Zero Alcohol Is Growing Up, and Your Drinks List Needs to Keep Pace
Not long ago, a zero-alcohol option behind the bar meant a single warm bottle at the back of the fridge. Today those drinks sit in supermarket aisles, bottle shops and pub taps, and a growing number of customers expect something thoughtful when they decide not to drink. Two pieces of recent news, one a university study on how young people see zero alcohol and one a new Australian soft drink launch, offer a useful guide to what that customer wants.
What young drinkers really think
Researchers in New Zealand recently spoke with 52 students aged 15 and 16 about what alcohol and zero alcohol drinks symbolise for them. Their findings, published through The Conversation, are a useful read for any operator thinking about the next generation of customers. Zero alcohol drinks could help people fit in socially, and they could also signal something positive about the person holding one, such as being responsible for themselves and others.
There were limits, though. The students recognised that zero alcohol could not provide the same emotional lift as alcohol. It could not, in their words, make boring things fun. They could easily imagine choosing zero alcohol at the beach, a wedding or a concert, which they already saw as fun. In flat or socially awkward situations, they saw regular alcohol serving a different purpose. The takeaway for a venue is that a zero-alcohol drink is not a one-for-one substitute. It works best where the occasion already carries the energy.
A local launch that shows the other side of the trend
Meanwhile, OzHarvest Ventures has launched Oh! Lemonaid, a three-flavour range of sparkling soft drinks made with natural ingredients, less sugar and Australian lemons that would otherwise go to waste. The flavours are Sparkling Lemon, Sparkling Lemon-Ginger Twist and Sparkling Lemon-Strawberry Splash. Every can sold supports farmers, keeps fruit out of landfill and provides a meal through the food rescue charity OzHarvest.
The story behind the fruit is the point. Northern Rivers grower Rob McLean lost more than half his lemon and citrus trees in the 2022 floods and found that many food outlets only wanted perfectly shaped fruit. His surviving lemons now go into the cans. OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn AO described the product as one that gives back, noting that people are buying it for the taste and then discovering the wider good it does.
Why these two stories belong together
On the surface, a research study and a product launch have little in common. Together they describe the modern non-drinker. They want something that feels like part of the occasion, not a consolation prize, and increasingly they want a drink with a story they can feel good about. A zero-alcohol beer that looks and tastes like the real thing meets the first need. A locally sourced soft drink with a clear purpose meets the second.
Review your non-alcoholic offer
Review your non-alcoholic offer with the same care you give your tap list. Offer a proper zero alcohol beer and a considered alternative to wine and give them a good spot on the menu rather than a footnote. Add at least one premium soft drink with a genuine provenance story, and make sure your staff can tell it in a sentence, because the story is what turns a soft drink into a conversation. Think about the occasions where zero alcohol fits best, such as sport, live music, family functions and daytime events, and promote the options there. Finally, price these drinks fairly. A customer who sees a zero-alcohol drink charged like a cocktail will not return for a second.
Sources
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Inside FMCG (via The Conversation), “Zero-alcohol drinks are on the rise. What do young consumers think?” — https://insidefmcg.com.au/2026/09/22/zero-alcohol-drinks-are-on-the-rise-what-do-young-consumers-think/
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Drinks Digest, “OzHarvest launches Oh! Lemonaid” — https://drinksdigest.com/2026/10/01/ozharvest-launches-oh-lemonaid/
