"You Don't Have to Get Drunk"…Young People Seeking Non-Alcoholic Beer

Increase in Culture Enjoying Moderate Drinking Instead of Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Non-Alcoholic Beverages Classified as 'Food'... Available for Online Purchase as Well

Demand for non-alcoholic beer is increasing. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] As 'zero (0) food' with reduced additives such as sugar gains popularity, consumers are also seeking alcoholic beverages with low or no alcohol content, such as non-alcoholic or no-alcohol drinks. This trend seems to align with the increasing number of health-conscious consumers and the preferences of younger generations who do not enjoy heavy drinking.

According to the online grocery app Market Kurly on the 25th, sales of non-alcoholic beverages from January to mid-September this year increased 2.3 times compared to the same period last year. Sales of non-alcoholic products excluding beer, such as sparkling drinks, wine, and cocktails, also nearly doubled during the same period.

The popularity of non-alcoholic beer is especially spreading among younger generations. A survey showed that more than 2 out of 10 people (19.8%) in their 20s and 30s drink non-alcoholic or no-alcohol beer at least once a week. This survey was conducted in April by Heineken Korea through the online survey company Open Survey, targeting 500 adults aged 20-30 nationwide who have experience drinking non-alcoholic and no-alcohol beer.

The main reason for drinking non-alcoholic beer was 'choosing it as an alternative in situations where drinking alcohol is not possible,' accounting for 52.4%, followed by 'not wanting to get drunk' at 43.4%. Additionally, 7 out of 10 respondents said that 'non-alcoholic and no-alcohol beer contribute to creating a healthy drinking culture.'

As drinking culture changes, non-alcoholic beer has gained popularity. With fewer company dinners due to COVID-19 and an increase in 'hon-sul' (drinking alone), more people enjoy moderate drinking rather than heavy drinking. Along with the spread of health-conscious consumer trends, some consumers have started to avoid high-alcohol beverages. According to a 'Liquor Consumption Survey' conducted in August by Lotte Members through the research platform Lime, targeting 2,000 men and women aged 20-50 nationwide who had consumed alcohol within the past six months, more than twice as many respondents preferred low-alcohol beverages (70.8%) over high-alcohol beverages (29.2%).

Also, among frequently consumed alcoholic beverages, beer (77.0%), diluted soju (48.6%), and wine (30.1%)?all lower-alcohol drinks?ranked high, whereas fewer people enjoyed high-alcohol drinks such as distilled soju (11.7%) or whiskey and vodka (11.3%). Non-alcoholic beer (13.3%) ranked sixth.

Non-alcoholic beverages are classified as food products and can be purchased online. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

The availability of online purchasing is also analyzed to have influenced the expansion of the non-alcoholic market. Non-alcoholic beverages include non-alcoholic drinks with zero alcohol and no-alcohol drinks with less than 1% alcohol content; both are classified as food products rather than alcoholic beverages and can be purchased online. Under domestic liquor tax law, alcoholic beverages except traditional liquors cannot be purchased online.

Meanwhile, the non-alcoholic beverage market is expected to continue growing. According to the market research firm Euromonitor, the domestic non-alcoholic beer market size grew from 12.7 billion KRW in 2017 to 23.6 billion KRW in 2020, and 38.6 billion KRW last year. Additionally, the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) Food Industry Statistical Information System (FIS) predicts that the global non-alcoholic beverage market will record an average annual growth rate of 23% until 2024.