NOLO: The fear of missing out on a massive shift in the drinks industry

We're raising an alcohol-free glass to the Rainmakers' 100th article

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‘ZEBRA STRIPING’ CAUSES SPIKE IN SALES

Molson Coors’ beer brand Staropramen is one of many that now has a no-alcohol version

The no-to-low alcohol (NOLO) sector has taken the beverage industry by storm, and the boom is showing no signs of stopping. 

Growth rates outperformed the UK’s overall beverage market, driven by moderate drinking and zebra striping — known in the trade of having one alcoholic drink, then non-alcoholic and back to alcoholic. 

The buzz has hit even my family’s alcohol stock, as NOLO alcoholic variations have joined the fridge, from Guinness Zero, Brooklyn Brewery - Special Effects Hoppy Lager, Brewdogs’ Punk IPA alcohol-free, and Nosecco (very popular at the baby showers I’ve attended this year). 

According to the International Wine and Spirits Record, the segment grew by 47% from 2022 to 2023 and it’s forecast to have a compound annual growth rate of 19% over the following five years.

And with the cost of living crisis, alcohol has been deemed a luxury for many and the sector has been massively impacted by a reduction in discretionary spend.