Why Alcohol-Free Drinks Are Set to Take Over This Festive Season
Kamila Laura Sitwell
Guiding women through midlife reinvention by helping them build, launch and scale passion-driven businesses. Creator of Portugal's largest network for professional women and Her Freedom Business Academy
Over the last few years, we’ve seen a huge shift away from alcohol consumption and towards healthier lifestyle changes.
Even back in 2018, The Guardian newspaper reported that almost 30% of young people were shunning alcohol entirely as norms surrounding drinking alcohol started to change.
With this growing trend for alcohol-free and low alcohol beverages as well as the backdrop of a global pandemic, it’s more likely than ever that the alcohol-free trend will continue to grow.
Why is this? What has caused this huge shift in drinking behaviour? And why will this festive season be different to any we’ve seen before? Let’s take a look.
We’re more focused on wellness
Brits are now drinking less alcohol and choosing healthier alternatives because health has become the number one priority for most people. A healthier lifestyle helps people maintain a vibrant and glowing complexion, improve their skin health, enjoy hangover-free weekends, feel at their best, and avoid all those health problems that drinking alcohol can cause.
With recent reports that binge drinking can affect our immune system and could even increase the risk of developing serious complications from the coronavirus, this is likely to be more important than ever before.
We’re taking better care of our mental health
Although many people often drink alcohol to help them cope with pressures of society, when they’re feeling stressed, emotional or lacking in confidence, more people have become aware of the negative impacts of alcohol on mental health.
In fact, studies have shown that alcohol doesn’t help us feel better but actually reduces levels of the neurotransmitter, serotonin in our brain, which can worsen or even trigger depression and anxiety.
This has led more people than ever to reach for alcohol-free beverages like Kolibri CBD cocktails that allow them to have just as much fun without the potential side effects.
We don’t want to get drunk and make a fool of ourselves
These days, it’s just not cool to binge drink and put oneself in situations that are simply reckless. Of course, we still want to have fun and socialise, but we also want to be able to think clearly and really connect with those around us. We don’t want to get so drunk that we lose control, forget to social distance or end up putting others at risk. By choosing zero alcohol cocktails or other low alcohol beverages instead, we can still enjoy ourselves and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Alcohol-free beverages are better for this year’s smaller celebrations
The ongoing coronavirus-related restrictions mean that Christmas and New Year celebrations will be different for us all this year. Those boozy office Christmas parties and huge family gatherings will be replaced by smaller, more intimate celebrations with mainly close family members.
This means we’re more likely to replace those traditional glasses of wine and daiquiris with low or no-alcohol drinks that will give you the same sense of indulgence in a family-friendly way.
Summary
More people than ever look set to choose alcohol-free beverages this year. They’re better for your mental and physical health, they won’t cause you to do anything silly and they’re the perfect option for a cosy, family-friendly Christmas and New Year.
Which of our adult non-alcoholic drinks will you enjoy at your festive gathering this year? How about our Festive Bundle of botanical infusions? Or perhaps a handpicked selection of your favourite flavours? Visit our online store today.
About the author:
Kamila is a bestselling author of “Bespoke. How to radically grow your bar and restaurant business through personalisation”, and passionate trend-spotter for the UK Eating Out market with thousands of followers on her widely popular blog kamilasitwell.co.uk.
With a decade of hands-on experience collaborating with hospitality influencers and insight experts and background in setting strategies for leading brands, Kamila has become the industry champion for truly bespoke and guest-centric experiences.
More by the author:
Why do Brits lie about how much they drink?
How the Coronavirus Pandemic is Helping the UK Become Healthier
Global Marketing Access @ Merck KGaA | Marketing & Communications Expert | Brand Strategist | Digital Media | SEO | Content Marketing | Product Marketing | Masters in Expanded Media @ Hochschule Darmstadt.
4 年Very well articulated
Software Engineer | Django & Python | Product
4 年2020 has seen some great innovation in RTD within the alcohol-free industry and I can see this being a great alternative for those who are looking to moderate this Christmas and on the fence about buying entire bottles of alcohol-free spirits.
Senior Executive | Chief Information Officer | Head of IT | Business Partner
4 年It’s different now to how it was a few years ago – It’s easier now to find interesting flavour combinations in non-alcoholic drinks. From botanicals and fruit extracts to spices, consumers can really have fun with alcohol-free versions of some of their favourite drinks.
Founder @ BFN-AI | The Most Advanced AI Review Response Assistant — Reply to reviews in 30 seconds. Faster, Better, Smarter Review Responses. Connect for a Demo!
4 年I think the trend is somewhat like flexitarians. The sheer growth in incredible vegan options had made many devout meat eaters fill their baskets with vegan options. I don’t think it’s going to be a sober Christmas, but I can see how the variety of options in alcohol-free can tempt consumers to give them a try this Christmas.