The renaissance of sobriety: the “clear-headed joy” product trend

Based on the new products submitted for the fair in 2024, the BIOFACH trend jury¹ defined the product trend “clear-headed joy”. Increasingly, the consumption of alcohol is perceived as being harmful to health. Being sober is becoming a health-conscious lifestyle choice that is fun and full of variety. This is leading to an increase in demand for alternatives that imitate alcoholic drinks and taste just as appealing and ‘grown-up’ as wine, beer and spirits.

Rising prices, falling consumption: alcohol consumption in Germany

The Statista Research Department confirms this trend for Germany²: Although German consumers spent more money than ever on alcoholic drinks in 2022, this was due to the increase in prices. However, the per-capita consumption of alcoholic drinks in Germany has been in decline for years now. The Trend Report on Nutrition³ – forecasts by 170 experts from the food sector – by the Nutrition Hub in collaboration with the German Federal Centre for Nutrition (BZfE) also reflects this development. Twelve percent of respondents confirmed that alcohol-free drinks are becoming increasingly popular and that the demand for alcohol-free beers, wines and spirits is growing. According to the report, the food industry has also jumped onto this bandwagon: alcohol-free wines are now also gaining in popularity alongside the alcohol-free beers that have already been selling well for some time now. In addition, according to the trend report, innovative minds are experimenting with producing fruit juices with hops or using the process of fermentation to manufacture tasty alcohol substitutes.

The art of food pairing: drinks from Feral to pair with food

Start-up Feral, based in the Italian Dolomites, is also embracing this development with its range of drinks suitable for food pairing. They are designed for chefs who like to experiment with flavours when food pairing. “Our main goal is to offer a drink with a complex flavour: We combine herbs and spices to create various levels of flavour that can be combined with different dishes and are suitable for chefs who like to experiment,” explains Costanza Milanese from Feral. “We wanted to pick up on the complexity of the fermentation and the way it changes the taste of the ingredients in unexpected directions. We tested a different approach to the traditional alcoholic fermentation and instead opted for a lactic fermentation process to avoid ‘taking something away” from the drink by not producing it in the first place (in this case alcohol). To honour the tradition of the Dolomites that surround us – the use of plants in cooking – and create new layers of flavour, we developed the second step of plant infusion,” adds Sebastiano Pontalti, Feral’s R&D Manager. Currently, there are four drinks in the product range. There’s something for every discerning palate, whether you opt for a fermented white beet with ginger, allspice and juniper berries – ideal for umami dishes – or fermented red beet with wild blueberries, lavender and juniper berries, which unleashes its full complexity in combination with fresh cheeses or cured meats.

New generation, new preferences: decline in alcohol consumption among young people

The trend report from NUTRITION HUB and the Statista Research Department both conclude that the number of young people regularly drinking alcohol has declined in recent years. It is therefore logical to assume that alcohol substitutes will be popular primarily with the younger generation. This is a view shared by Feral. “Among young people we are seeing great enthusiasm and an incredible openness towards new flavours. They tend to have fewer preconceptions that a drink must have alcohol in it to be interesting. This lack of barriers among young people often creates the opportunity to best explain our product for what it is: a complex drink that can add value to a culinary experience. We are aware that our product is healthier than an alcoholic version, but that is not the main aspect we are focusing on in our communication. We believe that young people will choose Feral above all due to curiosity and the chance to discover new flavours, and not because a particular element is missing,” Milanese explains.

In this spirit: It’s time to raise a toast and celebrate with a clear head!

Sources:

[1] In 2024, the trend jury was composed of industry experts Anne Baumann (Deputy Managing Director of AöL), Karin Heinze (founder of BiO Reporter International), Michael Radau (CEO SuperBioMarkt AG), Jens Schinnerling (Purchasing Manager dennree GmbH) and Julian Stock (CEO Good Food Collective).

[2] Statista Research Department. (2024, May 2). Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages in Germany. https://de.statista.com/themen/22/alkohol/#topicOverview

[3] NUTRITION HUB. (2023). Trend Report Nutrition 2023. https://www.nutrition-hub.de/post/trendreport-ernaehrung-10-top-trends-2023