For years, functional beverages sold a promise: drink this, feel something. Adaptogens became a primary lever of this segment, with brands betting that consumers leaving alcohol still wanted a beverage that altered their state, and that these ingredients could deliver

Two non-alc wine brands, years into operating exclusively <0.5% ABV, both decided to add alcohol. Wednesday’s Domaine recently launched a 6.5% ABV range under its existing brand. In 2024, Brandon Joldersma, CEO of Surely, launched Arlow as a separate low-ABV

The alcohol alternatives category has produced more launches in the past five years than the alcohol industry produced in the previous twenty. Many of those won’t be around in another five, and some are already gone. This is normal for

Three launches in the past month have anchored themselves on hydration rather than occasion. Lucky Saint launched a Lime & Sea Salt lager in late April, built on magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Heineken UK launched Outd00r Brewing in early May,

Dealcoholized red wine is the hardest technical problem in the alcohol alternatives category. White and sparkling formats have closed more of the gap with their alcoholic counterparts, but red continues to be a challenge. Consumers often describe it as thin,

Alcohol alternatives sometimes struggle when they attempt to recreate drinks whose structure depends heavily on ethanol. Wine and spirits derive much of their mouthfeel, body, and aromatic persistence from alcohol itself. Remove it, and the product must rebuild that structure.