“I’m not anti-drinking – I just don’t like getting drunk or feeling ill the next morning,” 22-year-old Lola tells the BBC. “I like going home safely and remembering the people I met, so sober nights work well for me.”
Lola goes on, “my friends think it’s cool when people go out sober…it’s a you-do-you mentality where people are respectful of your choices.”
Amongst Gen Z – the demographic born between 1997-2012 (Beresford Research) – she’s far from alone.
As Drinks Business report, “around a third of people aged 18-24 do not drink alcohol at all, and even those that do drink tend to do so primarily as a treat, to relax, or to mark a special occasion.”
Recent Mintel research underlines this generational transformation, “a significant number of Gen Z are shifting their focus away from drinking alcohol, both inside and outside the home, and opting instead for sober socialising.”
They are also prioritising what’s being called ‘mindful drinking.’
Mintel again, “two-thirds of consumers aged 18-24 have said that they worry about the emotional impact of alcohol, while a similar number reported that they would like to learn more about drinking mindfully…Gen Z has honed in on reducing their alcohol intake as a way to manage their emotional wellbeing and mindfulness.”
This focus on personal well-being underpins what analysts have dubbed the ‘experience economy.’ A paradigm shift originally driven by millennials. But Gen Z are even more committed to experiences that create memories over traditional consumer goods.
So where does all this leave the hospitality industry? Well, it seems, they are already ahead of the curve.
The BBC comments, “As Gen Z reshapes the idea of a ‘good night out’ and often socialises without drinking, the trade and hospitality industries are moving fast to adapt.”
Laura Willoughby, founder of no and low-alcohol drinks specialist Club Soda, told Drinks Business that the ‘experience economy’ is why “everywhere serves food now.” And she continues, “Who would have thought there would be bars set up just to do axe throwing or clay pigeon shooting?”
Which suggests, right now, Lola will be tapping into a TikTok community like #SoberTok, to arrange a bit of ‘mindful’ axe-throwing around at her local. Personally, I’m going to sit that one out.