With the ever-increasing health trend taking a hold of the market on a global scale, the concept of Dry January, in which drinkers attempt to stay clear of alcohol for a month, has been very much in full swing. In the UK, this has presented non-alcoholic beverages and adult-focused soft drinks with a much greater opportunity for development than ever before.

Key market players such as Robinsons are pushing forward products for the adult soft drinks market. Its new Fruit Creations line is to be supported by a multi-million-pound marketing campaign, including promotions on social media using the #RobinsonsforGrownUps hashtag on Twitter, and a television advert showcasing its ‘grown-up’ flavour variants.

By cramming “twice the fruit content of core Robinsons” products into the new drinks, the Britvic brand is capitalising on growing health concerns as well as tapping into the adult market. Consumers are gradually shifting from carbonated beverages and will likely look to alternatives they perceive as healthier.

Thanks to innovative producers understanding the trend, the variety of non-alcoholic beverages has also become more extensive and appealing than ever. While alternative wines and beers have previously often lost aroma and flavour, new techniques have greatly improved the final taste for consumers.

Alternatives to alcohol

Launched just over two years ago, non-alcoholic gin brand Seedlip’s entire production and distillation process is the same as regular gin – just without the alcohol. This means the flavours from the botanicals come through, and the taste is more noticeable and comparable as a result.

Among several other recent additions to the non-alcoholic segment is Budweiser’s alcohol-free Prohibition Brew. Its historically authentic marketing references the US prohibition era of the 1920s and early 1930s, when the brand continued legal production by switching to a non-alcoholic version. The focus for this product’s advertising is that it does not compromise on taste.

Elsewhere, Heineken 0.0 has been marketed as the ‘unofficial beer of alcohol-free January’ and, as well as taste, the brand has very much promoted its low calorie count of 69. The emphasis on taste retention continued with San Miguel’s “alcohol-free beer for people who don’t like alcohol-free beer” slogan, while in Ireland Guinness has recently launched its own alcohol-free lager, which is brewed with the same process as its standard beverages.

While Dry January in 2018 has been more popular than in previous years, especially as more appealing alcohol-free and soft drink alternatives have been introduced, penetrating the well-established and pervasive alcohol industry remains a challenge.

Sobriety, particularly in the form of a one-month resolution, attracts negative opinion. Many question the benefit of giving up alcohol for four weeks of the year, only to then resume consumption for the remaining 48. While this could be a justified viewpoint, many people admit it is a welcome break (or a ‘reset’ as it is often termed) from their overindulgence throughout the Christmas period. As fads go, if it lessens alcohol consumption and has the potential to improve future drinking habits, perhaps it should not be perceived so negatively.