What's this...? A new Gen Z drinking trend? 🦓

Brands like TRIP and Goodrays are cashing in, leaving UK brewers to wonder:

Could functional drinks save the day?

You just have to look at products like Collider, Impossibrew and NuWave all independent, all brewing under contract all focusing on brand building.

With THC still off the table, CBD and other functional ingredients are still wide open. Can breweries capitalise on this wellness wave, or is this just a distraction from their core craft?

Meet Zebra Striping. The Gen Z party hack that you’ll want to steal.

Have you heard of zebra striping? It’s the new term coined for alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks during a night out. Think of it as the party trick that lets you stay in the game without waking up wondering if you sent that text.

With 78% of Gen Z already hopping on the zebra train, they’re proving that balance is officially cooler than blacking out. Meanwhile older generations are catching on, too.

Not only is it a win for your liver, but zebra striping is also a treat for your wallet.

Swapping every other drink for a non-alc alternative means you’ll have cash left for, you know, actual groceries.

Plus, with the zero-proof market set to hit $30 billion by 2025, pubs and bars aren’t losing steam - they’re just welcoming a crowd that wants the fun and the next-day clarity. Moderation is having its moment, and honestly? It looks good on everyone.

Athletic Brewing: The Cult Brand That Doesn’t Need Celebrity Buzz

Athletic Brewing is proof you don’t need a celebrity to build an iconic brand.

While Tom Hollands new brew and Ryan’s Gillian Anderson’s G-Spot hog the limelight, Athletic quietly turned nonalcoholic beer from punchline to powerhouse with a $60M empire.

Founders Bill Shufelt and John Walker didn’t slap a famous face on their cans—they engineered a brewing process that made beer so good people actually chose it, no booze required.

By tapping into the wellness wave and building a brand with serious endurance (think B Corp certification and environmental givebacks), Athletic Brewing feels less like a trend and more like a movement.

It’s craft beer for the modern age—delicious, inclusive, and hangover-free. Call it the anti-BrewDog: cult appeal, zero drama.

Snippets - Dry

• Alternating boozy drinks with non-alcoholic ones—dubbed "zebra striping"—is the latest sober-curious trend, driven by Gen Z’s push for moderation and the booming alcohol-free market. Read more here.

• The Kirkstyle Inn, Slaggyford, introduces an alcohol-free drinks flight paired with their eight-course tasting menu, featuring foraged ingredients and elegant booze-free wines and cocktails. Read more here.

• As Diageo pushes Guinness 0.0 to offset slowing spirits sales, rising prices are driving UK pubs to offer rival stouts like Murphy's, Camden Stout, and BrewDog’s Black Heart. Read more here.

• North Yorkshire’s T&R Theakston debuts a 0.0% version of its iconic Old Peculier ale, crafted with traditional hops and advanced tech to meet the growing demand for no-alcohol options. Read more here.

Snippets - High

• President-elect Trump’s pick for HHS, RFK Jr., vows to cut reliance on prescription drugs and boost access to cannabis and psychedelics—raising eyebrows among public health experts. Read more here. 

• New research finds no connection between regular cannabis use and hypertension in older adults, offering reassurance to those using it for chronic pain, anxiety, or sleep issues. Read more here.

• Denmark plans to replace its six-year pilot programme with a permanent medical cannabis framework, potentially expanding access and growing the market significantly. Read more here.

• A Danish study finds lifetime cannabis use isn’t linked to cognitive decline—in fact, users showed slightly less IQ drop over time than non-users. Read more here.

• Officials confiscated 95,000 counterfeit "magic mushroom" bars worth $3M, laced with illegal psychedelics like DET and 4-Hydroxy-DET—posing a serious public safety risk. Read more here.

And That’s a Wrap!🍻

From functional brews to zebra striping, it’s clear the drinking culture is bubbling into something new—and we’re here for it. Whether you’re sipping on CBD spritzers, subbing a pint of alcoholic beer for its booze free cousin, or pondering the future of your local brewery, one thing’s certain: the beverage world is evolving fast.

Stay curious, stay hydrated, and maybe give zebra striping a whirl at your Christmas party.

Until next time, cheers to a hangover-free horizon! 🍹🚀

Daniel

Founder, High & Dry