2. Low- and no-alcohol drinks
Neck and neck with the dominance of Impossible and Beyond products was the rise of White Claw hard seltzer. This less boozy version of a vodka soda not only crowded coolers at retail, but it also appeared in a range of flavors on bar menus, too. Joining this branded drink were scores of low-ABV cocktails created from fresh ingredients behind the bar. Spritzes made with Aperol, rose wine and shrubs, spiked lemonades and teas and cocktails with a base of sake, amaro and beer have all increased on menus.
Dry January, or “Dryuary”—a month when many consumers swear off alcohol—really took off in 2019, with many restaurants offering special drinks crafted with the same care as classic cocktails. These zero-alcohol drinks (“mocktails” is such an untrendy word) benefit from new alcohol-free spirits such as Seedlip, flavored with herbs or florals and similar in taste to gin and some flavored vodkas. Dryuary is now expanding to other months, and health-conscious consumers are more apt to take a break from drinking any time of year—a move that will power this trend into 2020 and beyond.