Happy Hour: drinks, but make them EXTRA
In the news this month: bev/alc brands get into the nootropics biz; the influx of low-ABV and boring, boring, boring booze
Welcome to another edition of Happy Hour: our monthly roundup of the bev/alc news, moves, stories, opinions and thoughts we enjoyed.
EVERYTHING BUT THE DRINK
-Drinks, but extra, is one of the biggest trends in the soda world. Probiotics, CBD, mushroom powder, nootropics… nothing’s ‘just’ a drink anymore. This piece from Food & Drink International is a little dry, but raises an important point that people are very drawn to ‘multifunctionality’.
-Speaking of drinks with extra, here’s non-alcoholic winemaker Altina doing just that, by adding magnesium and L-Theanine.
-And here’s Express Checkout reporting on Target’s announcement that it’ll sell THC beverages – the first mainstream retailer to do so. Retail Brew has also reported on the boom in cannabis-infused drinks.
-The global cannabis bev market could be even bigger than today’s energy market by 2032. If you like the sound of that, read our interview with BREZ.
-People love merch. Brands love making merch. And apparently branded swag is a huge opportunity for the bev sector (this piece says socks, hip flasks and robust umbrellas are a favourite). The key is to make something genuinely long-lasting.
-Diageo threw itself a ‘Think Party’ (they used AI to analyse a lot of information, and find a set of trends which feel, if we’re honest, both broad and uninspiring).
-AI came for craft beer, and craft beer fans said, ‘no thanks’.
THE COLLABS KEEP COMING
-This feels unexpected but wholesome: a UK beer brewery partnered with a publisher to showcase work from new literary voices.
Krug has partnered with Max Richter on three musical pieces inspired by their 2008 harvest.
AI business Friend were widely ridiculed for a NYC ad campaign that suggested an invisible machine could replace your real friends. Then Heineken got involved.
NEW LOOKS
Blue Moon is really on a roll. In our last Happy Hour we spoke about their 30th anniversary campaign, celebrating their love of orange slices. Now they’ve revealed new packaging for their alc-free options.
Chivas Regal really courts the novelty seekers with Crystalgold: Chivas, but clear. Their master blender Sandy Hyslop says it’s the brand’s biggest innovation in his 42 years in the business.
OPINIONS
Are drinks brands failing because people don’t want alcohol anymore, or because their branding is dull? Writing for DesignWeek, Matt Burns from beverage branding studio Thirst says: “People aren’t bored of drinking. They’re bored of you.”
The world’s best bar is, apparently, Hong Kong’s Bar Leone. Interestingly, its founder is keen to “revive the bellini”, which it serves topped with fluffy cream.
Johnnie Walker is leaning into luxury. Hard. Business of Fashion has a piece about it, including their latest collab with fashion designer Olivier Rousteing on a flask and decanter, and its new underground vault in Edinburgh (with a library of 500 rare whiskies).
“The vodka category has been very boring for a long time,” says one distillery founder, in a piece dedicated to premium vodka that contains a fair amount of interesting stats.
LET’S GET LOW (AND NO)
There’s more and more low-ABV brands coming into the market. Newcomer wine business Future Chateau is one of them. You won’t taste the difference, but you’ll feel the difference, they say.
Second Sip is another, and they’re selling 40-proof gin.
Alc-free beer brand Lucky Saint now makes a Weissbier.
Bero has partnered with happy Coffee to sell coffee-adjacent stout, and hop-adjacent coffee.
Non-alcoholic beer is absolutely flying in Germany.
We’ve said that alcohol-free brands should be careful putting their faith in trends, and maybe this SNL sketch feels like the harbinger of the eventual turning of the tide? Or maybe not.
IT’S NOT EASY BEING IN BOOZE
America’s whiskey industry is struggling, with exports and production both down.
Asahi dealt with a cybersecurity nightmare earlier this month, with news outlets saying Japan could face a potential shortage of the beer as a result. Production has now restarted, but the BBC says orders are – incredibly – being processed using pen, paper and fax machines. (BTW, their new ad is worth a watch).
Carling, Foster’s and Carlsberg were named the three most boring beers, in Kingfisher’s Boring Beer Index.
NOTABLE LAUNCHES
We just published a NEWBIES feature with Wild Mannered – a RTD soju brand that believes the Korean spirit’s time is now. They’re not the only ones, with Hello Soju – which landed $6.8m in investment earlier this year – just releasing its first premium soju.
Non-alc brand Noughty launched a 200ml bottle, and we’re telling you, tiny drinks are a thing.
The world’s oldest single malt (85 years) comes clasped in four, bronze branches.Only 125 will be sold.
THE BUSINESS END
Sazerac is on a buying spree. They just added Western Son Vodka and Distillery to their portfolio, having bought Svedka vodka and Buzzballz in 2024.
The Hollywood Reporter has a quick breakdown of celebrity-owned and backed brands, and there’s a lot of booze in there. (Although Marketing Dive notes they’re also coming for non-alc too).
WINE IS FINE
You might have been told that Gen Z aren’t big drinkers. Well, according to OTHER founder Jack Blumsom, that’s wrong. But they are choosing and buying differently to other generations.
You know who else loves wine? Athletes. The Hustle had a recent edition reporting on sports teams making private label ‘victory wines’.
If you scrolled this far, we love you. If you’re a founder or marketer working in the bev/alc world and want to share some news, talk to us, tell us your story, say hi.