![\"ozempic\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ozempic.jpg\")
Slim chance: are weight-loss drugs an opportunity for no- and low-alcohol \u2018spirits\u2019?<\/p>\nWith growing research to suggest GLP-1 drugs reduce the desire to drink alcohol, Eloise Feilden asks whether the \u2018Ozempic era\u2019 offers opportunities for the no- and low-ABV sector to thrive.<\/p>\n
Slim chance: are weight-loss drugs an opportunity for no- and low-alcohol \u2018spirits\u2019?<\/p>\n
*This feature was first published in the February issue of The Spirits Business magazine.<\/p>\n
The pressure that GLP\u20101 receptor agonists \u2013 better known by brand names like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy \u2013 are putting on the restaurant sector has been well documented. Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, GLP\u20101s have since been widely adopted as weight\u2010loss wonder drugs, with users spending significantly less on food and dining out as a result. With one in eight US adults taking GLP\u20101s, and nearly a tenth of adults in Great Britain using or considering turning to these drugs, the impact on the on\u2010trade is significant. Restaurants have been forced to innovate to keep up with resulting changes in consumer habits. Heston Blumenthal\u2019s Berkshire restaurant The Fat Duck has launched a \u201cscaled\u2010down\u201d version of its tasting menu in response to the growing use of GLP\u20101s. In New York, the Clinton Hall chain has developed a \u201cteeny\u2010weeny mini meal\u201d, complete with a bite\u2010sized burger and a portion of fries that fits into a shot glass.<\/p>\n
But food services are not the only ones having to innovate, with growing evidence that GLP\u20101s reduce the motivation to drink alcohol too. These drugs work by modulating reward responses in the brain, and studies have shown them to decrease alcohol intake, reduce the motivation to consume booze, and potentially lower alcohol\u2010induced reward.<\/p>\n
Anna Sebastian, founder of consultancy agency Anna Sebastian Hospitality, and non\u2010 profit organisation Celebrate Her<\/a>, believes these drugs are having a fundamental impact on our drinking culture. \u201cPeople are not eating as much [on these drugs] because they can\u2019t, but also drinking habits have had to change,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Drinking differently<\/strong><\/p>\n Not all of this is bad news. Sebastian believes that GLP\u20101s are responsible for people \u201cdrinking differently\u201d rather than avoiding alcohol altogether, opting for less sugary drinks and \u201cgoing back to vodka and Tequila sodas\u201d.<\/p>\n The rise of these medications is also creating new opportunities, particularly for brands in the no\u2010 and low\u2010alcohol category, which can capitalise on the moderation shift. No\u2010and\u2010low drinks have been gaining ground for some time. Volumes in the world\u2019s leading 10 markets rose by 4% in 2024, and value increased by 6%, according to IWSR\u2019s No\/Low\u2010alcohol Strategic Study 2025. By 2029, IWSR forecasts no\u2010alcohol volumes will have expanded by as much as 36%.<\/p>\n Spirits producers have taken note. In December, Welsh gin brand Cygnet, launched in 2023 by classical music singer Katherine Jenkins OBE, released non\u2010alcoholic botanical \u2018spirit\u2019 Cygnet Infinity<\/a>.<\/p>\n Katie Potter\u2010Jones, the brand\u2019s global marketing director, says Infinity is Cygnet\u2019s response to changes in the experiences people are seeking from their drinks.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve witnessed a fundamental shift in drinking culture,\u201d she says. \u201cPeople want choice and flexibility in their occasions, whether they\u2019re moderating or choosing not to drink at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Made with functional botanicals including lion\u2019s mane, Siberian ginseng, schisandra, and manuka honey, Cygnet Infinity also taps into the growing interest in functional drinks.<\/p>\n IWSR data reveals \u2018alcohol\u2010adjacent\u2019 drinks containing mood enhancers such as CBD, nootropics and adaptogens are being embraced by younger consumers for their functional benefits, with volumes up by 11% in 2025. The increased adoption of GLP\u20101 drugs goes hand in hand with this trend, as health and wellness transform the way we consume food and drink.<\/p>\n Tom Bell, founder of DrinkWell, a UK retailer that specialises in lower\u2010calorie alcoholic drinks, argues that GLP\u20101s are \u201can accelerant\u201d of an \u201cendemic psychological shift towards health and wellness\u201d that is already taking place. \u201cBrands in that space will continue to see a significant development in traction,\u201d he says, driven by an \u201cincreased propensity to purchase things that have a better\u2010for\u2010you, more functional approach\u201d.<\/p>\n New products coming to market reflect the rise of the wellness trend. In January, Maison Ferrand\u2010owned gin brand Citadelle debuted its first non\u2010alcoholic expression, Citadelle 0.0<\/a>, in France and Italy.<\/p>\n The brand is targeting \u201cmindful drinkers who care about flavours, balance and craftsmanship, and who are also attentive to their wellbeing\u201d, says owner and master blender Alexandre Gabriel. He developed the expression to be lower in calories to make it \u201ceven more relevant\u201d to health\u2010 conscious consumers.<\/p>\n But health is not the only factor influencing people to use GLP\u20101 drugs. \u201cIt\u2019s about the aesthetics of how this drug can make you look,\u201d says Sebastian, suggesting that while people on GLP\u20101s may be moderating their drinking, they \u201cstill want the night out\u201d. The rise of GLP\u20101s has coincided with a growth in businesses catering to teetotal nightlife. Ronnie Traynor founded The Sober Social in 2020, hosting alcohol\u2010free events in spaces \u201cwhere people think they need alcohol, like nightclubs and bars and restaurants\u201d. Health and wellness therefore aren\u2019t the main focus for Traynor\u2019s business. \u201cPeople have said to me before, \u2018Why don\u2019t you do a sober social and go to yoga or do a cold plunge?\u2019. But generally, people do those things sober anyway. You don\u2019t generally go to yoga after a bottle of wine or 10 shots,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n The same motivation inspired New York\u2019s Bright Nights Social, which hosts regular sober dance parties in the city. Founder and CEO Sam Bail self\u2010identifies as a \u201csober party girl\u201d, and believes this demographic is underserved by brands and venues. \u201cIt\u2019s very easy to be sober at two o\u2019clock on a Thursday. What do you do at nine o\u2019clock on a Friday or Saturday night when your friends are out partying at the club?,\u201d she says. \u201cWe crave that connection, and we crave a little bit of hedonism, fun, joy and dancing. That is barely present in the sober space.\u201d<\/p>\n One venue trying to fill this gap is Hekate. When it opened nearly four years ago it was New York\u2019s first bricks\u2010and\u2010mortar sober bar. Manager Eliott Edge says health messaging has no place in the bar\u2019s branding. \u201cIn trying to create a bar\u2010like atmosphere, you don\u2019t really want to push forward the messaging of wellness,\u201d he says. \u201cYou want your bar to feel a little dangerous, because when it feels dangerous, it feels sexy, and there\u2019s nothing terribly sexy about wellness messaging.\u201d<\/p>\n No\u2010 and low\u2010alcohol brands therefore risk pigeonholing themselves if they put too much focus on health and wellness. Instead, a holistic approach to lifestyle is key to staying relevant.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, what we are trying to do more than ever is live longer, happier, healthier lives,\u201d says former Diageo executive Claire Warner, founder of Drink Positive<\/a>. \u201cWhether we like it or not, bars, pubs, restaurants \u2013 they\u2019re the third spaces we go to connect,\u201d she says, arguing that no\u2010and\u2010low drinks, and the venues that offer them, can broaden the way we socialise and the occasions when we come together.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, we can still go and have those moments that are critical to our physical and mental health, and we can equally have delicious drinks whether they contain alcohol or not,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Brands are following suit, aligning their alcohol\u2010free expressions with existing consumer habits to engage with people looking to moderate their drinking without changing their lifestyle.<\/p>\n Flavours and ritual<\/strong><\/p>\n London\u2010based gin producer Hayman\u2019s recently launched its first alcohol\u2010free expression<\/a>, two years after revealing its low\u2010 alcohol \u2018spirit\u2019, London Light. The goal of the latest addition is to emulate the experience of a G&T without the booze, says co\u2010owner and fifth\u2010generation family member Miranda Hayman. \u201cA zero\u2010alcohol alternative still has to emulate the flavours and ritual of their favourite cocktails if it is to become a go\u2010to,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Cygnet\u2019s Potter\u2010Jones agrees. \u201cThis isn\u2019t about creating a product for \u2018non\u2010drinkers\u2019 as a separate category \u2013 it\u2019s for anyone who values exceptional taste and craft,\u201d she says. Indeed, Cygnet Infinity was developed to broaden the types of occasions the brand can cater to, whatever the motivation, whether it be \u201cwellness, performance, or simply because it\u2019s Tuesday\u201d.<\/p>\n Willoughby adds: \u201cThis is about social inclusion, having the right drink for the right occasion, and something that tastes nice. Ultimately, flavour and taste is what keeps people drinking these drinks.\u201d<\/p>\n The price of low\/no-alcohol products continues to be a divisive talking point regarding the category. What work needs to be done in this area to show the worth of low\/no products?<\/p>\n Vedran Milosevic \u2013 global managing director, Cygnet Gin<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI completely understand why pricing is a talking point \u2013 there\u2019s an assumption that removing alcohol should make a product less expensive or more cost\u2010effective. But the reality is that creating a 0% [ABV] \u2018spirit\u2019 with genuine complexity is incredibly challenging and often more expensive. With Infinity, we\u2019re using carefully selected ingredients like lion\u2019s mane, schisandra, and manuka honey, and the extraction process is incredibly hands\u2010on \u2013 Lion\u2019s Mane alone requires a two\u2010hour infusion. There\u2019s no alcohol to provide body or warmth, so every element of flavour and texture has to come from the botanicals and the craft. Craft at this level doesn\u2019t reduce the cost of production versus alcoholic spirits \u2013 if anything, it often demands more. \u201cThe good news is that consumers who want quality get it. When Infinity won Gold at The Spirits Business\u2019s global Low & No Masters within weeks of launch, that validated the approach. It\u2019s about finding your audience \u2013 the people who refuse to compromise on quality, whether they\u2019re drinking alcohol or not. As more people experience genuinely exceptional non\u2010 alcoholic \u2018spirits\u2019, the value proposition becomes crystal clear. Quality speaks for itself.\u201d<\/p>\n Is mid-strength alcohol gaining ground?<\/p>\n Should all lower\u2010ABV drinks be considered under one umbrella? For a growing number of people, the answer is \u201cno\u201d.<\/p>\n No\u2010and\u2010low brands and products are often considered as one category, but while the choice to drink alcohol\u2010free \u201cis an active choice that you\u2019re not drinking\u201d, low\u2010ABV alternatives are \u201cmore of a lifestyle choice\u201d, says Anna Sebastian.<\/p>\n The Celebrate Her founder believes there is a \u201cgap in the market\u201d for mid\u2010 strength products to shine.<\/p>\n Laura Willoughby, Club Soda\u2019s founder, agrees, noting she has seen mid\u2010strength products \u201cbeginning to grow\u201d in popularity. \u201cPeople are looking to have the same number of drinks but half the alcohol, and it\u2019s a really easy sell to the consumer,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Italian liqueur Adriatico has jumped on the trend. Owner Jean\u2010Robert Bellanger says his aim was to create the first liqueur brand offering three alternatives to traditional amaretto, with a full\u2010strength amaretto liqueur (28% ABV) \u201cmade a different way\u201d, with roasted and salted almonds from Puglia, a non\u2010alcoholic version, and a lower\u2010ABV 16% Bianco, made with white crushed almonds, which is \u201cunique on the market\u201d.<\/p>\n Session Spirit is another brand tapping into the growing demand for mid\u2010 strength. Brad Crompton and Nick Johnson launched the brand \u2013 a 25% ABV gin \u2013 in 2019 \u201cin the jaws of lockdown\u201d.\u201cFor us, it\u2019s all about creating better sessions,\u201d says Crompton, wanting his brand to act as an alternative to existing \u201call\u2010or\u2010nothing options\u201d to offer consumers \u201cthe best of both worlds\u201d.<\/p>\n Rather than an alternative to booze, mid\u2010strength products \u201callow you to stay for two drinks rather than one\u201d, he adds. \u201cThe mid\u2010strength appeal and the collective message across wine, spirits and beer is about better balance. It\u2019s making it easier for you to make better choices \u2013 it\u2019s about lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n Sebastian agrees this is where mid\u2010 strength drinks can thrive \u2013 \u201cbridging\u201d the gap between lifestyle and moderation. She says: \u201cThat\u2019s the direction of menus and back bar products \u2013 it\u2019s more than just a product now, it\u2019s got to tap into that lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n Related news<\/strong><\/p>\n \n \n ![\"Cygnet-Infinity-Katherine-Jenkins\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cygnet-Infinity-Katherine-Jenkins-350x350.jpg\")
Cygnet Infinity was developed to broaden the types of occasions the brand can cater to<\/p>\n![\"Low-and-no-club-Soda\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Low-and-no-club-Soda-350x350.jpg\")
Laura Willoughby, Club Soda<\/p>\n![\"Adriatico](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Adriatico-Amaretto-line-350x350.jpg\")
Adriatico liqueur offers three ABV strengths<\/p>\n
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