-like change as best as they can get. Typically, this group has a specific beverage or category they would consume regularly as their end of day/week beverage of choice. It's a habitual/ritualistic relationship. "A glass of wine at the end of a long week" or "a cold beer on a sunny weekend" type of mentality. They're very accustomed and familiar with the profiles of their specific beverage and they are trying to replace that for health reasons. Because this group is so familiar, they demand a "tastes just like" experience without the alcohol.
The second demographic (30-50), is much more complicated. Some, particularly those over 30, have specific ideas of what an alcoholic beverage is and should taste like. These individuals aren't all that dissimilar from the older generation in that they're looking for a "tastes just like" experience and have a similar but less ingrained habitual relationship with alcohol. Many of these individuals are attempting to reduce alcohol intake due to recent research and new information regarding the long-term effects of alcohol.
The last group (21-30) also sees alcohol in health terms as a negative but has very little relationship and has not developed any habitual aspect. Similarly health conscious and looking for alternatives. Without the relationship that the other groups are searching out low-to-no alcohol options, this group very much wants different flavors and experiences. Cocktails and THC/CBD beverages tend to be more appealing as they still have something of an effect, such as relaxation or anxiety reducing, but don't have the negative health connotations or after-effects of alcohol.
Overall, the biggest driver of adoption within the low-to-no space is health. Specifically, the new research and data coming out relating even small amounts of alcohol consumption to negative health outcomes. Even with that information, most adopters of the low-to-no space are not going completely sober or abstaining, but have goals to reduce intake without eliminating it entirely.
Advice/Common Mistakes When Experimenting With RTD Non-Alc Drinks
Exploration is key. The #1 mistake is looking for the "tastes just like" experience, which unfortunately, is what most people exploring this space are looking for. Alcohol (or more accurately, Ethyl Alcohol) is one of the most unique materials that humans consume. It cannot be directly replicated with another compound and therefore, the beverage can't be perfectly replicated without it. There's some very specific technical reasons (happy to dive into those if it doesn't scare everyone off!) that this is the case.
So when consumers are looking for a non-alc beverage, I would recommend treating it as a completely separate category of beverage. Ask yourself:
Do you like the taste/flavor and concept?
Is it a balanced and enjoyable experience?
Basically, do you like it?
If you're looking for your favorite Merlot but as a non-alcoholic option, it can get close but it will never be perfect. Low-alcohol versions/options are definitely a much more "tastes just like" experience because they maintain some of the alcohol. NA (non-alcoholic) beer is the closest but that is primarily because beer is already a lower-abv type of beverage, whereas wine and cocktails are significantly higher. The flavor of beer relies less on the alcohol effects than the others.
How I Got Involved With Low-to-No Alc Category
I've really fallen in love with trying to solve problems that help people live a better, fuller, healthier life through flavors, food and beverage. Low-to-no alcohol beverages are being developed to try and help people live a healthier lifestyle without compromising on enjoying the types of flavors and experiences they've become accustomed to or are seeking out. These are really difficult products to make because for thousands of years they've been made in a rather similar way – fermented, distilled, filtered, bottled at full-alcohol levels. Trying to make the same beverages but without the alcohol (or with significantly less alcohol) is a new frontier. I want to create solutions to really hard problems that haven't been solved completely.
