Rethinking Drinking

The changing landscape of beverage culture

Amanda Jones, SIP Bar Manager, prepares non-alcoholic cocktails on a regular basis at the bar in downtown Jacksonville. Photo by Cole LoCurto.

Edible Northeast Florida first visited the “sober curious” movement back in 2020, during “Dry January.” At the time, it was unclear if the movement was a passing fad, or if it had more staying power. As it turns out, not only is the spirit-free movement still around, but it is also continuing to grow in popularity, especially among young adults who tend to be more mindful about what they

consume. Some are even taking their curiosity a step further and choosing a completely sober lifestyle.

“It started as a trend, but it's evolved into a genuine shift,” says Brianna Lynn Badea, executive director of operations for Decca Live, Sip on the Roof and Keane's Tavern. “The quality of zero-proof spirits, mixers and craft ingredients has come a long way, and guests now expect that same creativity and care whether there's alcohol or not. I think [the movement} is absolutely here to stay.”

In fact, Badea noted that her team introduced a non-alcoholic (NA) cocktail menu shortly after SIP opened in Downtown Jacksonville last spring. “From the beginning, we wanted to create a rooftop experience that was inclusive for everyone, not just those drinking alcohol,” Badea says. “Once we saw the growing interest from guests asking for 'something fun but not boozy,' we made it a permanent part of the menu.”

These NA concoctions now sell steadily every weekend and have become a core part of SIP's beverage program. So much so that its sister venues offer NA options as well, illustrating that a night out on the town doesn't need to result in a hangover the next morning.

Shannon Michelle, a bartender at SideCar Jax on the Southside and advisor for online booze-free bottle shop No/Low, has been sober for six years and witnessed the movement grow first-hand. “I can tell you from the beverage side, it has skyrocketed. Back in 2019, when I first dipped my toes into sobriety, the options were few,” says Michelle. “I was elated to have Heineken 0.0 available when before we were sequestered to years old 'near beers' of the past. But with the inclusion of NA spirits coming to market, like Seedlip and Ritual, I was able to start creating NA cocktails behind the bar that I was working at and see the consumer shift at the same time.”

According to Michelle, the NA beverage market is now a roughly $385 billion dollar industry, with NA spirits leading the charge, followed by NA beer and wine. “It's been a wild ride, and I believe we've barely even gotten close to the ceiling,” says Michelle.

In addition to NA spirits, a number of other options, such as kava, kombucha, NA beer and wine, energy drinks and CBD and THC-infused drinks as well as low alcohol by volume (ABV) cocktails, have become more mainstream. (As of press time, the federal government was starting to crack down on products containing hemp.) Some of these alternatives even claim to provide a “buzz,” minus the side effects that can sometimes accompany an alcohol-induced buzz.

“More non-alcoholic options means less likely messy drunk nights and better mornings after,” says Yhang Quintero, who owns Wildcrafters, which is known for its NA kava cocktails and now operates as a pop-up. He is also involved with The Emerald Tea Room, an alcohol-free space for wellness activities in Mixon Town with an evolving menu.

“Wildcrafters always does well at events whether or not there's alcohol there. Some people choose us because of the specific plant-based products or flavors we offer, some choose us out of curiosity and some choose us because they just don't drink,” says Quintero. For the most part, he says that younger generations tend to be the most attracted to his booth at events.

Meanwhile, over at Intuition Ale Works and the Bier Hall at Intuition in Jacksonville's Sports and Entertainment District, chief operating officer Brad Lange says, “We've carried non-alcoholic beers for several years. Before then, we'd occasionally have a customer ask for one. But the demand really increased in the last few years. It's funny, I really started to notice the shift when the majority of bands playing in the Bier Hall began asking for a NA beer option on their hospitality rider. That's when it hit me that times were changing.”

Intuition has carried NA beers for the last several years – once the demand for them started to increase – but does not brew one of its own, as it requires special equipment. However, Lange hinted that the brewery may be toying with some other innovative, non-traditional items in 2026.

The increase in and availability of alternative options to alcohol is just one of the reasons folks, especially younger ones, are passing it up. Another is health and wellness.

“The big factor is the generational shift in drinking habits,” says Lange. “The craft beer boom was driven by Gen X and Millennials, but those folks – me included – are getting older and maybe slowing down their beer intake. Meanwhile, Gen Z isn't as beer-focused. A lot of younger drinkers are more health-conscious and looking for low-calorie or alcohol-free choices. Many of them drink less alcohol in general, and when they do go out, they might opt for a cocktail, a spiked seltzer or an NA beverage instead of a 'traditional' pint.”

According to Gallup's August 2025 poll on alcohol consumption, “The percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54%, the lowest by one percentage point in Gallup's nearly 90-year trend. This coincides with a growing belief among Americans that moderate alcohol consumption is bad for one's health, now the majority view for the first time.” Prior to the organization's most recent poll, the rate has only been under 60% fewer than 10 times.

“I do think that there is a greater awareness of the health risks associated with alcohol consumption,” says Dr. Sunil Joshi, the chief health officer for the City of Jacksonville. “There is also a growing recognition of the impact of alcohol on mental health and well-being. And since there is a push to recognize mental illness, minimizing alcohol consumption is seen as a healthy coping mechanism.”

As far as younger generations leading the charge goes, the Gallup poll also found that “young adults had already become less likely to report drinking alcohol a decade ago, but that trend has only accelerated, with the rate falling from 59% in 2023 to 50% today. This puts their drinking rate below that of middle-aged and older adults, although fewer in those groups are also claiming to drink than did so two years ago.”

“It is pretty clear that the younger generation is putting health and wellness as a priority in their lives,” says Dr. Joshi. “With this type of lifestyle, alcohol consumption becomes less important.

The younger generations are also more accepting of non-drinking lifestyles and there is less pressure to drink in social or after work situations compared to other generations.”

Dr. Joshi suggests that those who are limiting or nixing their alcohol consumption for health reasons consider alternatives such as NA beers and wines, low ABV or NA beverages without heavy creams and sugary syrups, coconut water and sparkling water.

While a number of Northeast Florida bars, restaurants and venues, aforementioned ones included, have been quick to adapt to this changing landscape, others have not. And that could cost them business, especially as more people explore cutting back on or eliminating their alcohol consumption.

“Menu placement is really everything,” says Michelle. “Putting three to five non-alcoholic drinks on your already existing beverage menus validates an entire community's worth of people who come to your establishment.”

“The other upside of having a non-alcoholic menu? It decreases anxiety for both the bartender and the guest,” says Michelle. “The guest feels legitimized and confident to order a menu cocktail that took just as much effort as its competitors, and is likely to order more than one, while the bartender no longer has to guess what the guest might want or conceptualize a new drink on the fly during a busy service. It's a win-win-win scenario.”

And who doesn't want to be part of a winning equation, especially a hangover-free one? “The biggest thing is inclusion,” says Badea. “We want everyone, whether they're drinking or not, to feel welcome, celebrated and part of the moment. Great hospitality should never depend on what's in your glass.”