Three cheers to an expanding nonalcoholic drink market

If America runs on Dunkin’, so they say, then the business community runs on coffee by day and alcohol by night. A welcome shift I’m seeing in the market, however, is expanding those nighttime options. Mocktails and other nonalcoholic drinks crafted for imbibing look like they’re having a moment in the spotlight.

Sales for nonalcoholic spirits grew 88% from 2021-22, nonalcoholic beer, 20%, and nonalcoholic wines, 23%, according to data firm Nielsen. While nonalcoholic beer, wine and spirits represents just 0.47% of sales in the alcohol market in the U.S. in a recent 12-month timeframe, Nielsen finds this percentage share has steadily grown over the past five years and remains on an upward trajectory.

You may have noticed it yourself; I sure have. More restaurants and bars have a dedicated mocktail section on the menu. Earlier this year, Wire Road Brewing Co. in Battlefield brewed a batch of nonalcoholic beer. Drink supply company 417 Cocktails offers mocktail kits. And in area liquor stores, nonalcoholic beer options are taking up multiple shelves and not just gathering dust in the corner.

Of course, alcoholic drinks even on occasion are still a crowd favorite.

Gallup has been surveying American adults since 1939 on whether they drink alcohol. That percentage dipped to a low of 55% in 1958 and a high of 71% from 1976-78. Lately, we’ve been averaging 63%. In the survey, 36% of respondents describe themselves as “total abstainers.”

Gallup also broke down drinking habits by demographics. Adults living in households earning $100,000 or more annually drink more than those who earn less and college educated individuals drink more than those who are not. More men report alcohol consumption than women, and more white adults drink as compared to the other large racial and ethnic groups. Half of people who attend weekly religious services say they do not drink.

So, while on average, over a third of adults don’t drink alcohol, I think it’s safe to wager most business events in our community held in the afternoons and evenings have a happy hour component. That’s true for Springfield Business Journal, which will host two dozen events this year.

Of course, there are many reasons why people don’t drink. Perhaps they are taking a medication that prohibits it, are pregnant, recovering from illness, are on a diet or preparing for a sporting competition. There are those who are recovering from alcohol addiction or have chosen to abstain due to a family history of alcoholism. Maybe they just don’t like the way it tastes or makes them feel. They may have a religious objection, or maybe their workplace has a code of conduct policy that prohibits it.

While bars and restaurants may have started to embrace nonalcoholic substitutes, I’ve noticed local conference centers haven’t yet jumped on board. Of course, soda and water are usually always on the menu but I’m talking about options that feel like a true alternative and allow everyone to take part in the festivities. I recently learned that this concept has a name, and it was coined on the Stanford University campus: Equally Attractive Non-Alcoholic Beverage, or EANAB.

It’s defined as an attractive and enjoyable beverage on par with the alcoholic beverages being served and may be substituted without the drinker feeling left out of the celebration. Stanford requires EANABs, or more commonly called mocktails, to be served at all parties on campus.

Mandi Fritz, who owns 417 Cocktails in downtown Springfield, shared with reporter Mike Cullinan that these offerings should become the norm. (See story on page 6.)

“This is a niche that is needed. Some people consider mocktails as a trend, but it really needs to be considered as just being inclusive to your customers, whether you’re a bar, restaurant or cocktail shop like this,” she says, adding diverse offerings allow people “to be your own self and not worry about what people are going to ask you.”

Speaking for myself, I enjoy local craft beer or an expertly mixed cocktail. I’m also a big fan of kombucha and nonalcoholic beer. I like to have options.

I’ll raise a glass, alcoholic or nonalcoholic, to the companies who are prioritizing diverse options at their work and community events. I love that this market expansion will allow for these gatherings to be more inclusive and allow all people to fully engage in celebrations or networking. For those who choose, alcohol can add to the fun of these events. But, of course, drinking isn’t the reason why our businesses gather, and drinking isn’t what builds community, people do.

Springfield Business Journal Executive Editor Christine Temple can be reached at ctemple@sbj.net.