What's hitting the shelves? Sober October Special

The low and no alcohol category is forecast to grow at a volume CAGR of 6%​ from 2023-2027, according to figures from IWSR. And alcohol-free alternatives could make up nearly 4% of total beverage alcohol volumes by 2027.

Consumers are looking for drinks that help them reduce their alcohol consumption - without having to sacrifice taste. Brands are responding and technology in the category is moving forward in leaps and bounds - we take a look at some of the products launching across the low and no category this month...

Alcohol-free wine

Alcohol-free wine Eisberg is launching two new products in UK supermarkets.

Mulled Wine launches in Tesco this month, retailing at £3. This warming Mulled punch has intense spice and dried fruit aromas with touches of orange peel, spreading festive cheer, without the alcohol.

Launching in November is the Pinot Noir (pictured above) from the new Selection Range, which is set to hit the shelves exclusively in Morrison's (£8).

With aromas of black currant, cherry and sweet spices, this wine makes for a ‘flawless accompaniment to a steak dinner, catching up with loved ones or decadent cheese and wine night.’

Dan Harwood, Managing Director for Eisberg's SW Wines Europe, said: "We're so excited to be launching two additional wines into supermarkets.

"The demand for low and no alternative is there, but the category as a whole will only grow if people have choices readily available to them.

"It's up to us as an industry to make that happen."

Functional non-alcoholic spirits

Smiling Wolf introduces a range of functional non-alcoholic spirits, complete with functional ingredients designed to elevate the mind and spirit.

Combining a range of distillation techniques with a proprietary blend of nootropics, Smiling Wolf delivers an ‘elevated experience’ without the effects of alcohol.

The Wolf Pack features six Functional Non-Alcoholic Spirits, starting with the launch of Gin, Vodka, and Aperitivo. The portfolio will expand to include Agave, Rum, and Whiskey in the coming months.

Each product starts with the traditional spirit flavor profile and is then fused with the Smiling Wolf Proprietary Blend, a mix of functional ingredients including nootropics that encourage the increase of alpha brain waves, serotonin, dopamine and endorphins and may enhance cognitive function, memory, creativity, and motivation. When swapped for a spirit in a cocktail, the nootropic elements may allow drinkers to experience a heightened mental energy, decreased anxiety and a mood uplift.

The brand has been founded by drinks industry veterans Hamilton Lowe and Alberto Gavazzi, alongside liquid guru Steve Wilson (who was behind the creation of Bailey’s, Tanqueray 10, Ciroc and Purdey’s).

Michelob ULTRA Zero

Anheuser-Busch is gearing up to launch alcohol-free Michelob ULTRA Zero in January 2025.

Inspired by the great taste of Michelob ULTRA, Michelob ULTRA Zero will offer consumers half the calories of leading non-alc competitors. With 29 calories, it is an alcohol-free beer that is brewed to remove alcohol with a 0% ABV.

Michelob ULTRA Zero will allow the industry-leading brand (#2 in the US by value) to make its mark on the growing non-alcohol beer category, which is projected to be a $2B industry in the next five years.

Michelob ULTRA Zero will be available in 12-pack 12oz cans in January 2025 and 6-pack 12oz bottles in March 2025 wherever Michelob ULTRA is sold.

Non-alcoholic cider

Non-alcoholic cider, Chance Clean Cider, is launching in the UK.

The brand uses handpicked British apples, delivering a ‘crisp and clean flavor that feels refreshingly modern’. Produced in partnership with expert cider makers, Aston Manor, Chance has captured a flavor profile that bursts with citrus and pineapple, balanced by woody undertones and a light sparkle.

Chance is more than just a low-alcohol cider at 0.5% ABV—it’s a drink for everyone. Coming in at 0.5% - as well as being vegan and celiac-friendly - Chance Clean Cider has been crafted to enjoy alongside meals, during social gatherings, or as a go-to refreshment.

The brand is founded by John Logue, former Head of Marketing at CROSSIP Drinks, Rekorderlig Cider and Lucky Saint.

“Over two decades spent in the drinks industry and I’ve finally distilled my learnings, insights, and instincts into my own brand,” he said.

“I’ve worked with exciting, inspiring founders in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, witnessing firsthand what it takes to create a brand that resonates with consumers and is seen as valuable by customers.

“Bringing Chance to market driven by my belief that UK cider drinkers deserve more in a category bereft of No & Low innovation and underrepresented in the largest cider sub-category - apple.”

California non-alc brew

Firestone Walker Brewing Company, brewer of 805 Beer, California’s #1 craft beer brand, has dropped its first-ever non-alcoholic blonde: 8ZERO5.

8ZERO5 is the first-ever non-alcoholic release from 805 Beer, clocking in at less than 0.5% ABV and 60 calories. 8ZERO5 has been in development under the guidance of Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matt Brynildson for over two years, with additional testing through 805’s roster of athletes. The goal was to produce a non-alcoholic beer that mirrored everything drinkers know and love in the bestselling 805 Blonde Ale. 

“We’ve tasted and analyzed 805 Blonde Ale’s appeal exhaustively over the past ten years, and we know all of the key elements that customers love in that beer, and we wanted to capture these elements in the non-alcoholic version closely,” Brynildson said. “We worked hard, nailed it, and now we’re off to the races. We’ve got something here that can compete with anything in the non-alcoholic space, and I’m pretty stoked about it.”

As the top-selling premium craft beer brand in these states, 8ZERO5 will be available for purchase in various locations across California, Arizona, and Nevada.

19 Crimes​

19 Crimes - the rebellious wine brand from Treasury Wine Estates - debuts a new mid-strength range of red and chardonnay wines, with the launch of 750ml bottles at 7% ABV.

19 Crimes hopes the new launch will bring younger consumers to the brand, who are looking for wine options which are lower in alcohol.

Russell Kirkham, Head of Regional Marketing (EMEA) at Treasury Wine Estates explained: “With Millennials and Gen Z becoming more holistically health conscious, they have new attitudes and perspectives towards alcohol compared to previous generations, they don’t necessarily want to drink ‘less’, they want to drink ‘smarter’.”

The 19 Crimes Mid-Strength range is designed for consumers who are looking to try a wine which is lower in alcohol, without having to compromise on the taste or flavor of the 19Crimes wine they know and love. The 19 Crimes Mid-Strength Red Wine is described as ‘rich and round with bold flavors of dark cherries, rich chocolate and notes of vanilla’. Meanwhile, the 19 Crimes Mid-Strength Chardonnay is ‘full bodied with ripe stone fruit flavors balanced with high-acidity, toasty oak, honey and hints of spice and finishes with creamy notes of butterscotch and vanilla’.

Wednesday's Domaine launches alcohol-free red wine​

Wednesday’s Domaine is expanding its range of premium alcohol-free wines with the official launch of Vignette, a full-bodied non-alcoholic red wine, in the UK.

Crafted in collaboration with an award-winning English winemaker, Vignette promises ‘an unparalleled depth and complexity that culminates in a long, dry finish…. With rich notes of dark plums and damson, underscored by hints of spice and forest floor.’

Each glass contains under 19 calories and is vegan-friendly.

Beginning with a blend of two wines - an oaked Petit Verdot and a more lively Tempranillo - from the historic La Mancha region of Central Spain, Wednesday’s Domaine’s wines are gently de-alcoholized using the latest technology before being blended with a handful of natural ingredients that lift body, flavor, aroma and length in the absence of alcohol.

“A delicious non-alcoholic red wine is often referred to as ‘The Holy Grail’ of the alcohol free world, and we believe we've come pretty close. The intensity of the oaked Petit Verdot pairs wonderfully with the vivid fruitiness of the Tempranillo, combining to create something utterly unique within the space” says Luke Hemsley, founder of Wednesday’s Domaine.