A visit to the hippest rooftop bar in town, an exclusive dinner in a Michelin-starred restaurant or a casual get-together in a trendy pub: If you don’t want to drink alcohol on these occasions, you’re in luck. The selection of non-alcoholic drinks that impress with their flavour and sophistication is constantly growing.
Slowly but steadily, a trend has emerged in recent years that can no longer be overlooked. Sober bars that focus on alcohol-free enjoyment are opening up all over the world. For example, the Sans Bar in Austin/Texas, founded in 2017, which claims to be the first ‘non-alcoholic bar’ in North America. And in the chic “Peter The Bar” at the Peninsula Hotel in Tokyo, award-winning mixologist Mari Kamata also offers a variety of classic cocktails and signature drinks in non-alcoholic variations.
Enjoy consciously
Mindful drinking, the responsible use of alcohol, is at the top of the agenda, especially for young people aged between 20 and 30. Influenced by the health megatrend, the demand for low- and no-ABV (alcohol by volume) drinks is increasing. Movements such as “Dry January” – where no alcohol is consumed for a month after the holidays – are becoming more and more popular. Even the global players in the drinks industry have already recognised this trend. Heineken, for example, advertised its 0.0 per cent beer at prime time during the US Superbowl. The 30-second advert cost between six and seven million dollars. This indicates the sales potential attributed to this product segment.
Equal Drinking
The increasing demand for high-quality, non-alcoholic drinks has triggered a creative process in the catering industry. Especially in fine dining, non-alcoholic food accompaniment is becoming a “must”. The well-known food trend researcher Hanni Rützler states in her Food Report 2025: “The correspondence between drink and food is often only successful with juices that are usually just as expensive to produce as the food – one reason why restaurateurs are not yet catering for the trend across the board.” At the same time, this gives bars and restaurants the opportunity to position themselves even more exclusively and promote the idea of “equal drinking”. This means that alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks should be perceived as equal. For all those who cannot manage the complex preparation themselves, there is now a wide range of drinks such as sparkling teas, exclusive juices and non-alcoholic distillates.
Refined mixed drinks
No doubt, the bar is the place to be for non-alcoholic drinks. Innovative mixologists can give free rein to their imagination when creating non-alcoholic cocktails. Flavours are extracted from flowers, herbs, roots, mushrooms, fruit and vegetables and composed into new, unique taste experiences. The Hyatt hotel group is also focussing on original, alcohol-free cocktails. In 2021, the “Zero Proof, Zero Judgement” programme was launched to promote the mindful use of alcohol. Now let’s celebrate the trend towards alcohol-free drinking as a sign of perfect hospitality. Cheers!
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