08 Jul Sober Living: Is It The Future?
The horrific feeling of waking up after a night out of heavy drinking is familiar to almost all adults. Whilst said night out may have been a lot of fun, sometimes that “morning-after feeling” can be so awful that it makes us question – was last night really worth it?
2018 and 2019 have seen an ever-increasing focus on health and wellness. Discussions around the importance of mental health pervade public discourse, exercise and self-care routines are excessively talked about amongst bloggers and influencers and the rise in plant-based food and drink products is almost alarming (I challenge you to find a supermarket that now doesn’t sell an array of vegan meat, cheese and milk). And an area of the wellness trend that is rapidly growing is sober living, or a reduction in alcohol intake.
The health benefits of drinking less or no alcohol are undeniably appealing: better sleep, weight loss, improved focus, reduced risk of certain serious illnesses, and of course, the glorious concept of never being hungover again. Studies towards the end of 2018 revealed that many more young people are now drinking less or no alcohol, with research by The Guardian finding that nearly 30% of young people in England do not drink at all (!!!) [1] Considering how social drinking is virtually compulsory when growing up, this just seems wild to me. It is likely that the money factor is a large reason for this: a night out of drinking, especially in big cities like London, is renowned for being expensive, and a lot of young adults just do not have the money for it. Or, they simply prefer not to waste their hard-earned cash on multiple double vodkas followed by a pounding headache and an ominous feeling of regret the next morning – which I think is fair enough.
The increase in sober living has led to a rise in reduced and non-alcoholic beverages and soft drinks in the food and beverage industry. Health drinks are therefore a massive current focus, as zero alcohol content goes hand in hand with health; Tropicana Essentials was Product of the Year’s 2019 healthy drink winner, with the product containing various fruit, veg and vitamins promoting vitality and a healthy immune system. The sober living trend inevitably means more interest in new and interesting soft drinks, too (Robinsons Creations being POY’s 2019 soft drink winner). Most cocktail bars now provide a range of “mocktails” and there is a growing market for premium flavoured tonic water (Fever-tree have released some yummy new flavours recently, including citrus, cucumber and Sicilian lemon). Square Root Soda have a non-alcoholic gin and tonic, a clever move given the current consumer obsession with G&T that shows absolutely no signs of dying (pink gin and lemonade might well be the most Instagrammed alcoholic beverage of the decade); and several supermarkets even stock “Nosecco”– again, very apt as prosecco remains a hugely popular celebratory (or non-celebratory) beverage, especially amongst young adults. Other notable products include Erdinger alcohol-free beer (which even has the added health benefits of vitamins B12 and folic acid), Silk Tree’s alcohol-free spirit infused with cinnamon and orange botanicals (it’s a yes from me) and Stowford Press’s low-alcohol (0.5%) cider. Such products allow sober living consumers to enjoy tasty and talked-about drinks without compromising their lifestyle.
It definitely isn’t for everyone, but the popularity and multiple benefits of sobriety are undeniable and we think the trend isn’t going anywhere. If your brand has any new non or low-alcoholic products that you think would be a good entry for POY, we want to hear about them! Enter today at productoftheyear.co.uk/enter or get in touch with us via our website.
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/10/young-people-drinking-alcohol-study-england