“Dry January” was only the beginning …
The Redefinition of Drinking
How culture, commerce,
and consumer choice are reshaping
what—and how—we drink.
This isn’t about quitting alcohol. It’s about rethinking social defaults.
What started as “Dry January” has become something much bigger: A shift toward intention, flexibility, and choice. From mocktails and non-alcoholic beer to functional drinks and alternative formats, the beverage landscape is changing—quietly, steadily, and across generations.
For decades, alcohol anchored social occasions almost by default. Today, it’s increasingly optional
What’s driving the shift:
Moderation without moralizing
Wellness without abstinence
Familiar rituals with fewer tradeoffs
The result isn’t less socializing—it’s more options for how it looks and feels.
What’s actually changing
3 ways the beverage category is expanding
Experience-forward, alcohol optional
These aren’t substitutes—they’re standalone experiences. Complex flavors, adult profiles, and premium presentation have moved mocktails out of the “compromise” column and into intentional choice.
1. Mocktails & zero-proof drinks
Same ritual, different result
This is one of the strongest signals the shift is sticking. These products preserve:
Food pairings
Social cues
Brand loyalty
They succeed because they require no behavioral retraining—just a different outcome.
2. NA beer & alcohol-removed wine
3. Functional & alternative beverages
When alcohol steps back, something else steps in
Functional drinks, hemp-derived beverages, and THC-adjacent formats are appearing in more places and contexts. They don’t replace alcohol universally—but they increasingly occupy moments once dominated by it: relaxation, predictability, and controlled effects.
The common thread: intentional consumption, not excess.
A reality check from the supply side
Some beverages take years to make. Consumer preferences can change in months.
Long production cycles—especially in legacy categories—are now colliding with faster-moving cultural shifts.
This tension is creating:
Pressure to diversify portfolios
Increased interest in adjacency and flexibility
It’s not a failure of demand—it’s a mismatch of timelines.
Why this isn’t a trend (and won’t go away)
Moderation is structural, not seasonal.
Dry January gets the headlines, but the behavior persists year-round.
Across generations:
Drinking happens less frequently, but more deliberately
Quality and occasion matter more than volume
“No alcohol” no longer requires explanation
This is not a retreat from enjoyment—it’s a redefinition of it.
INSIGHTS
What the Redefinition of Drinking Means for Food & Beverage Portfolios
What the Redefinition of Drinking Means for Innovation Pipelines
Ingredients & Additives in 2026: What Regulatory Signals Tell Us
Why this matters
(and why FBC)
Seeing the shift early matters
Understanding why consumers are choosing differently helps businesses:
Anticipate opportunity instead of reacting to pressure
Design portfolios with flexibility, not fragility
Separate durable shifts from short-term noise
At Food Business Consulting, this kind of pattern recognition—across culture, commerce, regulation, and formulation—is central to how we support innovation and growth in a changing market.
The future of drinking isn’t drying up. It’s just becoming more considered.