’Tis the season to sell NA beer, cocktails, spirits, and more.
By Joshua M. Bernstein
As the weather cools down, calendars fill up with holiday festivities where friends and families gather for cookies, company, and copious drinks. “There’s no better way to be a host than to have options for everyone,” says Ila Byrne, a spirits-industry veteran. But for people abstaining from alcohol, “I absolutely failed time and time again with not having anything apart from my kids’ juice drinks.”
spiked with tequila, giving holiday hosts an easy way to please everyone at the party.
That gap represents a growing sales opportunity for beverage retailers both on- and off-premise. As more consumers moderate without giving up social drinking occasions, accounts that offer compelling NAs can keep more people – and more purchases – within the beverage set.
To create a compelling, inclusive beverage, in 2022 Byrne co-founded the Parch Spirits agave-based NA cocktails. Now partygoers can toast with Parch’s Prickly Paloma, Spiced Piñarita, or Desert Margarita. “Hosting is the heart of the holidays,” Byrne says, adding that Parch meets anyone’s needs. Sip one straight or spike it with tequila. “People want to socialize and feel part of the moment. There should be equal amounts of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.”
Over the last half-decade, NA drinks have become a fast-growing juggernaut. U.S. off-premise sales of NA beer, wine, and spirits surpassed $1 billion in 2025, while NA beer brands continue to grow double digits within an otherwise declining beer market. Athletic Brewing is now America’s sixth-biggest craft brewery, growing 20% in 2025 to produce about 480,000 barrels consumed by, well, everyone. “Customers and retailers are often surprised to learn that 80% of Athletic drinkers still consume alcohol,” says Chris Furnari, Athletic’s Senior Communications Manager. That means NAs are not simply serving abstainers; they are increasingly generating additional purchases from drinkers who already consume beer, wine, and spirits.
Once viewed as a Dry January niche, NA beverages have become a year-round sales opportunity. Retailers on- and off-premise can’t afford to treat NA beverages as afterthoughts – especially during holiday gatherings that unite drinkers, moderators, abstainers, and designated drivers seeking celebratory options beyond soda. The holidays are an “important opportunity to ensure consumers have great choices for every occasion,” says Megan Hurtuk, Head of Marketing of Non-Alcoholic Beverages at Diageo North America, which offers NA spirits from Seedlip and Ritual Zero Proof.
The stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve is a marathon, and smart drinkers “are moderating, pacing themselves across a long night, or alternating between drinks,” says Jordan Bass, the Co-founder and CEO of HOPWTR. “It goes in the cart alongside beer and wine, not instead of it,” Bass says. “For a retailer, that is a bigger basket.” That distinction matters: Moderation does not necessarily mean fewer beverage purchases when accounts give consumers something appealing to alternate with.
NA Beers Are Holiday Essentials
For retailers, the holidays are ideal for showcasing NA beers through in-store and retail displays. This year, Diageo is reviving its “beer train” displays stocked with limited-edition Guinness Draught and Guinness 0, 14.9 oz. cans. “The holidays are when the off-premise shines,” says Ryan Wagner, National Ambassador for Guinness.
Expect Guinness 0 to shine brighter this season. Upgrades at the Dublin brewery will help non-alcoholic Guinness maximize stout season and celebratory moments. “We’re ready for Guinness 0 to have a massive year,” Wagner says.
NA versions of beloved beers can turn brand awareness into holiday sales. They also give retailers an accessible entry point for shoppers who may be curious about the category but unsure where to begin. Does your uncle drink Heineken and Corona? He’s driving to the gift swap and would likely enjoy Heineken 0.0 and Corona Non-Alcoholic. With Blue Moon, Molson Coors Beverage Company offers a wide ABV range. “From Blue Moon Belgian White Non-Alcoholic (<0.5%) and Blue Moon Light (4% ABV) to Blue Moon Belgian White (5.4%) and Blue Moon Extra (8%), there’s a Blue Moon for every occasion,” says Elizabeth Hitch, Vice President of Marketing for Above Premium Beer at Molson Coors, which recently released Coors 0.0%. “Whether someone just doesn’t drink alcohol, or they’re moderating over the course of all their celebrations, we offer a variety of familiar and great-tasting NA options,” Hitch says. To lend humor to the holidays, Molson Coors will bring back Blue Moon Non-Alc’s popular “Answer’s on the Can” packaging featuring cheeky responses for a common question: Why aren’t you drinking?
Photo courtesy of Shawn Campbell
Sales energy can carry over from the holidays and into Dry January when there’s a fresh opportunity to bring beer drinkers into the NA fold. “January is when a lot of shoppers first discover Athletic, but it’s not a one-off seasonal blip. That discovery sticks,” Furnari says. “NIQ data shows each year’s January spike resets the non-alcoholic beer category’s share of total alcohol sales to a higher baseline. For retailers, that means the spike isn’t the ceiling, it’s the floor for the rest of the year.”
Mocktails Become Creative Cocktails
Younger bargoers now require a wider range of compelling cocktails, boozy and booze-free, to meet varied and shifting needs. “We see a lot of people that will have an alcoholic drink and then they’ll have a non-alc drink,” says Alex Jump, Co-founder of Focus on Health, which focuses on wellness in the hospitality industry, and the Co-owner of the Peach Crease Club. For bars and restaurants, a strong NA menu can keep guests ordering through multiple rounds rather than ending their beverage spend once they decide they’ve had enough alcohol.
Increasingly, brands are also bringing elevated NA cocktails to the RTD category. Katy Perry’s NA cocktail brand, De Soi, cans its classic cocktails in smaller 8 oz. packages. This spring, Diageo took Ritual into the RTD category with a canned Margarita, Gin and Tonic, and Spritz. “Our focus is making non-alc easy to discover and enjoy,” Hurtuk says.
Beyond parties, the holiday season includes work, chores, and exercise, creating additional NA opportunities. A Rio Red Grapefruit from Owen’s Craft Mixers or a Fever-Tree Sparkling Sicilian Lemonade (sold by 31st and Wharton) easily slots into afternoon refreshment. “Premium mixers like Fever Tree can complement a variety of drinking occasions and reflect consumers’ growing interest in more intentional, elevated beverage experiences,” says Jaime Rotniki, Vice President of Innovation and Beyond Beer for Molson Coors.
Hop Waters Reach Beyond the Beer Drinker
For IPA fans, hops-infused sparkling waters are attractive for zebra striping during a drinking session, or simply for hydration. Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher, Sierra Nevada Hop Splash, Allagash Hop Water, and HOPWTR are commonly added to home and work fridges.
“The overwhelming majority of our business is off-premise,” says Bass, the HOPWTR Co-founder. HOPWTR uses smart collaborations and line extensions to solidify and expand its customer base. The company worked with Stone Brewing on the hop blend flavoring HOPWTR Centennial Citrus. “A brewery partner earns credibility with hop lovers; a food or culture partner earns curiosity from people outside the category,” Bass says.
To accelerate sales leading into Dry January, HOPWTR is releasing their Spiced Apple seasonal. Between the company’s core HOPWTR line, Double Hopped, and Iced Tea Variety Pack, “we have a range of flavors that stretch across different usage occasions and day parts, which is what turns a January purchase into a year-round habit,” Bass says.
Trial and education are essential to NA’s continued growth. Accounts that give NAs visible placement and make sure employees can confidently recommend them are better positioned to turn curiosity into purchase. Athletic’s sales team provides retailers with data, selling points, and hands-on training to help them understand why the category deserves shelf space. With consumers, “we invest heavily in sampling because tasting really is believing. Pairing that with clear education on what modern NA beer drinkers actually look like helps break down outdated assumptions,” says Furnari.
For its part, the Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association is prioritizing supporting restaurants and bars in terms of integrating NA products into their menus. “Part of the job of ANBA is to help accelerate that process,” says Marcos Salazar, ANBA Co-founder and CEO. “Instead of it taking decades, we’re trying to increase the likelihood that happens in years.”
Ingrained behaviors and attitudes aren’t overhauled overnight. But seasonal moments can serve as recruitment opportunities. The goal is to use the holidays as the beginning of the sales cycle, not the end of it: build awareness while entertaining is at its peak, capitalize on Dry January’s heightened interest, and retain those shoppers and drinkers as NA occasions become part of their normal routines. “While the holidays drive social trial, Dry January creates a high-intent moment to explore new choices,” Hurtuk says. “The opportunity is to turn that initial interest into repeat behavior across hosting, dining out, and everyday social occasions throughout the year.”
About the Author: Award-winning beer journalist Joshua M. Bernstein is the author of six books, including The Complete Beer Course.