Dry January: How One Month Became a Movement

cannabis beverage — AMASS: Distilled and bottled in British Columbia, Riverine is the alcohol-free botanical beverage from AMASS.

*Courtesy of AMASS*

Mingle Mocktails: Mingle Mocktails as a refreshing alternative for those who want to feel part of the party instead of being the talk of the party.

*Courtesy of Mingle Mocktails*

NA Variety Pack — Brooklyn Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery's non-alcoholic portfolio includes newcomers Special Effects pils and Special Effects Hazy IPA.

*Courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery*

NC beer — Aurora Superior Sparkling Beverages: Aurora Hops, a line of non-alcoholic sparkling beverages infused with Pacific Northwest-grown hops.

Courtesy of Aurora Superior Sparkling Beverages

free hard spirits — The Free Spirits Company: Free Spirits evokes the “spirit” of bourbon, tequila and gin without the ghastly hangover.

*Courtesy of The Free Spirits Company*

Kin Euphorics: Kin Euphorics is a non-alcoholic beverage that promises to “ease stress, mellow the mood, and balance the effects of stress on the body.”

*Courtesy of Kin Eurphorics*

Wellness-focused, “sober-curious” consumers are driving interest in booze-free cocktails, a relative newcomer to the $180 billion beverage industry.

There’s no question that COVID drove us to consume more alcohol. It took a year to realize we can’t drink our way through a pandemic. 2021 was the year of wellness and the rise of the non-alcoholic spirit category. According to Nielsen data, the no- and low-ABV sector has grown 506% since 2015, and annual growth for the category is expected to hit 7.1% by 2025. By category, NA beer and cider grew 31.7%, wine increased 39.4% while zero-ABV spirits saw sales grow 113.4% over the last year.

The products have done especially well in e-commerce, as Nielsen found a 315% increase in online non-alcoholic and low-alcoholic beverage dollar sales in the same time. However, the demand has led to a retail first: stores devoted to non-alcoholic spirits. One is Sipple, the first non-alcoholic bottle shop in Texas that opened in October 2021. New York City’s first booze-free bottle shop, Spirted Away, opened on the city’s lower east side in November 2020. By early 2021, Boisson opened in Brooklyn, sharing the same dedication to exclusively alcohol-free beverages.