Beer has long been king on Super Bowl Sunday, but this year more Americans may be reaching for alcohol-free brews.
U.S. sales of nonalcoholic beer, wine and spirits surged 26% over the past year to top $800 million, according to the market research firm NIQ.
Traditional alcohol sales, on the other hand, fell for the first time in three years, though by a modest dip of less than 1%. Consumers report drinking less than they did during the pandemic, with 58% telling Gallup pollsters in mid-2024 that they consumed alcohol, down from 67% in mid-2022.
Economic pressures and health consciousness are driving these trends, according to Kaleigh Theriault, alcohol and beverage thought leader at NIQ.
“We do see that inflation has impacted purchasing,” she said, nodding to households’ growing focus on bang for the buck over the past year or so. In addition, “consumers have opted for a moderation mindset, where they may have overconsumed to their liking during the at-home period during Covid, and coming out of that, they were a little more focused on health and wellness,” Theriault said.
Nonalcoholic beer is by far the most popular zero-proof alternative to traditional booze, making up 84% of total sales in that growing beverage category, NIQ data shows. Bud Zero, Athletic Brewing and Heineken 0.0 are the top three brands, according to the research firm Bernstein.
