/ Alcohol is out of fashion, and mocktails are having a moment – here’s why going booze-free is a luxury for millennials and Gen Z

Oct 29 , 2020

Mocktails are set for a resurgence thanks to our current desire for healthy luxury. Photo: Kobby Mendez

This article is part of STYLE’s Inside Luxury column

In an Inside Luxury column from earlier this year, I looked into the reasons why alcohol-free mocktails often cost more than their alcoholic counterparts, and why they have become a Gen Z favourite. One reason was that many of these drinks “provide a spice-induced energy kick instead of the numbing tiredness so many people feel when they have an alcoholic drink.”

But something else is having an impact. When IMS Hong Kong and Équité conducted a study to better understand how consumer sentiment is evolving during the pandemic, the two companies analysed more than 50,000 social media conversations with sophisticated artificial intelligence-based data analytics, and identified an emerging trend: health as a new luxury.

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While wellness has become increasingly important in the luxury sector over the past decade, the pandemic shifted wellness to health in a much more holistic fashion. And, when it comes to luxury, health does not mean simply refraining from something unhealthy – people want to be inspired and they want to have amazing experiences, but not at the expense of their health.

Mixologist Ted Chung mixes up a purple sweet potato and oats rice water mocktail at CheckCheckCin in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Photo: Felix Wong

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This is where mocktails come into play. In recent years, we’ve seen them already become a hot trend among young, health-conscious consumers. With health becoming a mainstream luxury expectation, however, the era of the mocktail may have only just begun.

The current health trend will push mocktails away from simply being alcohol-free alternatives, and towards being a drink that’s prized for its natural ingredients, and for containing much less sugar and other harmful ingredients. No one wants to drink a pricey mocktail only to find themselves experiencing a harmful sugar spike. This is a huge opportunity for makers of mocktails: addressing health concerns in a holistic fashion, while providing a great taste and a great experience to boot.

The trend for healthy mocktails underlines just how much luxury is constantly evolving, and why brands can never afford to stand still. Consumers are looking for more than just a great product when it comes to luxury: they want the ultimate treat, yet in today’s world, they want to feel protected too. Getting it right is even more important when times are uncertain, and consumers still want to be enticed and inspired by a great brand story.

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Generation Z are particularly questioning of the story behind any given brand. They look for authenticity, purpose, and meaning. And authentic means authentic: if a brand just pretends to be healthy, but upon closer inspection does not deliver, then customers will not buy it. The creation of desire has to be embedded in every brand touchpoint, from brand positioning to the moment when someone experiences the product.

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Hence, the future of luxury mocktails will be determined by brands that understand this fact, and that can provide their customers with inspiring experiences without harming their health. Just replacing alcohol is not enough. Health has to be respected in a holistic and exciting way – that’s why the time for luxury mocktails is now.

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