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Your First Look at the Data Shaping How We Drink
Keep reading! The most exciting report you'll read in 2025 is inside.
Daniel Rowntree
November 19, 2025
This week’s pour
|  Daniel - Founder of High & Dry |
The future of drinking is here, and we’ve got the data to prove it
A few weeks back, the High & Dry team returned from the Club Soda No, Low & Mid-Strength event, which hosted the Functional & Mood-Enhancing Collective.
Our own Daniel Rowntree took the stage to present brand new research from Club Soda and KAM. The big takeaway?
The future of drinking isn’t about what you’re cutting out. It’s about how you want to feel.
We’ve preached this for a while now. Going “dry” isn’t about deprivation. No, what it’s about is upgrading your lifestyle. It’s about what you add back in when the hangovers are removed.
The functional story in numbers:
🍹 91% of 18–34s are open to functional drinks
📉 Only 16% of adults actually understand what’s in them
📈 41% say they’d visit pubs more if mood-boosting drink’s were on the menu
So, what’s driving the shift?
Let’s face it. The world feels a lot. People are craving clarity, calm, and connection. And let’s be honest: they’re not finding it at the bottom of a pint glass.
Hazy, regret-filled weekends? Not the vibe.
But functional drinks (think: nootropics, adaptogens, botanicals) are offering real effects without the next-day drag. No shame spirals, no lost Sundays.
The No & Low movement isn’t a wellness fad but a lifestyle evolution and a social recalibration.
It’s a “this-is-how-I-want-to-feel” movement.
And these drinks?
They’re not here to play the boring cousin to booze.
They’re not watered-down imitations of the “real thing.”
We’re moving the conversation from alcohol-free to mood-enhancing.
The perfect name for the category might not exist yet, but the cultural shift is already well underway — and these brands are stepping into the spotlight, not hiding behind the bar.
As a subscriber to High & Dry, you get exclusive early access to the full research report!
Want to see what the future of drinking actually looks like?
Tap into the insights shaping how we socialise, unwind, and connect, all without the hangover.
Headed to a party, bar, stag or hen where “just one” is a love language? Pocket this kit. It’s your friendly force field: quick lines that keep things breezy and a little sassy so you can hold your own without holding a pint:
Q: “What’s the point of alcohol-free?”
A: “Same laughs, better Monday. I’m choosing how I want to feel, not how I want to recover.”
The Data: When moderating, 61% still want mood-enhancing/functionality from their alternative drink.
Q: “Don’t you want to get drunk?”
A: “I want the buzz, not the blackout.”
The Data: Functional options are viewed as legit night-out upgrades that enhance interactions and keep you present.
Q: “No one drinks that stuff.”
A: “Eight out of ten are curious, I’m just early”
The Data: Nearly 8 in 10 would try functional drinks; only 16% understand ingredients (education gap ≠ lack of interest).
Q: “It’s just wellness-nerd juice.”
A: “Tell Gen Z that! Young adults are into it.”
The Data: 91% of 18–34s are open to functional drinks.
Q: “Bet it doesn’t even do anything.”
A: “Fair to ask, which is why I pick brands that say what I’ll feel and when, plus I’ll remember what I do”
The Data: Only about 23% say effects always land, but 96% want clearer science—transparency wins.
Q: “Why pay more for a soft drink?”
A: “I’m paying to feel good, not for a hangover.”
The Data: 64% would pay more for functional benefits (86% among 18–34s).
Q: “AF kills the mood.”
A: “Maybe, but I’ll remember the evening, plus I’m still having fun!”
The Data: Consumers say functional options can enhance nightlife experience and social interactions.
Opinion: time to drop the gin act and name our own party
Let’s be honest, this EU ruling isn’t just about gin. It’s a wake-up call for the entire no- and low-alcohol category. While it’s tempting to hitch a ride on established booze branding (non-alcoholic whiskey, rum-ish, not-tequila), it was only a matter of time before the legal lines got drawn, and they’re only getting sharper.
Instead of mourning the loss of “gin,” this could be the creative jolt the industry needs.
Rather than borrowing the clothes of traditional spirits, it’s time for the alcohol-free space to show up in its own outfit. One thats bold, confident, and unapologetically new. Think less "fake gin,” more "functional botanical spirit.” Less "rum replacement,” more "mindful mood-maker.”
Naming is more than marketing. Its identity. And if the dry economy is going to thrive long-term, it can’t just be the sober cousin at the party. It has to host its own. This ruling might just be the moment the movement grows up, defines itself, and stops playing in the shadows of alcohol’s legacy.
Snippets - Dry
UK pubs eye a festive boost as EU no/low trends spill over. Stock the alcohol-free shelves or miss the rush. - Read more
No/low is redrawing the rulebook, from labelling to age checks. Regulators are playing catch-up. - Read more
The EU just ruled that "gin" must be alcoholic, meaning booze-free brands can no longer label their drinks as such, shaking up the low- and no-alc industry’s naming game. - Read more
Alcohol-free brand Crossip has landed in India, riding the wave of mindful drinking and booming cocktail culture as it continues its global takeover. - Read more
AG Barr, maker of Irn-Bru and Funkin Cocktails, has snapped up alcohol-free spirits brand Strykk in full, betting big on the booming no- and low-alc market. - Read more
Snippets - High
Yale scientists say psilocybin, the compound in magic mushrooms, may ease psychiatric symptoms and spark lasting emotional clarity. - Read more.
California just fast-tracked clinical research on psychedelics (AB 1103). Expect more veteran-led trials. - Read more
Australian researchers have developed a high-tech, leaf-scanning method that uses light and machine learning to accurately predict cannabis potency—no lab tests or plant destruction required. - Read more
Fresh review flags ashwagandha’s adaptogenic and neuro-immune effects, with growing clinical interest. - Read more
Fueled by growing demand for brain-boosting beverages, the nootropic drink market is set to skyrocket with a projected 16.7% annual growth rate, as consumers swap energy drinks for cognitive wellness in a can. - Read more
Until next time
That’s a wrap for this month, folks. Functional drinks are no longer fringe—they're front and centre in the future of drinking. But we want to know what you think. Hit the quick poll below and help shape the conversation. Your feedback fuels High & Dry. 👇
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