An emerging demographic of health-conscious consumers are turning the alcohol industry bottoms up. Alcohol drinkers, especially Millennials, are placing less emphasis on catching a buzz and more emphasis on flavor and nutrition. The growing desire to imbibe less alcohol, consume fewer calories, and understand more about beverage nutrition has spurred a variety of new product offerings in the low to non-alcoholic drink market. From wines without headaches to low- to no-alcohol craft beers and mocktails, beverage brands are working hard to cater to the growing demand.
Across the U.S., consumers are digging deeper into the cooler in search of a healthier substitute to grandpa’s proverbial cough syrup. Mintel reports that up to 32% of U.S. alcohol drinkers think low alcohol variants would be a healthier alternative to their standard full-strength counterparts. Furthermore, nutritional clarity (most notably calorie content) is now an important factor for Millennials when flexing their purchasing power. “In the U.S., 69% of Millennials say they prefer buying alcoholic drinks with nutritional information clearly explained on the pack. More than half have avoided buying drinks because packs didn’t contain enough nutritional information.”
Younger drinkers are showing more interest in ABV (alcohol by volume) transparency from restaurants and bars than their older counterparts. Mintel reports that 33% of drinkers age 22-24 agree that menus should show the ABV for all drinks; this is compared to just 15% of drinkers age 31 and over interested in more alcohol transparency.
It’s no surprise that consumer desire for increased label transparency has crept into the drink industry– the food industry is currently undergoing a similar transition as shoppers place more importance on clean eating. When it comes to packaging and nutrition in the modern era, knowledge is power. The more ways in which brands can empower consumers to make healthy informed decisions about what they’re drinking, the more success they’re poised to have in this new, expanding category.