As the world of low and no alcohol becomes more sophisticated, Lizzy O’Riordan explores why functional drinks and adult soft drinks are becoming a significant part of the landscape  

Non-alcoholic replicas are great. If a consumer is yearning for beer with friends but wants to reduce their abv, then they need look no further than brands such as Lucky Saint or 0.0 versions of other favourites. If they want a glass of wine but need to drive home after, a non-alcoholic replica does the job. 

But, as the craft soda market expands and the functional drinks market continues to grow, some retailers and producers are starting to feel that the most exciting non-alcoholic drink is the one that doesn’t pretend to be alcohol at all. If we’re not just copying the flavours behind staple alcoholic beverages though, then what will the landscape of non-alcoholic drinks look like?   

Straying away from comparisons 

Maybe we’re thinking of it wrong. For some retailers, they would rather just call a product juice instead of, say, a non-alcoholic wine. “We would rather something be dubbed as grape juice, rather than a de-alcoholised Chardonnay,” says Sadie Wilkins, co-owner at Vineyards of Sherborne, “because then you have an expectation of it tasting like a Chardonnay and it doesn’t. 

“So, we’ve got a growing category of stand-alone drinks rather than de-alcoholised versions of things people already know. We’re fine with not doing zero versions of big names, and instead doing great drinks that are soft.”  

Partly, this is possible because drinks that are soft are becoming so sophisticated. Sodas aren’t just fizzy drinks that come with your lunch, and juice is no longer something relegated to children or breakfast.  

In recent years this has meant that there hasn’t been such a straightforward divide between the soda and the alcohol world, says Laura Willoughby, founder of Club Soda. You can see this, she explains, by the fact that “Dr Pepper invested in (non-alcoholic beer brand) Athletic Brewing in the states. Soft drinks are interested in the non-alcoholic space and vice versa”.  

This is also evidenced by Carlsberg’s recent £3.3 billion acquisition of Britvic.

Sophisticated soda and soft drinks are no longer seen as the opposite of alcoholic drinks. At Club Soda, this is apparent. Commenting on a similar point to Wilkins, Willoughby explains: “Beer aside, people are not so interested in finding things that are replicas.” Some of their most popular drinks are simply “good drinks in their own right”. 

Focusing on mood and functional elements 
To sell non-alcoholic drinks well, Willougby notes that a product still needs to provide a sense of occasion.  “There can be a bit of loss aversion that people have when others are drinking alcohol, and they aren’t.”  

One major way this is being done right now is through functional drinks – a market that is expected to reach USD 42.71 billion by 2029 according to Mordor Intelligence’s Functional Beverage Market in Europe analysis.  

Sense of occasion is a key consideration for Harry Cooke, co-founder of Collider – a non-alcoholic brand that uses adaptogens, nootropics and functional mushrooms to be “mood boosting”. He comments that being taste replicas isn’t the only thing consumers are looking for when opting for alcohol free options. They also want ambience.  

Collider’s brand ethos is focused on this. “Taste and brand have traditionally been the most important factors,” Cooke says, but “as adaptogenic and other mood-enhancing products enter the market, efficacy or purported effects will be increasingly important”. 

Non-alcoholic functional drinks brand Three Spirit likewise strives to create the same sense of occasion as drinking alcohol, without mimicking the flavours. “Why go for a replica when you can create something unique, different, overwhelming and unexpected?” comments Dash Lilley, co-founder of Three Spirit, adding: “For the flavours, we wanted to focus less on imitation and more innovation.” 

Much like Collider, Lilley pays respect to “imitation drinks”, noting that they paved the way for non-alcoholic drinks. Yet, according to them, it’s important to go further – something they aim to do with “functional elements in their creations” which mimic the relaxation and occasion of traditional drinking.  

Formed specifically to create a mood, “our trio of elixirs were designed to take you through each step of the evening, as people drink for different functional effects,” says Lilley. “Livener was our great party starter with energising plants, Social was there for the good vibes with ingredients such as lion’s mane mushroom, and Nightcap was there for when you’re home from the party or event and want to start winding down.” 

“The functional category has seen an incredible surge in the US, and they are starting to trend here in the UK,” adds Hamilton Lowe, co-founder of fellow functional drinks brand Smiling Wolf. 

In reference to Smiling Wolf, Lowe notes: “In place of an alcoholic buzz, our effects revolve around relaxation, improved cognitive function and reducing anxiety.” 

Exploring natural complexities 
Finally, the third part of the landscape is surprisingly simple: embracing the complexity of naturally non-alcoholic drinks.  

Chef and owner of restaurant Counter 71 in Shoreditch, Joe Laker, says that naturally soft and functional drinks often have innately complex flavours. Laker, who has created a tasting menu with the sparkling tea brand Saicho, says: “We get a lot of suppliers coming in with de-alcoholised wine and I’ve never tried any of the alcohol-free wines that are as interesting to me. I think the process of removing alcohol from the wine takes out everything that’s flavourful.” 

Something like sparkling tea, Laker explains, has so many naturally complex flavours that are ideal for non-alcoholic pairings. “I used to work in Copenhagen and its huge there. Every restaurant I went to that served a tasting menu also offered a non-alcoholic pairing on the side. 

“They’re all very inventive. There is house made kombuchas, tea infusions, juices, these kinds of things. I feel that’s slowly coming over to the UK.” So the statistics also say, with 2023 being the best year ever for still iced and RTD tea drinks, with value sales hitting £188m, according to the British Soft Drinks Association 2024 Annual Report. 

Also focusing on real ingredients is non-alcoholic brand Non, which calls its product wine ‘alternatives.’  

“The comparison to wine was a convenient way to provide an anchor when describing our product,” says Nick Cozens, head of beverage & innovation. But they aren’t married to replicating specific wine types. With flavours such as toasted cinnamon and yuzu or stewed cherry and coffee, “people will be free to enjoy the product for what it is rather than get bogged down in the details,” Cozens says. They are just trying to create great drinks that embrace the complexity of natural products. 

There is plenty of room for all kinds of non-alcoholic drinks though, Cozens adds. It’s not either or. “A Guiness 0.0% is perfect in the middle of winter, while playing darts in a pub. A drink with adaptogens is going to be attractive to someone who is looking for focus just before a study session,” or “our Non1 Salted Raspberry and Chamomile is perfect on a Sunday afternoon at sunset, or at a wedding or celebration.”   

Overall, everyone agrees on one thing. It’s an exciting time to see so much happening, expanding on and including the taste replicas that first started the movement. Whether through naturally complex soft drinks or functional mood-boosters, the trade is starting to think more outside of the box.