Between Drinks
Is Gen Z really moving away from alcohol?
Recent research suggests beverage alcohol is losing relevance as younger legal-drinking-age (LDA) consumers experiment with abstinence, moderation and new ways to get a buzz. Although this framing is directionally right, according to an NECG proprietary survey of LDA Gen Zs it’s strategically incomplete.
The results of the NECG survey challenge the retreat narrative, with 76% of respondents reporting that they drink weekly. Moreover, when they go out, 68% consume three or more drinks on each occasion, and roughly one-third report drinking five or more on a typical night.
This is not a generation abandoning beverage alcohol, NECG says, however, it is changing the intent and format. Forty-eight percent of respondents identify hard seltzers as their drink of choice, and another 36% prefer hard teas or hard lemonades — outpacing traditional beer, it notes.
(Image courtesy of Spindrift)
“‘Healthier than other options’ rank just behind price as a key reason for selection, even though total consumption levels remain meaningful,” the company says. “The shift is less about drinking less and more about drinking differently.
“Beverage alcohol remains the preferred social substance overall, though cannabis is a meaningful secondary lane, particularly among males,” it continues. “Importantly, the data suggests cannabis is situational rather than broadly substitutive. The larger structural shift is happening within beverage alcohol itself: lighter, flavored, ready-to-drink formats now define the default.”
Leaning into this structural shift, Crooked Pop, a spiked soda brand designed to bring transparency and clean ingredients to the beverage alcohol category, unveiled its signature lineup of hard sodas.
After building Bai into a household name and selling it to Dr Pepper, Ben Weiss founded Crooked Pop, introducing a new approach to ready-to-drink (RTD) alcohol, powered by Organic Super Dry Alcohol (OSA); a proprietary fermentation innovation developed over four years, the company says. Derived from ancient grains including quinoa, amaranth, millet and cassava, OSA creates a clean, neutral alcohol base without the need for distilled spirits, malt brews or artificial enhancements, it adds.
“Before Bai, you couldn’t find a great-tasting soft drink that wasn’t loaded with artificial ingredients and sugar,” Weiss said in a statement. “Today, the same problem exists in the hard soda category. It’s flooded with artificially flavored malt brews and distilled spirits stripped of flavor and mouthfeel. Crooked Pop isn’t just a new hard soda brand. We’re creating an entirely new RTD category powered by zero-sugar, USDA-certified Organic Super Dry Alcohol.
“Today’s hard soda aisle looks like the soft drink sector did 15 years ago — sweet, artificial and stuck in the past,” Weiss continued. “Crooked Pop is a wholly new and game-changing formulation. We went back to the drawing board, using ancient grains and fermentation to create the first clean, USDA-certified Organic Super Dry Alcohol.”
According to NECG, Gen Z isn’t rejecting beverage alcohol, but instead these younger LDA consumers are optimizing it for price, taste, portability and perceived wellness.
“In a market where volumes are under pressure, that distinction matters,” the company says. “The strategic question is whether existing portfolios and innovation pipelines reflect the formats, cues, and occasions this cohort now expects.”
‘What’s shakin’, bacon?’
Oscar Mayer announced its first bacon innovation in five years with the introduction of Oscar Mayer Maple Bourbon Bacon — cured with Evan Williams Bourbon. The new offering features thick-cut, expertly trimmed bacon, finished with Oscar Mayer’s signature 12-hour slow smoke and subtle notes of vanilla and caramel from the barrel-aged Kentucky bourbon, it notes. Bringing together two iconic brands that are known for high-quality craft and flavor, the innovation delivers a sweet, smoky maple-kissed savory bite with a smooth bourbon-inspired finish, it says. “While we have been crafting delicious bacon for 90 years, Maple Bourbon Bacon is an exciting new chapter for our bacon portfolio and shows consumers that we are thinking about bacon differently,” said Anna James, brand manager for Oscar Mayer, in a statement. “With the bacon category growing and accounting for one-third of our business, we are leaning into bold, trend-driven flavors our fans want, bringing new energy to a beloved breakfast classic.” Max Stefka, assistant vice president of global whiskeys at Evan Williams, added: “Some flavor pairings just make sense, and Bourbon and bacon is one of them. Partnering with Oscar Mayer on Maple Bourbon Bacon brings together two iconic flavors in a bold and unexpected way, delivering a sweet-and-smoky twist that celebrates the craftsmanship behind our Bourbon.” Rolling out to grocery store shelves nationwide, Oscar Mayer’s Maple Bourbon Bacon delivers on demand for new, flavorful ways to enjoy bacon, the companies say.
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Celebrating traditions
Milo’s Tea Co. is celebrating 80 years in business by turning the spotlight on the people who made it possible: its fans. From babies named Milo to tattoos of the iconic jug to lifelong traditions, consumers have made the brand their own, the company says. To celebrate them, Milo’s launched the Milo’s Jug Club, a nationwide search for superfans who have made the brand part of their everyday moments, traditions and celebrations for generations. Through June 30, consumers across the country are invited to share their personal stories and traditions for the chance to be named Founding Members of the Milo’s Jug Club. Consumers can submit a short story along with a photo that brings their Milo’s fandom to life, showing how they “Pass the Jug. Share the Joy.” Throughout the program, Milo’s will select weekly winners at random who will be featured on @drinkmilos social channels and receive exclusive prizes — including merch, product bundles, gift cards and seasonal surprises — with winners announced each Monday from late April through the end of June, it notes. At the conclusion of the contest, eight standout fans will be selected as Founding Members, earning a trip for two to Milo’s hometown of Birmingham, Ala., for an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience, an invitation to the 80th Anniversary Hometown ParTEA, a year’s supply of Milo’s and exclusive Jug Club merch.
‘Spilling the tea’ turns into a chilled Miller Lite moment
Miller Lite and Livvy Dunne, athlete, actor, model and Miller Lite fan, joined forces to launch “Legendary Moments with Livvy,” a campaign encouraging consumers to log off, show up and say “yes” to making real-life connections. The campaign started with a first-of-its-kind, limited-edition Miller Tea Time set designed to elevate one of the most sacred social events: the debrief, the company says. Inspired by the cultural phenomenon of “spilling the tea,” the set taps into a global trend with more than 1.8 million posts under #spillthetea on TikTok, where friend groups across the world relive their most unforgettable moments. “Some of my favorite memories come from just saying ‘yes’ to going out with friends, but the best part is always talking about it the day after,” Dunne said in a statement. “That’s when the real tea comes out. For me and my friends, Miller Time brings us together and, now, Miller Tea Time is all about the debrief.” With Dunne’s more than 13 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, she knows how to turn any moment into a legendary story, the company notes. Crafted to evoke Miller Lite’s iconic cans, the centerpiece of each Miller Tea Time set is a custom-designed tea kettle, featuring a built-in beer-puncturing mechanism. Consumers can place a 12-ounce can of Miller Lite into the top of the kettle, where a special mechanism allows beer to fill the kettle and flow through the spout when pouring — turning “spilling the tea” into a chilled Miller Lite moment, it says.
(Photo by PixelsEffect/E+ via Getty Images)
Did You
Know?
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Two-thirds (65%) of Americans flat out admit they are “picky” about the type of water they drink.
Another 57% can tell what type of water they’re drinking without knowing where it came from, according to a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring.
In fact, 39% of respondents can identify if they’re drinking from a bottle or the tap while taking the first sip, the research reveals. Another one in 10 (9%) say they just need to see the cup to be sure, while 13% can tell by smelling it.
Further, preferences run deep, according to the research, as 43% of respondents reported they won’t drink tap water from certain places. About one-third (35%) will go so far as to bring their own water with them whenever they leave the house.
Additional key takeaways from the survey:
- A vast majority of respondents prefer bottled water to tap (70% vs. 13%) and spring water has the edge over filtered water (46% vs. 38%).
- More than half of those polled (54%) have a favorite brand of bottled water and 64% of these respondents even have a mental list of the best and worst bottled brands.
- According to the results, the No. 1 reason respondents believe their favorite bottle is the best is because it’s sourced naturally or from a spring (42%), even outranking things like cost (34%) and availability (33%).
“Our research shows that Americans care deeply about where their water comes from, not just how it tastes,” said Anne‑Charlotte de La Porte, vice president of marketing at CG Roxane, producers of Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring, in a statement. “In fact, 61% of respondents correctly identified that natural spring water originates from underground aquifers and flows naturally to the earth’s surface, which signals a growing awareness around sourcing and why transparency matters in the bottled water category.”