Why we need a better descriptor for no & low/alcohol-free/non-alc - Comment

When you’ve worked in the alcohol-free adult beverage category long enough, you get to realise that the language hasn’t caught up to the products. When the section at the grocery store held O’Doul’s (non-alcoholic brew – “A premium malt beverage”) and maybe an overly sweet sparkling cider, the term ‘non-alcoholic’ was sufficient. But today’s landscape is too broad – and too innovative – to be defined by the absence of ethanol.

As the founder of non-alc spirit brand Seedlip, Ben Branson, put it when speaking to Dry Atlas recently: “If the ABV of your brand is a core part of your name or your packaging – dangerous red flags.”

The term ‘non-alc’ tells you what something isn’t. It communicates a restriction, not a choice, centring alcohol as the default and everything else as the deviation.

This is why I prefer a different term: ‘alcohol alternatives’.

It’s more expansive and more aligned with how consumers actually navigate this space. It also reflects what this category has always really been about: optionality.

So what deserves to sit under that umbrella, and what doesn’t? Let’s break it down.

Why ‘alcohol alternatives’ is the better frame

The alcohol alternative category isn’t simply ‘drinks without ABV’. It’s beverages crafted for the same moments alcohol historically dominated: the dinner table, the party, the post-shift unwind, the solo nightcap, the date, the celebration.

Semantics matter: ‘non-alc’ implies compromise; ‘adult non-alc’ restricts these beverages to 18+, but still feels like compromise, and ‘social beverages’ fits some occasions, but excludes others – plenty of consumers want something sophisticated at 7pm alone on their couch.

‘Alcohol alternatives’ communicates optionality. It signals that a drink belongs in the same ecosystem of sophisticated beverages, even if it doesn’t contain alcohol. And, as Branson also pointed out: Nobody calls themselves a ‘non-smoker’ or a ‘non-pork eater’.

Why define an entire category in opposition to a habit consumers are actively moving away from?

‘Alcohol alternatives’ also opens the door to one of the most important questions shaping the future of this category: Do THC drinks count as alcohol alternatives? In my opinion, the answer is ‘yes’. And increasingly, they’re the clearest example.

Many founders and consumers still feel conflicted here, as THC is intoxicating and not ‘non-alc’ in its purest sense. But the ingredient list of a product isn’t what we believe determines its place in the category.

People aren’t buying THC drinks because they want cannabis specifically. They’re often buying them because they want something to replace alcohol in moments where alcohol was the default.

A recent survey by Crescent Canna found that while 21.1% of THC beverage drinkers have quit drinking alcohol entirely, 39.6% stated that they simply drink alcohol “much less”. (And 16.9% said they drink alcohol “slightly less”.)

It’s clear what these consumers want: relaxation, sociability, a ritual and a sophisticated drink. And they want it without the collateral damage of impaired sleep, hangovers and all the other things alcohol quietly imposes.

Put differently, many consumers don’t care if the (responsible, legal) ‘buzz’ comes from ethanol, THC, kava or some yet-to-be-legalised psychoactive. They care whether the drink fulfils the same function and fits the same ritual.

By that logic, THC belongs squarely within the world of alcohol alternatives.

And so will future psychoactive formats, like psilocybin (magic mushrooms), if regulation allows.

What about sodas?

A premium soda may be elevated, but that doesn’t mean it fulfils the same role as an alcohol alternative.

We believe this is a solid litmus test: Does the beverage aim to deliver a similar experience, ritual or level of craft as alcohol? Some guiding distinctions:

Intention – Products developed with a wine, spirit, beer or cocktail ritual in mind belong in this category
Occasion – Night-time versus daytime is overly simplistic, but the setting is a useful signal
Craft – Alcohol alternatives don’t have to be expensive, but they do have to deliver on thoughtful formulation and a premiumised sensory experience

That’s simply not the job description of premium soda, so they’re not alcohol alternatives, regardless of where they show up on the shelf.

Where this is all heading

As menus integrate across ABV levels, as beverage brands span portfolios from infused to not-infused, and as consumers slide up and down the ABV spectrum based on mood, this entire question may eventually become irrelevant.

As the lines blur, ABV may end up as a minor data point on the back label, like grams of sugar or caffeine content, not the defining feature of an entire category.

We’re not there yet, though, and consumers are still anchored to a beverage’s relation to the alcohol ‘occasion’. Framing these products as alternatives to alcohol underscores their premium nature and supports the optionality that today’s consumers crave.