What The Mindful Moderation Shift Means For Beverage Brands

Drinking With Wellness In Mind

Only 54% of U.S. adults reported drinking alcohol in the past year, down from 62% in 2023—the lowest rate recorded in nearly 90 years. Fueled by wellness goals, this shift has opened the door for a new kind of innovation. The beverage industry is responding with a wave of low-ABV, functional, and non-alcoholic innovation that meets consumers wherever they are on the moderation spectrum.

What’s Changing And Why It Matters

Non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits sales surpassed $1 billion in 2025, and 92% of those buyers also purchase traditional alcohol products.

A few things are converging to drive this behavior:

• Premium non-alcoholic options have matured significantly. Consumers shopping in this lane expect the same quality and craft as anything else on the shelf, and brands like Curious Elixirs are delivering complex, adult-leaning flavors and functional ingredients.
• Functional low-ABV products are carving out a fast-growing middle lane. Products formulated with botanicals, adaptogens, or mood-supporting ingredients give consumers the social and sensory experience of drinking, with an added sense of intention.
• Packaging and language impact consumer reach. How a product is positioned signals whether it belongs in a wellness routine, a social occasion, or both.
  

Key Questions For Beverage Brand Teams To Ask

Understanding this space requires more than tracking category growth. Research helps brands get beneath the surface of what’s driving choice:

• Is this product positioned for an alcohol-free occasion, a mindful drinking moment, or both?
• What functional claims resonate with our target consumer, and how can they be communicated credibly?
• How do consumers define “better for you” in this category, and does our product deliver on that?
• Where in the daily routine or social occasion does this product fit?

Brands that can answer these questions with confidence, backed by real consumer insight, will be better positioned to launch with intention.

Looking Ahead

Winning brands will build for both ends of the spectrum: premium NA for alcohol-free occasions and functional low-ABV for mindful drinking moments.

Understanding where your consumer sits on that spectrum, and what “better for you” means to them specifically, is the strategic question that separates reactive innovation from category leadership.

Want more insight on how wellness trends are influencing beverage choices in 2026? Download MDRG’s full 2026 Wellness Beverage Trend report or contact MDRG today!

Sources

Gallup. (2025, August 13). U.S. drinking rate at new low as alcohol concerns surge. https://news.gallup.com/poll/693362/drinking-rate-new-low-alcohol-concerns-surge.aspx

NielsenIQ. (2026, January). 2025 beverage alcohol year in review. https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/analysis/2026/2025-beverage-alcohol-year-in-review/

Southey, F. (2025, November 26). Functional non-alcoholic drinks: Innovation, opportunity and growth. FoodNavigator. https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2025/11/26/functional-non-alcoholic-drinks-innovation-opportunity-and-growth/

Wirecutter. (2026, January 16). 14 best nonalcoholic drinks of 2025. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-non-alcoholic-drinks/