FEATURE: How to turn mindful drinking into profit

The moderation movement isn’t a flash in the pan – it’s a cultural shift that is here to stay. Drinkaware’s monitor survey shows nine in 10 UK drinkers (90%) are moderating their alcohol consumption in some way and this has been increasing every year.

Even if you were to take that figure with a bit of scepticism (other studies show the figure to be nearer 75%), it makes sense that if you want customers to keep coming through your door, you need to have something for them to drink. After all, the data also shows that people still want to go out and socialise.

People are choosing to drink differently for all sorts of reasons – health (big one), mental clarity, sleep, making the most of their gym membership, or just to feel more productive. Whatever the motivation, the result is the same: they still want a great experience with drinks they can’t make at home but without the high ABV.

Therefore, it makes sense Club Soda research shows almost half of UK adults have tried alcohol-free drinks – we are in times where consumers know such drinks exist so they expect to see a low & no offer when they go out. They no longer default to cola from a hose and have begun to ask bar staff which drinks they have. So, what have you got in stock? Here are the answers to the common questions we get from venues…

Is there profit in alcohol-free drinks?

Pub managers often fear ‘alcohol-free’ means lower spend per head but the opposite is increasingly true. Alcohol-free cocktails and spirits can match or exceed the margin of full-strength serves. Premium pricing, better quality products and demand for variety have changed the game. Spirits like Everleaf and Three Spirit fetch premium prices and alcohol-free cocktails are quickly becoming desirable serves.

Just think: 7% of Brits are vegetarian but 19% are teetotal. And 75% are moderating their drinking. If you’ve got more veggie options than alcohol-free ones, your drinks list might be looking a bit lopsided.

Alcohol-free guests tend to spend more on food. Give them a cracking range and a reason to hang out longer. Serve a spritz on arrival, a wine with their food and a mood-enhancer to wind down. Suddenly, you’re creating an experience rather than crossing your fingers and hoping they will stay longer.

Look at Sexy Fish bar in London: 35% of their cocktail sales are alcohol-free. That’s miles above the average at other posh bars. Why? They shout about it on their menu and they make the options look (and taste) amazing.

Bigger pubcos are catching on too. Stonegate sold more than 270,000 low & no beers in Q1 2025 – a 32% bump year-on-year. And it’s not just them. JD Wetherspoon, Greene King, Young’s, Marston’s and Mitchells & Butlers are all expanding their ranges.

When done well, guests arrive, stay longer and leave feeling looked after – not limited by alcohol choices. That’s the power of inclusive, thoughtful service.

Do I need alcohol-free drinks just for January?

Yes, dry January is big – but don’t stop there. July and December now see even higher alcohol-free sales but January is a golden month for trying out new things. Use this window to test your offer, gather feedback and see what sticks.

It is even a chance to get new customers through the door. Hero your alcohol-free drinks, run tasting events, cocktail nights or host brand-led masterclasses. Invite your alcohol-free suppliers in for sampling sessions and get your team involved. Let January be your test lab for the rest of the year.

How do I curate a range?

Choose a range you’re proud of – and that follows the same buying policy you would for alcoholic products. Local, premium, sustainable, kooky, whatever your customers love, there will be alcohol-free options you can add confidently to your menu. Ask yourself: what would you want to drink if you weren’t drinking tonight? Guests will sense the care you’ve taken.

If you are new to alcohol-free then consider starting with the essentials:

• A couple of alcohol‑free beers in different styles (eg, lager, stout, IPA)
• One spirit that works easily in familiar cocktail builds
• One sparkling tea or sparkling alcohol‑free wine to go with food and provide an additional cocktail ingredient
• Consider adding a functional or adaptogen‑infused drink for flavour and wellness appeal (see more below).

Top tip: Watch out for sugary soft drinks masquerading as cocktails. You’re looking for grown-up complex flavours, not fizzy pop in disguise.

Alcohol-free beer on draught?

One of the easiest wins is to put an alcohol-free beer on draught. According to KAM Insight, having a draught alcohol-free beer does not negatively impact overall beer sales. In fact, 98% of pubs already have at least one low or no alcohol drink and customers increasingly expect one to be available on tap. It shows commitment, and it sells. In the Lucky Saint pub, alcohol-free beer makes up 10% of its draught sales.

What are functional drinks?

You already sell one of the most popular functional ingredients – alcohol – so, looking at drinks with adaptogens (that affect your body) and nootropics (for your brain) is not that much of a leap. People still want to be social so drinks that offer a natural lift in mood are desirable for many customers. They recognise many of the ingredients from products they buy in the health food store and, as health is a major driver in the whole alcohol-free category, functional drinks tap into a big spending part of your customers’ brains.

Drinks like Three Spirit, Impossibrew, G Spot and Smiling Wolf are emerging as a new premium category. These drinks offer natural ingredients designed to uplift, energise or relax and are especially popular among younger, more health-conscious audiences. Don’t ignore CBD, it flies off the shelf at all times of day, and brands like Goodrays can also act as a mixer making any alcohol-free cocktail into a mood-enhancing offer. At Club Soda Bar, our mood-enhancing cocktails are 20% of our total bar sales.

What are mid-strength drinks?

Mid-strength drinks are typically around half the ABV of the full-strength version. They offer an excellent opportunity for pubs to retain a full-flavour experience while reducing alcohol content. Customers view these drinks as a way to ‘coast’ through a session with the same number of drinks purchased but half the alcohol. Consumers are particularly keen for mid-strength wines and cocktails and are already familiar with lower strength or table beers.

How do I train my staff?

Here’s the truth: most customers don’t think you’ve got anything decent for them if they’re not drinking alcohol. This means they default to a lime & soda or a J20. Your team needs to change that narrative. They’ve got to tell people what’s on offer – loud and proud.

Train your staff to prompt the customer when they ask for a lime & soda or cola – letting them know you have exciting options. Make sure your team is trained not just on flavour but on behaviour. Why are people cutting back? When might they go alcohol-free? Monday nights? School run mornings? Designated driver duty? Teach them to recommend drinks based on occasion – not absence.

Need a hand? We’ve got free online training over at joinclubsoda.com/trade, including access to our Drinks Trust-supported mindful drinking courses.

How can I promote our alcohol-free range?

Visibility is everything. Promote your alcohol-free range with the same energy as your specials. Use chalkboards, menus, social media and your website to show off your range. Don’t underestimate the importance of Google menus – make them work for you. Share images, tag brands and let customers know you’ve got drinks for everyone. July and December are both major moments for alcohol-free sales so don’t stop at January. Make it a year-round conversation.

According to the Everleaf x KAM report, 40% of pubs that stock alcohol-free spirits don’t list them on menus and 75% don’t include any alcohol-free cocktails. That’s a huge, missed opportunity. Customers can’t order what they can’t see.

Is it easier just to leave the traditional soft drink options on?

Sure – but you’ll lose money doing it. KAM reckons pubs and restaurants miss out on £800m a year by not upgrading tap water drinkers. One in three pub visits now involves an alcohol-free drink. If you’re not part of that story, you’re not getting the booking.

At Inception Group venues like Cahoots and Mr Fogg’s, 40% of the drinks list is alcohol-free and corporates ask about it before they book. Vagabond Wines has seen group bookings rise since upping its low & no range.

Good drinks make people stay. They have another. They eat more. They come back. They tell their mates. And they remember your pub gave them options – not just the usual fizzy pop or squash. Treat grown-ups like, well grown-ups and stock the pop for the kids.

Top tips for success

• Take care with your range – only stock drinks you’re proud to serve
• Include your alcohol‑free range at the top of printed and Google menus
• Promote drinks loudly – avoid the word ‘mocktail’, talk about flavour, brand and experience – add it to the chalkboard and promo posters
• Train your staff on ingredients, occasions and upsell techniques – challenge them to suggest options or get them to help you pick the range
• Offer alcohol‑free beer on draught – customers expect it
• Equalise presentation and promotional offers. Use the same quality glassware and garnish to elevate the serve. If you are offering a free glass of fizz for Mother’s Day, ensure you have an alcoholic and alcohol-free version
• Use January as a testing window: tastings, sampling, events and feedback loops
• Lean into functional drinks to tap wellness and mood-enhancing trends.

By understanding that equality of experience is what people are after, pubs can premise and monetise all of their drinks – regardless of their ABV – making you inclusive, on-trend and commercially savvy. And, of course, make your customer happier, with longer visits and bigger till receipts to match.

What the suppliers have to say

Asahi, which owns low & no brands including both Peroni and Asahi 0.0, was keen to point out the alcohol beer category is in 3% volume decline in the on-trade, according to CGA, yet the low & no category is 34.6% growth.

The business added consumers are willing to pay more for low & no brands, citing CGA data again, while ‘brand’ is now the most important driver of purchase – the number one factor for those purchasing lager in the low & no consumer category. It added £1 in every £4 spent on packaged low & no lager is on Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%.

A Kopparberg spokeswoman said: “‘With one in four UK adults now ‘zebra striping’ on every pub visit (source: KAM Insight: No/Low Insights 2024), it’s clear operators need to lean into the shift toward wellness and moderation with a stronger line-up of premium low and no-alcohol options.

“We’re seeing this play out across BWS (beer, wine, spirits), but cider in particular stands out: alcohol-free cider has grown by an impressive 83% over the past two years and now represents 1% of all cider sold (source: CGA: L12M/e P9 2025). That pace of growth shows the commercial opportunity for pubs that embrace this space.”

Gavin Troman, spirits category manager at food and drink foodservice wholesaler Booker – which stocks brands such as Captain Morgan Spiced Gold 0.0% – says pub and bar operators must not treat the low & no segment as an after-thought and must recognise the growing revenue potential it offers.

“Operators should weave their low & no alcoholic drinks into their menus rather than segregating them into a separate section,” he says. “Consumers enjoying low & no drinks still want to feel a sense of occasion – and this is where an exciting and indulgent non-alcoholic menu will serve outlets well.”

Molson Coors Beverage Company on-trade category controller Stephen Groucott says: “Moderation is undoubtably a growing trend as more than a third of 18 to 34-year-olds drink low & no products weekly. Meanwhile, almost two thirds (64%) of UK adults have tried low & no products, further demonstrating broad appeal across age groups.”

The drinks business says low & no beer and cider have experienced strong growth over the past year with on-trade beer sales jumping 40% to £235m and ciders seeing a 35% rise, culminating at £28m.

“The popularity of low & no alcohol beverages continues to grow across the on-trade, with 10.4% of customers now opting for these alternatives when dining or drinking out,” according to Heineken UK on-trade director Will Rice.

“In 2024, the sector reached £222.3m in sales, driven largely by beer and cider, which have grown by 39% and now represent 89% of the total value. Spirit substitutes are also seeing strong momentum with a 48% increase, while non-alcoholic wine remains a niche, accounting for just 0.1% of the category.”

UK country manager for Erdinger Alkoholfrei, Peter Gowans, reveals the lager brand is provided at the finish of marathons, triathlons and cycling events around the country, enabling participants to replace lost fluids quickly thanks to its isotonic properties – another fillip for low & no drinks.

And as the focus on wellbeing continues to grow, operators who recognise that providing an exciting range of low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks is an opportunity not a threat will be the best positioned to take advantage of the ongoing shift in attitudes towards drinking.

“Low & no drinks are no longer the wallflowers of the pub and bar world, they’ve taken centre stage and they’re not going anywhere,” says Matt Towe, head of Unity wines, beers and spirits at Bidfood.

“It’s all about inclusion, innovation and inspiration. Whether driven by health, lifestyle, or simply better taste, consumers are embracing moderation. In fact, 41% have reduced or limited their alcohol intake this year, and 17% aren’t drinking at all. Our job is to make sure they never feel like they’re missing out.”