The Top 15 Alcohol Trends of 2025

Zero alcohol wine on the rise as some consumers ease on alcohol but still crave social drinking conventions

The trend of reducing alcohol consumption without giving up the social rituals associated with it has led to a rise in the popularity of non-alcoholic wines, also often called zero alcohol wine. Health-conscious consumers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, are increasingly interested in wellness and mindful drinking. This shift has spurred demand for beverages that mimic the taste and sophistication of traditional wines, letting consumers partake in social events without the effects of alcohol.

Hard seltzers continue to garner demand

The folks behind White Claw, the original famous hard seltzer brand, recognized that success rested on the health-conscious trend, so they targeted consumers in situations where health and fitness were top-of-mind. For example, they sponsored Spotify workout playlists and Snapchat geofilters targeted at gyms nationwide.

Hard seltzer has seen tremendous growth as a perfect substitute in social contexts where consumers already have well-established behaviors, but are still looking for something healthier. As we've seen countless times with other trends like sober bars, these near-perfect substitutes are necessary for consumer behavior to shift.

Alcohol takes on the gummy form factor

DIY alcohol gummies have been a party hack for decades, but the DIY version takes 24 hours to prep.

Evolving party dynamics are, in part, driving the growth of pre-packaged alcohol gummies: Party-goers increasingly have one hand occupied with their phone and card-based party games are getting more and more common.

Hosts also say taking drinks out of the equation is an easy way to avoid spills and makes them more comfortable leaving expensive furniture uncovered. A product that makes a consumer more likely to host parties and to use that product at the parties has a natural built-in viral loop.

Any time a snack is convenient to eat but inconvenient to prepare, there's an opportunity for a brand to offer a pre-packaged version.

The rise of the sober bar

The large majority of customers at sober bars, which serve craft drinks without alcohol, surprisingly are regular drinkers.

Instead of serving as an experience for former alcoholics as many would think, this growing experience is focused on creating a space where it's socially acceptable to mingle with strangers and spend money on a craft experience without the explicit need for booze. Nearly all sober bars even keep the 21+ rule to help preserve the environment and social context of the bar scene.

Sober bars can capture more revenue and profit than normal bars. They're able to stay open throughout the day as an alternative to coffee dates, increasing revenue. They're also able to increase profits by maintaining prices while lowering costs given the lack of alcohol and liquor licenses.

"Dry January" has been a growing trend the past few years, and serves essentially as a marketing event for these bars and breweries.

Soju bars are on the rise

The single most consumed liquor brand on the planet isn’t a whiskey, vodka, rum, or gin; It’s a Soju.

In the US, liquor laws give Soju a surprising boost. Because of its low alcohol content, it can be sold at restaurants that have a beer and wine license but no liquor license, which often costs more, even though Soju is seen by consumers as a liquor.

In fact, several soju-adjacent alcoholic beverages were able to get their drinks reclassified as soju - to the dismay of many traditional Korean distilleries - just to reap the regulatory benefits.

One reason for Soju’s early success is the Korean industrial development model. In the 60s and 70s, the Korean government offered multiple businesses in the same industry access to below-market-rate loans to support their growth. When an industry went through a downturn, the government encouraged the stronger players to buy out weaker ones, putting the best management in charge of the entire industry. The government applied this model to cars, chemicals, electronics—and liquor, creating the massive Hite Jinro beverage conglomerate.

In Soju’s home market of Korea, the beverage benefits from a liquor-first drinking culture. Korea’s liquor consumption is the highest in the world, at an average of almost 14 shots per adult per week, compared to roughly 6 in Russia.

More recently, Soju has benefited from Korea’s cultural moment. The rise of K-pop and the growing success of Korean movies internationally has renewed interest in Korean culture, and Soju—rarely seen in music videos but ubiquitous in Korean TV dramas—is one more way to experience it. And unlike some other forms of content-driven consumption, the revenue from selling them scales as people get more involved in the trend.

Demand for aperitifs on the rise as some consumers seek out lower-alcohol options

Demand for aperitifs is surging as health-conscious consumers look for lower-alcohol options that still have complex flavors.