Designated Diners: Sober Beverages Shaking Up Restaurant Menus
- eileen strauss
- May 23
- 5 min read
Updated: May 29
Alcohol has long played a starring role in the dining experience—helping celebrate life’s milestones, seal business deals, and toast new friendships. But in recent years, its no- and low-alcohol (aka No-Low) counterparts have been steadily gaining ground as more consumers embrace a sober, mindful, and moderation-first lifestyle.
The rising popularity of buzz-free movements like Dry January and its fall cousin, Sober October, reflects a broader shift in drinking habits. With moderation sweeping the nation, nearly half of Americans (49%) plan to drink less in 2025.
This behavioral shift is driving explosive growth in the No-Low market, fueling innovation across both emerging and established brands, with the category expected to grow in 2025.
For restaurants, that presents a buzz-worthy opportunity. Premium-priced mocktails and zero-proof pairings don’t just meet guest demand—they can boost beverage sales and margins without a drop of alcohol in sight.
Low, Reduced, and NA Beverages: What’s the Difference
An alcoholic beverage is a mood-altering drink that contains ethanol and is produced by the fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between alcohol-free, NA (non-alcoholic), and reduced-alcohol drinks, you are not alone. Here’s the breakdown.
The definition of low-alcoholic drinks varies by country, but in the US, the term “low-alcohol” refers to drinks that have an alcoholic strength by volume (ABV) of between 0.05 and 1.2%, whereas “reduced alcohol,” a slightly more ambiguous determination, simply means a drink has an alcohol content lower than the average strength of a particular type of drink.
Alcohol-free or NA beverages, also known as temperance drinks, are a version of an alcoholic beverage made without alcohol or with the alcohol removed or reduced to almost zero. These may take the form of a non-alcoholic mixed drink (a "virgin drink"), non-alcoholic beer ("near beer"), and "mocktails.”
In the US, the terms “low-alcohol” or “reduced alcohol” may be used only on malt beverages containing less than 2.5% alcohol by volume. For malt beverages to be considered “non-alcoholic” or alcohol-free, the product must contain less than 0.5% (or .5%) alcohol by volume.
Stats to consider
92% of the total Sober curiosity and NA Beverages segment are beer and cider
58% of consumers drink No-Low and full-strength alcohol on the same occasion
14% of consumers do not drink alcohol at all.
64% of consumers report that the most popular occasion to consume no-low products is when relaxing at home.
41% of consumers are reducing their alcohol consumption to save money.
No-low beer accounts for over 80% of the total global no-low beverage market.
The number of global nonalcoholic beers grew by 166% from 2016 to 2020.
47% of consumers under 35 agree that mocktails are just as good as cocktails.
What's Behind the Sober Curiosity Movement?
A movement known as “sober curious,” the sans-alcohol revolution is growing increasingly popular across America. As an extension of the wellness movement, people may choose lower or alcohol-free drinks for health, pregnancy, addiction, weight, financial, and social reasons.
As consumers become more health-conscious, cutting calories and reducing sugar intake, it’s no surprise that health is the leading cause for consumers to reduce their consumption of alcohol, with 42% of consumers pointing to health as their top priority.
Affordability is another factor on the list of priorities, with 41% of consumers reporting that saving money is their reason for reducing their consumption of alcohol. Because alcohol is viewed as a non-essential category, when purse strings get tight, alcohol is one of the first items to be eliminated from the food budget.
Functionality is another leading factor driving the non-alcoholic beverage revolution. As consumers become more health-conscious, beverages that maximize quality functionality, with a focus on overall wellness and specific health concerns, are expected to be a growing segment of the beverage market during the second half of the decade.
Innovative alcohol alternatives like kombucha-based and CBD-infused no-/low-alcohol beverages are among the most popular trends in the no-low beverage market.
Trending No-Low Alcoholic Beverages for 2025
No-Low Beer
Non-alcoholic beer has been a market fixture for years, but the excitement surrounding the rapid growth of the craft segment is catapulting this industry into the stratosphere. As the leading segment in the global no-low alcohol category, the craft beer space is home to a considerable number of no-low beer innovations, especially when it comes to flavor and variety.
No-Lo Wine
Often taking a backseat to beer, the NO-LOW wine industry has begun evolving rapidly. Major brands are releasing no-- and low-alcohol labels, new brands are popping up daily, and wine-adjacent offerings are expanding the category’s boundaries.
With the growing trend of moderation and healthy living, the no-low alcohol wine category, which first started to grow in Europe and Asia, has reached the US border with new brands being introduced on a weekly basis.
ZeroProof Spirits
The spirits segment is also growing with zero-proof spirits that feature delicious combinations of botanicals, herbs, and spices or flavors reminiscent of a traditional spirit, such as coconut rum or cinnamon whiskey, becoming popular favorites, especially among younger consumers.
Mocktails
The food service industry is sparking a lot of awareness and excitement surrounding the low/no alcohol trend, with mocktails increasingly appearing on the menu at restaurants across the nation.
Mocktails have been a thriving trend for years due to consumer interest in health and wellness and the growing ‘mindful drinking’ movement.
5 Tips for Tapping into the Booz-Less Bevs Movement
If you’re just beginning to tap into booze-less bevs, or if you’re looking to expand your existing menu, here are a few tips to help you get started.
Train your crew. Provide your staff with a list of ingredients, explain any unusual or exotic ingredients, demonstrate how the drink is prepared, and offer a tasting experience.
Host private taste testing. Hold a private after-hours no-low wine, beer, and mocktail-tasting event for your loyal customers and staff. Send private evites to keep the number of attendees limited. Then ask each attendee to participate in a survey. Ask which drinks they most prefer and would order themselves, and then ask them to name their price by giving them a few options. Finally, use this valuable data to reimagine your beverage menu.
Cross-Use Add-Ons. Don’t be afraid to cross-utilize ingredients. Experiment with low-cost add-ons and mixes like herb-based savory sodas, virgin martinis, watermelon-infused seltzer, lime and cucumber water, hibiscus fizzy tea, and electrolyte mocktails
Use ingredients on hand. Instead of adding new items to your inventory, save space and money by reimagining the same ingredients you use for bar drinks to create mocktails. The same ginger syrup you use for sidecar variations on alcoholic drinks, for example, could work just as well in a non-alcoholic mule.
Update your online menu. Whether you decide to test your new beverage menu options in your dining room first or want to leap into delivering non-alcoholic beverages to your off-premise customers right away, adding non-alcoholic options to your delivery menu is a great way to pique customer excitement as the holidays approach.
And the good news is, regardless of what state you live in, no regulations are preventing you from delivering beverages with zero alcohol.
Start now by creating flavorful and colorful recipes and finding innovative packaging that dresses up your seasonal cocktails for catering and holiday delivery orders.
Take Away
Actively engaging and paying attention to your customers’ chosen lifestyles, changing tastes, and industry trends are key factors for restaurants to succeed. In 2025, the rise of the no-low alcohol movement shouldn’t be ignored.
If your restaurant has yet to tap into this burgeoning market, experiment with one or two mocktails or zero alcoholic malts. If you find your customers are receptive, add some more. Like everything else in the food game, it’s all about consumer preferences, so experiment, get creative, and don’t be afraid to jump into the No-Low Alcoholic Beverage pool that’s making a splash across the nation.
By Eileen Strauss
