Low and Behold The acceleration of health and wellness trends has reinforced the significance of low- and no-alcohol options, giving rise to a host of new products and pours. Words: Jenna Campbell
T
he arrival of a new year often
the low- and no-alcohol spirits category will
presents the opportunity for both
grow from US$100 million to US$500 million
reflection and resolve, spurring on
in Western Europe by 2024. Of course, the case
the most determined individuals
for moderation is not a new one, and has been
to adopt new fitness regimes,
gathering momentum for some years, capturing
healthy eating habits and vows
the attention of sober-curious and health-
of alcoholic abstinence. In 2021, the message
conscious consumers. In Nielsen CGA’s 2019
was much the same, but according to Alcohol
survey of business leaders in the hospitality
Change UK, the uptake on campaigns such as
industry, low-and no-alcohol topped the list
Dry January was far higher than usual, with
as the most influential category, while a poll
as many as 6.5 million British adults taking
by Franklin & Sons found that from the outset
part – up from 3.9 million last year. Far from
of 2020, people were becoming more conscious
a flash-in-the-pan, interest in abstention
of what they were drinking, citing reasons such
and pursuit of mindful moderation – together
as wanting to get fit and saving money as cause
with the growing awareness of the health
for cutting back.
risks associated with coronavirus – has been supercharged.
With the taste for low- and no-alcohol already established, the pandemic has served
According to Bacardi’s 2021 Cocktail Trends
as a catalyst for the movement and in turn the
Report, 22% of consumers are drinking less
variety and quality of drinks within the category
and 55% of mindful drinkers are consuming
has continued to improve, giving way to greater
low-ABV beverages. Earmarked as an industry
experimentation. “For a long time we have
for exponential growth, Bacardi forecasts that
seen the decline of alcohol consumption for
