Innovation watch: Alcohol-free

The alcohol-free category is booming – and it’s going to get even more important moving forward.

In fact, the low and no alcohol category combined is projected to grow at a volume CAGR of 6% between 2023 and 2027, according to figures from IWSR​.

That’s led by alcohol-free at 7% growth, and with low-alcohol at 3%.

With the category now worth more than $13bn globally, it’s expected to account for nearly 4% of total beverage alcohol volumes.

The alcohol-free category is gaining significant importance for a variety of reasons: health and wellness trends, and increased social acceptance and desire for alcohol-free versions.

This shift is particularly evident among younger generations, who prioritize wellness and mindfulness in their lifestyle choices.

The category is burgeoning in the US. But remember that zero or low alcohol has been a stalwart in Europe for decades – take the established alcohol-free beer category in Germany, or sessionable radlers across the continent.

So what’s innovation like in Europe in 2024? We took to the show floor at SIAL in Paris to find out…

ISH

This year has been a big one for ISH: with the brand targeting the US as well as its homeland Nordic and European markets.

ISH Spirits offers a range of alcohol-free sparkling wines, spirits and cocktails: using a proprietary technique so that drinks mimic their alcoholic counterparts as closely as possible. 

The ISH portfolio includes rum and gin alternatives, as well as canned cocktails.

And a big bet for 2024 is ISH's Mexican Agave Spirit: a drink ready to join tequila's boom with an alcohol-free alternative.

The drink - which took gold at the 2023 Bartender Spirit Awards - uses the same elements, ingredients and similar distillation methods to tequila (it does not call itself an alcohol-free tequila as tequila, be definition, should be 35%-55% ABV).

Pierre Chavin

One of the earlier pioneers in alcohol-free wine - starting out in the sector more than 10 years ago - is Pierre Chavin, which now boasts a whole collection of alcohol-free reds, whites, rosés and sparkling brands.

Wines are still produced using ancestral wine techniques from vineyards in the south of France.

Brands such as Pierre Zéro - pictured right - harvests grapes and ferments them, giving the wine all the beneficial elements such as tannins, polyphenols, resveratrol, minerals and vitamins.

It then uses the spinning cone column for dealcoholization, which the brand believes is the most efficient method for collecting and preserving aromas in wine at low temperatures. It also allows the wine to lower its alcohol content to a completely 0.0% wine.

Moderato

Another proudly French alcohol-free wine is Moderato. 

The brand was created in 2020 by two entrepreneurs who wanted to create a good wine without alcohol. 

Sticking firmly with French vines, the varieties are typical of Bordelais and Gascogne - carbernet, merlot, tannat, sauvignons - yet all without alcohol.

After vinification, the alcohol level is reduced by vacuum distillation at low temperature: allowing for the aromatic qualities of the wine to be preserved.

Night Orient

While the number of alcohol-free options is growing, these remain largely limited to mainstream choices within beer and wine.

Enter Belgian brand Night Orient: which has created an extensive range of alcohol-free products that explore many different types of genres.

The classic Italian lemon spirit Limoncello (which usually has an ABV of around 30%) has been recreated with Night Orient’s alcohol-free version.

And ‘Anise’ is the alcohol-free play on the French classic Pastis, which usually packs a punch of around 42% ABV.

Each contains the alcohol-like punch associated with these two drinks, thanks to a clever blend of herbs ingredients such as pepper and ginger.

Both are bottled as ready-to-drink products.

Edmond

France's Edmond makes its alcohol-free beers with the same care and attention as classic beers: using organic ingredients and spring water sourced from the mountains. 

It adds yeast to properly 'brew' the beer: but does not permit the yeast to create alcohol (rather than using a dealcoholization technique).

In France, an alcohol-free beer is one that does not surpass 1.2% ABV: Edmond's beers come in at around 0.16 - 0.31%.

Goxoa

Goxoa - 'la bierre des sportifs' - is targeted at athletes and active individuals, tapping into beer's isotonic properties. 

The French brand carefully selects its hops (simcoe, centennial, cascade, citra) as well as its other ingredients: but also offers vitamins B3, B6, B9 and C, as well as magnesium and calcium.

Goxoa was crowned best alcohol-free beer in the world in the 2024 World Beer Awards, and took a gold medal at the European Beer Challenge.  

Joybrau

Hailing from Germany is Joybrau: a non-alcoholic beer with 'future-proof protein'.

A can of beer contains 20g protein, while still being brewed as a proper non-alcoholic brew in line with the German Purity Law (the Reinheitsgebot).

The beer uses water, barley, malt and hops - and vegan amino acids (the building blocks of protein) source from yellow peas, grasses and corn.