Happy Hour: do brands still love Dry Jan?
Is it just us, or has some of the enthusiasm waned? And what's going on in the marketing teams of heritage bev/alc brands?
Welcome to Happy Hour, where we review the bev/alc news and views of the last 30 days. (Before we get into that, have you downloaded our 2026 report? It’s 100+ pages, and it features insights from 13 truly exceptional bev/alc brand builders).
When we started sending these, we wanted them to be a quick scroll for our readers. Today we unveil Happy Hour 2.0, which has all the same speed-scroll news, but with a modest extra helping of analysis from The New Rules editorial team:
Dry/damp/dank, Frankenstein drinks, Asian spirits
What else could we talk about this month than Dry January? And this year, there’s a sense that people (and brands) maybe aren’t quite so committed.
Increasingly, non-alc brands are positioning themselves not as die-hard alternatives, but something to be enjoyed alongside and in between alcohol. Maybe Damp January, or even Dank January (hello THC bev brands), is the future.
Another major and ongoing theme for 2026 is drinks, but with extras. We’re talking protein, mushrooms, magnesium, vitamins, caffeine, nootropics, adaptogens…. Brands are stuffing their drinks with add-ons.
However these drinks face real challenges, one of which is: what occasion/moment/ritual/celebration are these brands for exactly? The other is, as Fabric founder Thomas Eddleston points out, that many of these extra ingredients are present in such tiny amounts, they’re likely to make no difference anyway.
Still, it’s a hypey category. And we think that means an influx of Frankenstein-esque, sports-adjacent, good-for-you bev/alc is coming.
We’re talking alcohol that looks like powerade; protein-, fiber-, antioxidant-, and electrolyte-rich drinks that are designed to support muscle and gut health; and an Asian non-alc beer designed for thirsty, sweaty athletes.
Lastly, it’s looking like 2026 is going to see a lot of Asian bev brands make moves on the American and European market.
Now, onto the news scroll:
NO BOOZE, NO PROBLEMS
I think a lot of people are over celebrity brands, but we couldn’t not mention that ELTON JOHN now has a non-alc wine brand. It feels like the branding could have been a little more exuberant.
USA Today claims the Shirley Temple as the cocktail of 2026. Why? It’s fun. It’s colourful. It’s alc-free. (Olipop and Poppi have already released Shirley Temple versions).
You can now get a non-alc Modelo. In Límon y sal. This seems smart, given the popularity of Corona’s Sunbrew Citrus Cerveza. (And if you scroll down, you’ll see bartenders predict citrus could be especially popular this year).
Non-alc brand Wilderton has closed for business. Co-founder Brad Whiting says they “made some big bets on scaling and consumers valuing a ridiculously expensive production process/facility…”.
Alcohol-free beer brand Loah has been bought by UK soft drinks business Cawston Press.
WHO WON DRY JANUARY?
Recess isn’t anti-Dry January, exactly, but its new year ad campaign celebrated balance over abstinence.
Seedlip is very pro-Dry January, bringing onboard Real Housewife Dorinda Medley and an emergency bartender to emphasise that it’s great in cocktails.
And then there’s sparking water brand Dash, which teamed up with Perello olives on an alc-free dirty martini kit. They also launched an encouraging ‘don’t let Dry Jan get you down’-style OOH campaign in the UK.
Aussie non-alc beer brand Heaps Normal has opened a hybrid bar/wellness space in a warehouse in Sydney.
The TNR take: this seems smart. There’s Heaps Normal non-alc options being served alongside alcohol, recognising that people aren’t necessarily all-in on not-drinking. There’s a rumour they’ll be adding a sauna to the space, which we love….
AFTER DRY JANUARY COMES…
Full proof February? Sazerac Rye is really embracing strength, with its new 100 Proof and Full Proof. Gotta love a contrarian.
The ‘convertible’ cocktail – have it with booze or without, as you like.
An absolute lake of spirits stockpiles, according to one alc/bev industry commentator.
And an ongoing conversation about additives in our drinks. It’s happening for tequila. Now The Spirits Business says it’s coming for rum too.
THE MARKETING TEAMS HAVE BEEN BUSY
Sarah Jessica Parker is Tanqueray’s new global brand ambassador, and leads a campaign that’s all about saying no to things (???????). The tagline ‘there’s an N and an O in every ICON’ adds to the confusion.
Budweiser is celebrating its 150 years with some collectible, limited edition heritage cans.
Tuborg also has a new brand identity to amplify its “energy and modernity” according to Carlsberg Group.
Dos Equis has revived The Most Interesting Man in the World.
The TNR take: Didn’t Tuborg do a brand refresh in 2017? And 2022? Do young people know or care about The Most Interesting Man? Why are these heritage beer brands so hooked on looking backwards?
INVEST INVEST INVEST
THC drinks can surely only get bigger. Just Drinks reports that Jeng has taken on investment from Quench Ventures.
ABInbev is pouring a cool $30m into its Jacksonville, Florida brewery, to boost production of Michelob Ultra.
Alc-free beer brand Brulo just raised £1m.
ADD IN SOME EXTRA
Protein Milk (yuck) is now on the menu at Dunkin’. The product’s a bit outside of the world we usually cover, but it’s a sign that the ‘bev-with-extras’ mentality is absolutely everywhere.
ALL CHANGE PLEASE
Heineken’s CEO has now left, and they’re looking for his replacement.
The world’s oldest monastic brewery, in Germany, has been sold (to a brewing company).
Diageo’s new Guinness Open Gate Brewery in London is proving very popular. However it’s also just closed a distillery visitor centre in Scotland. A sign of changing times for how consumers experience alcohol brands?
THE YEAR OF WEIRD FLAVORS?
Vinepair asked bartenders what’s going to be in our drinks this year. And their answers were... a little weird. Seaweed. Savory dairy. Fermented citrus. There’s a real element of novelty and potency here, as well as unexpectedness.
NEW LAUNCHES
From K-Pop to RTDs, this Korean superstar just launched his Peaceminusone Highball in the US – and it comes in two flavors. Foodbeast reports it was an instant, sell-out phenomenon in South Korea, selling 880k cans in three days.
Also landing in the US from Asia – Zeitaku Shibori: an RTD vodka and sparkling soda from Asahi.
Noot is now available in the US. It’s emphasising its blend of nootropics.
Well hello there, TABASCO vodka.
Beyond Meat is now… a bev brand as well (?) as it launches a new protein drink. No, it doesn’t make sense to us either.
Speaking of new launches, drink Esther – a new rum from the founders of The New Rules. And PS, stay tuned for a soon-to-be-published deep dive on how we built the brand.
Say hi to Banagua: banana water.
Low-alc wine, in cans, from Butter Wines.
Sapporo Breweries have dreamt up a non-alc beer beverage for thirsty gym-goers – designed to be enjoyed post-workout.
We’ve seen skincare and ready meals tailored to GLP-1 users, and now Langers Juice has unveiled a GLP-1 ‘support beverage’. Smart.
LEND US YOUR EARS
The New Rules team did our first podcast appearance this month, popping up on an episode of The Business of Drinks to talk about brand-building, and our new report on brand building in the bev/alc world.
LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE PUB
America is welcoming a wave of new Irish pubs, but they’re a little different to what you might expect, reports Punch.
Meanwhile in the UK, an influx of ‘tiny’ pubs are proving popular.
AFFORDABLE WINE, LONELY PEOPLE
Semafor reports that wine sales are down (so are prices) and that’s hard for vintners because grape harvests come in every year whether you want them or not. But is it because people are drinking less, or are we all just less social?
It’s a different story for Gratsi – featured in our 2026 report – who are named America’s fastest-growing boxed wine brand.
The TNR take: wine brands can’t rely on all the old stories and visual codes that used to work, and Gratsi is proof of that.
AND BRIEFLY, A SPRITZ EXPLAINER
A quick refresher on what is and isn’t spritz from IESSI co-founder Romain Llobet.
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Lots of drink brands have been saying it feels less of a thing this year.
And it just generally does because as you suggest there’s more awareness of being mindful all year round, that you can now find a drink to suit the moment or how you feel. Hence the rise of Damp January
Brillaint analysis on the whole Damp January shift. The moderation angle is spot on because total abstinence feels kinda unrealistic for most people long-term. I've noticed this at work where folks are less about black-and-white rules and more about flexiblity. The Frankenstein drinks thing is interesting too, especially the question about what moment these are even for.