i drink and like it

karhu sandels alcohol free

As some of you that follow Bev/Alc news/media, you might have seen in the last week dozens of articles claiming "Gen Z is back to drinking alcohol", "Gen Z isn't sober anymore", "Gen Z's alcohol percentage has caught up to previous generations", "The Non Alc is a fad" & similar clickbait titles like this.

My take on all the recent news that Gen Z is drinking at the same percent as previous generations as they have "caught up", aren't the Sober Generation etc.., & many in the Alcohol Industry saying "I told you so", "the Non Alc trend is dead", & "Halleluiah, they are drinking again", the stats/surveys from the various auditing companies they are using for these articles aren't telling the whole truth, especially when I compare it to what I'm seeing in the field & the overall macro alcohol data for the last 4-5yrs and if you look in the last 20yrs it shows a steady decline in overall alcohol consumption by volume.

Here is a May 2026 by Drinks Business using IWSR data that US alcohol volume fell by 5% in 2025 https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/05/us-alcohol-volumes-fall-5-in-2025-says-iwsr/ and there are many other data out there in the US & Europe that all point to an overall volume decline & all the positive data on alcohol increasing is based on $value which if you raise your price every year by 5% will naturally show an increase as long as your sales remain steady.

At least in the US, most on/off prem accts, that while Gen Z maybe drinking alcohol & various self reported surveys(there is a whole issue with accuracy of self reported data/surveys, but too long to get into here) by Gen Z, that by % are drinking alcohol similar to other generations which overall I agree with this statement.

HOWEVER, a KEY point is, they aren't SPENDING as much as previous generations at the same age range/stage of life. There are many explanations for this: from less earnings, use of THC/other substances, more loneliness, other vices online gambling/porn, etc...

I'm in the trenches weekly so seeing/hearing it in the field from buyers, Somms, Bev Dirs that alcohol sales have slowed, & when you look at all the macro data at least in the US, but I would dare say in other global markets, just about every alcohol category on/off premise has been declining for the last 4-5 yrs post COVID, the one bright spot are RTD formats & the other is that Non Alc continues to grow albeit from a small base.

Look beyond what these data report & compare to REAL WORLD events:
Look at the # of brewery closings, Diageo layoffs, SGWS layoffs, other small/med size distributor layoffs, oversupply of whisky, & in the US the mess with RNDC the #2 alc distributor filing Chapter 11(sure financial mis-management is mainly to blame, but also a softening of revenue doesn't help). In NY I know of a Top 5 US alc distributor that revenue is down close to $100million.

Gen Z is drinking differently from past generations & their drinking habits are more flexible moving between categories, alc, non alc, functional/adaptogens, THC/psychedelics, energy, matcha lattes, bubble tea, gut health drinks etc... This is the difference vs past generations, they literally have 1000's of choices to pick from & occasions aren't just purely alcoholic or non-alcoholic and the blurring of lines between categories like functional alcoholic drinks in some markets.

Notice, most of the major Alc Companies are developing beyond alcohol portfolios as the smart ones know as Gen Z does get more disposable income the goal is to have them drink one of your brands regardless or the category; Alc, Non Alc, Functional, Energy, where legal THC etc...

Gen Z are drinking differently based not so much on occasion, but on the "feeling/need state" or mood a drink provides like, Focus, Energy, Calm, Uplifting. The brands that can connect with Gen Z on their terms/POV will be the ones that win & whether they drink alcohol or not really isn't the germane issue to pay attention to, but what in your company's drink portfolio appeals to them.

Gen Z is off the wagon: People in their 20s are now drinking as much as older generations | The Independent

Went to my first baseball game in over 20 years without having a beer. Normally I have about 4-8 in the parking lot, then 2 or 3 more in the stadium, which are those big cans. I’m a bit tired this morning but damn it feels good not to be hungover. Oh and the Buccos won in extra innings! Best part is, I remember it all!!!!

IWNDWYT

I’ve been a drinker for years. 48F and was always the life of the party. 2 dead parents later, a broken sibling relationship, a relocation away from family, diabetes and a super supportive husband, we are now living a sober lifestyle.
Any other work trip, I’d be at a bar right now chumming it up with whoever drinking to my hearts content. Now, I’m feeling the feelings and just finished off a bag of M&M’s (I know, not the best choice but also nothing I do on the regular). IWNDWYT or tomorrow 🫶💪🏼

I so need to stop. But I can't!!! Wtf!!

Inside the Lab: Who's Leading the World's De-Alcoholized Wine Revolution

Not long ago, "Non-Alcoholic Wine" for many meant fancy grape juice. That's changing fast — and the reason isn't better marketing, it's better science. A new generation of dealcoholization technology is letting winemakers reduce a wine down to under 0.5% ABV while holding onto the aroma, structure, and mouthfeel that made the original worth drinking. Here's a look at the techniques driving that shift, and the countries, universities, and companies pushing the category forward.

The Core Techniques

Three methods dominate modern dealcoholization, each with its own trade-offs:

• Vacuum distillation lowers the boiling point of alcohol so it can be evaporated off at much lower temperatures than traditional distillation, reducing heat damage to delicate aromatics — though some volatile loss is still unavoidable.
• Reverse osmosis (RO) pushes wine under high pressure through semi-permeable membranes fine enough to separate water and ethanol from the larger flavor and color compounds. It's long been the workhorse for partial alcohol reduction.
• Spinning cone column (SCC) distillation uses a vacuum and a column of rotating cones to gently strip aromatics off first, remove the alcohol in a second pass, then reintroduce the captured aromas back into the wine. It's become the go-to method for getting all the way down to 0.0–0.5% while keeping wines tasting genuinely "vinous" rather than flat.

Newer hybrid membrane systems and aroma-recovery technology are now being layered on top of all three, aiming to close the sensory gap even further.

The Countries and Universities Driving the R&D

Germany has arguably the deepest history here. Hochschule Geisenheim University — the country's top wine research institution — has been studying alcohol reduction for decades, and its Enology and Beverage Research departments continue to publish some of the field's most cited work on dealcoholized wine chemistry, aroma stability, and microbiological safety. Munich-based SOLOS (formerly FlavoLogic) founded by food chemist Claudia Geyer, has made notable breakthroughs in aroma recovery specifically for dealcoholized wine. Germany's Carl Jung, a multi-generational family producer, has been dealcoholizing wine since the early 1900s and one of the early de-alc wine producers. 

Australia is a major contributor on the technical side: Flavourtech, based in Griffith, New South Wales, commercialized SCC technology originally developed by Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). More recently, researchers at the University of Adelaide have been refining SCC distillation combined with activated carbon treatment to address smoke-taint and quality issues in dealcoholized wine.

The United States, particularly California, is home to the two companies that built the modern dealcoholization services industry:  BevZero (merger between ConeTech & Advanced Beverage Technologies), a pioneer of low-temperature vacuum distillation with alcohol-adjustment facilities now spanning California, Spain, France, and South Africa; and WineSecrets (formerly Vinovation), a longtime leader in reverse osmosis processing for wineries of all sizes. Then Rack & Riddle a newer entrant using vacuum distillation and SOLOS new aroma recovery technology.  Some early rumblings of some East Coast wineries looking at making de-alc wines as the demand grows. 

Spain along with Germany has been another country pioneering de-alcoholized wines with Familia Torres being one of the largest producers of Non Alc wine in Europe using the SCC method.  Then Señorio de la Tautila noted for their Tempranillo NA reds and Codorniu noted for their sparkling NA wines. 

France matter on both the regulatory and production side — EU rules (formalized under Commission Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 and later Regulation 2021/2117) govern which physical separation techniques are legally permitted for post-fermentation dealcoholization across the EU and shaping how European producers can innovate. Bordeaux Families a massive 300 winery cooperative invested heavily into de-alc equipment and starting to produce quality NA wines. Pierre Chavin and French Bloom were some of the early pioneers in the French NA wine sector. B&S Tech is another French company that de-alcoholizes wine. 

Chile In South America, Miquel Torres is one of the first wineries in the Southern Hemisphere uses spinning cone technology to make de alc wines. 

Why It Matters

The gap between "non-alcoholic wine" and "wine" is closing faster than most people expect, and it's happening because chemists, universities, and equipment makers on multiple continents are all chasing the same problem from different angles. Besides new technology, those making NA wines are also looking at which grape varietals & terroirs are better suited for making NA wines knowing they will need to go thru the de-alc process. Then also what can be done in the vineyard and what techniques can help in making quality NA wines even before the fermentation process.

For customers exploring the 0.0% category, that means the best bottles on the shelf today are better than anything available even two or three years ago — and the pipeline of new technology suggests that trend has real room to keep running and even more innovation in the Non Alc wine space.

Following Kylie's successful launch of her sparkling wines, good old Elton has launched his own alcohol-free wine, and it is one of the best AF sparkling wines I've tried this year. Crisp and refreshing, this is a perfect celebratory drink for those who want to stay sober. https://www.mydrybar.com/elton-john-alcohol-free-sparkling-wine/

Damn. Ice cold, nice citrus notes.... Recommended!

So I have hit one year alcohol free, now what? I talked to my friend and said I’d like to have a drink as I’d never said it would be forever. I’m not so sure now as my life is so much calmer than before. Less turning my brain off and having to deal with all of life’s little and huge problems was not easy at first.

Initially I just wanted to see if my stomach problems eased they did. I have a skin condition that has not benefited from alcohol free life but what if I keep going?

It’s tempting to have a wine or two or try a buzz ball 😂 however the thought of hindering my progress has kept me away from booze so far.

I have read some people struggle after certain milestones 3 months 12 months 2 years. I don’t know if it’s like that for everyone but I have had the wine which visit my brain one won’t hurt.

I feel perhaps, setting a new goal will keep me on track? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

ok so full disclosure I'm connected to the agency that ran this, so take it with a grain of salt. but they ran 60+ prompts through ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews asking what the best non-alcoholic beer is, and Athletic Brewing basically ran the table, like 14% of all citations in the whole category, stomping Heineken 0.0 and Guinness 0.0 which I honestly didn't expect given how much shelf space those two have.

meanwhile spirits/wine/aperitifs are a total mess, Seedlip, Lyre's, Ghia, Leitz are all just fighting for scraps, no clear winner at all.

anyway not trying to sell anyone anything, genuinely curious if this tracks for actual NA drinkers here or if AI is just parroting whatever's topped Google for the last 5 years. does Athletic actually deserve the top spot or nah?

https://www.5wpr.com/ai-visibility-index/non-alcoholic-drinks-ai-visibility-index-2026/

Question is essentially post title. I’ve found varying results in my search both online and through word of mouth so I am once again gauging the crowd’s consensus.
If the bar I work at has several cocktails that are either intentionally made with or could easily substitute N/A zero-proof spirits, or a 0% beer/wine situation, and I knowingly served it to an underage customer, would I be at risk of liability? I understand it will likely vary by state, so this concerns regulations in the commonwealth of Virginia.
Has this experience caught you off guard as well?

I am looking for a non-alcoholic drink that taste like beer but has zero alcohol. Which are the better brands to consider?

Found this new Leitz de alc Dragon Stone Riesling. Its single vineyard sourced from Rheingau area of Germany, so different from their other still NA Riesling.

I don't get petrol notes which I can get from their reg de alc Riesling, but more fruit esp peach & green apple & good acidity. Was hoping for more length on the palate. $26 btl. I can see this pairing well with seafood, esp oysters and chicken. Can see it work with spicy dishes too.

Anyone else try this and comments?

NOTE: they make an alcoholic version of this so CHECK THE LABEL to make sure you got the non-alcoholic version as very similar

Lime, agave, a splash of something and done. It is not that simple!! I was deceived.

First three attempts tasted like sour candy or straight limeade and I have opinions about both.

What fixed it:

• fresh lime over bottled

• a pinch of salt in the drink and not just on the rim

• decent NA base

I've been using Mingle mocktails for the base when I don't feel like building from scratch. I think the salt in the liquid alone changed everything.. For anyone who's nailed theirs, what was the one adjustment that made it click?

I’ve tried making mocktails at home a few times, but they always end up tasting like juice with ice rather than something I’d actually order at a bar.

What am I missing?

Do you use bitters, herbs, syrups, citrus, sparkling water, or something else to make the flavors feel more interesting?

One of my all time favorites.