Category: Beverage Marketing

London-based Portman Group calls on government for “Low & No Alcohol Consultation”

The Portman Group is urging the UK government to do more to encourage the uptake of low & no alcohol drinks and launch a consultation on low-alcohol descriptors.

The consultation would seek views on updating the terminology around the various ways in which products below 1.2% abv are marketed.

The alcohol marketing regulator hopes to build on years of growing UK sales and consumer interest in the low & no category beyond its traditional post-festive spike.

The recent YouGov consumer research reveals that over one quarter (29%) of alcohol drinkers now also semi-regularly (‘often’ or ‘sometimes’) drink alcohol alternatives, compared to almost a third (32%) in 2021 and a quarter (25%) in 2020.

For the fifth year in a row, the top reasons cited for drinking low & no alcohol are safe driving from social events and taking part in social events without drinking to excess. Furthermore, one in six (17%) of those who have tried low & no drinks say their alcohol consumption has reduced since first trying them, demonstrating their role in encouraging moderate and responsible drinking.

With New Year’s resolutions already in full swing, those that plan to reduce alcohol consumption in 2023 said they will drink fewer alcoholic drinks at home (37%), have more alcohol-free days (30%) and a further quarter (25%) said they plan to stop drinking at home altogether.

Matt Lambert the CEO of Portman Group said: “The variety and availability of low & no alcoholic drinks has never been stronger, reflecting a huge increase in consumer popularity.

“The vast majority of consumers already drink responsibly within the chief medical officer guidelines, but it is particularly pleasing to see evidence that low & no options are playing a role in encouraging people to moderate their drinking.”

“We are calling on the government to launch the low-alcohol descriptors consultation this year to give further support to the low & no alcohol sector. It has been expected for nearly two years, but given the turbulent political year, this hasn’t been prioritized. This is an important review that should see alignment with global descriptors and give another push to this innovative category which is an active substitute for alcohol and supports moderate drinking.”

The news comes as the hashtag #AlcoholFree amasses 1.5 billion views on the social media platform TikTok, suggesting that the younger generation also plans to reduce their alcohol intake in the new year.

However, it appears the trend isn’t exclusive to any particular age bracket. Premium UK grocer Waitrose reported a 31% increase in low & no sales in the week up to December 30, 2022 – a 50% increase on 2020.

Low & no wines were up 46% over the same period.

#alcoholfree #alcoholfreelife #soberissexy #sobermovement #nonalcoholic #boozefree #noalcohol #wine #alcohol #mocktails #dryjanuary #noandlow

No + Low Category Surpasses $11 Billion

The no and low alcohol categories grew over 7% in volume across 10 key global markets in 2022 to surpass a market value of $11bn, a new report from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis has revealed

Category consumption is expected to increase by a third by 2026, with the pace of growth forecasted to grow by a CAGR of 7% between 2022 and 2026, an increase on growth of 5% CAGR between 2018 and 2022.

Among the 10 examined markets, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the market value of no- and low-alcohol products surpassed $11 billion, up from $8 billion in 2018.

“The dynamic no/low-alcohol category presents opportunities for incremental sales growth as consumers are recruited from drinks categories such as soft drinks and water. Brand owners have an opportunity to recruit non-drinkers of alcohol,” said Susie Goldspink, head of no- and low-alcohol, IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.

“As more people opt to avoid alcohol on certain occasions – or abstain from it altogether – no-alcohol is steadily increasing its share of the no/low category.”

No-alcohol volumes grew by 9% in 2022, a CAGR it is expected to maintain between 2022 and 2026, and now accounts for 70% of the no- and low-alcohol segment, up from 65% in 2018.

No-alcohol beer and cider is expected to contribute nearly 70% of the overall category growth between 2022 and 2026.

“No-alcohol is growing faster than low-alcohol in most markets,” said Goldspink.

“The countries where this does not apply, such as Japan and Brazil, are early-stage low-alcohol markets with a small volume base.”

Germany remains the world’s largest market for the category followed by Japan, Spain, the US, and the UK.

Source:  IWSR

#nolow #alcoholfree #nonalcoholic #sobercurious #mindfuldrinking #soberlife #sober #soberliving #nolo #soberissexy #boozefree #breaktheboozespell #noalcohol #lowalcohol  #alcoholfreelife #sobersommelier #alcoholfreebeer #aperitif #drinkstagram  #noandlow #winetrends

CGA’s December’s “US Consumer Impact Report” reveals that bars and restaurants are essential for driving awareness of drinks brands

CGA by NielsenIQ’s latest consumer research reveals that bars and restaurants are essential for driving awareness of drinks brands, with 61% of consumers more likely to look for new brands in the on premise as opposed in stores and 54% stating they’ve made an in-store purchase of a brand that they first tried in the on premise.

CGA’s Consumer Impact report highlights 1,600 consumer behaviors across Florida, Texas, California and New York. The latest research highlights that the frequency of visits to the on premise have remained stable, with 4 in 5 consumers visiting bars and restaurants 3 or more times in the last three months. Plans for visiting also remain very positive with around 73% of US consumers planning to go out in the next weeks.

Consumers continue to seek out new experiences in bars and restaurants, with consumers more likely to first try a new Spirits or Beer brand in the on premise over an in-store purchase – underlining how important venues are in building brand awareness and encouraging trial.

Trial of new drinks brands in bars and restaurants is highly likely to compel consumers in their purchasing decisions in the off premise too – with 54% of consumers agreeing they have made a purchase in store of brands that they first tried in the on premise. 3 in 5 consumers also agree that they are likely to look for new brands in store if they’ve already tried them at a bar or restaurant.

Not only are on premise purchases informing in-store buying behaviors, they also help to build loyalty – with two thirds of consumers agreeing that if they try a new brand they like in a bar or restaurant, they will continue drinking it on subsequent visits.

Ahead of the holiday season, two thirds of US consumers are planning to visit the on premise throughout this period, with 3 in 10 planning to visit on New Year’s Eve specifically. These consumers are planning to visit a range of food- and drink-led venues, with neighborhood bars, fine dining and sports bars leading the list of most popular venues, while beer is the drink of choice for New Year’s Eve.

Moving into the new year, almost 2 in 5 US consumers predict they will visit the on premise more or much more often than they did in 2022, while half plan to maintain their current frequency of visitation. A third of consumers predict their spend in bars and restaurants will increase over the next 12 months, with 2 in 5 consumers willing to spend more for better quality drinks compared to 2022 – providing significant opportunities for premium drinks brands.

Source: CGA Strategy

#winemarketing #winenews #winetasting #winelovers #beer #usconsumers #consumermarketing #wine #sommelier #sommlife #winetime #happyhour #wineoclock #beveragemarketing

US Joins EU in Nutritional Labelling for Alcohol

European legislators have moved to require ingredient and nutritional information on wine labels (vis QR code), US consumer groups have also fought to achieve the same objective. After 20 years the groups have one their fight.

Starting December 8, 2023, labels of alcohol sold in the EU will have to reveal nutritional and ingredient information directly, or through a QR code. Until now, wine producers with no interest in exporting to Europe have imagined themselves to be immune from this kind of legal requirement, but a recent court ruling shows that American consumers will soon see the same information on bottles on sale in the US.

As the Center for Science in the Public Interest – CSPI – reported “the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has agreed to issue proposed rules requiring standardized alcohol content, calorie, and allergen labeling on all beer, wine and distilled spirits products [and to] begin preliminary rulemaking on mandatory ingredient labelling.”

The US move has been a very long time coming and results from a legal action by consumer groups and the CSPI against the TTB for failing to act on a 2003 petition submitted by 69 organizations and individual citizens including four deans of schools of public health, and calling for alcoholic beverages to be treated in the same way as other beverages and food products.

Opponents of the move who hope that implementation of labeling legislation may still be delayed will be dismayed to learn that the House and Senate Appropriations Committee’s 2023 budget treats the issue as ‘critical’ and calls for urgent action.

#winenews #wine #alcohol #beer #spirits #winelabels #wineeducation #wineinmoderation #winetechnology #winetrends

Wine Enthusiast Magazine Announces Top 100

Wine Enthusiast’s reviewers blind-tasted over 20,000 wines and scored with a good portion receiving high scores to find the top 100 of 2022!

The Enthusiast 100 puts the best of those discoveries front and center, calling out a savory, brambly Australian Pinot Noir from Giant Steps as the No. 1 wine of the year and a Barolo with scents of pressed roses and pine forest from G. B. Burlotto as No. 2.

Wines with high scores and lower prices got special attention because affordability is an exciting proposition for everyone and can mean wider access. Look for 22 wines at $25 and under, including a racy Spanish Albariño from Rias Baixas and a bone-dry, violet-scented Italian Lambrusco.

These 100 offerings were the most exciting wines of 2022, selected because they were compelling and delicious, had outstanding quality-to-price ratios and are broadly available for purchase. Wines were from 17 countries were represented, from Austria to Canada, Lebanon to South Africa.

The Enthusiast 100 hopes to lure you out of your comfort zone and into the unknown so that you open yourself to new varieties, styles and appellations.

Here they are: https://www.winemag.com/toplists/100-best-wines-2022/

Source:  Wine Enthusiast

#wineenthusiast #wineoftheyear #winesof2022 #bestof2022 #wineenthusiastlife #winelife #wineindustry #winelovers #top100 #wine #whitewine #sparklingwine #redwine #winenews #winetasting #wineinfluencers #sommlife  #sommelier #winepassion