Non-alcoholic beer to overtake ale as the second-largest beer category worldwide this year
Non-alcoholic beer is on track to overtake ale as the second-largest beer category by volume worldwide this year, according to a new projections from industry tracker IWSR.
While overall beer volume fell roughly 1% in 2024, volume for its non-alcoholic counterpart grew 9% worldwide, according to IWSR. The category's growth accelerated in 2018 and has continued to outstrip the broader beer market since then.
IWSR is projecting that no-alcohol beer will grow by 8% annually through 2029, while ale's volume is expected to slide 2% annually in that same period.
Despite recent growth, no-alcohol beer is far from becoming the top-selling beer category globally and only holds about 2% of worldwide beer market share. With 92% market share, lager is far and away the largest beer category and still growing, albeit at a slower pace than non-alcoholic beer.
No-alcohol beer has gained popularity as more consumers cut back on their alcohol consumption, prompting brewers to invest in zero-proof alternatives. The trend is particularly striking across younger age cohorts; Gen Z drinks less than prior generations at the same age, and millennials hold the largest share of no-alcohol drinkers, according to IWSR. Younger drinkers use buzzwords like "sober curious" and "damp lifestyle" to describe moderating their alcoholic intake, rather than abstaining entirely.
Additional fuel for the trend comes from the companies making non-alcoholic beers, which have gotten better at mimicking the taste of their alcoholic twins. Practically every major beer brand, from Diageo's Guinness to Heineken and Anheuser-Busch InBev's Budweiser, has rolled out a zero-proof version over the last five years.
Non-alcoholic beer's worldwide retail sales surpassed $17 billion in 2023, according to Bernstein. Looking at global markets, Germany, Spain and Japan bought the most non-alcoholic beer that year. The U.S. landed in sixth place for its no-alcohol beer sales, although its ranking falls much further when measured by overall sales penetration.
Much of the growth in the U.S. is fueled by Athletic Brewing, now the top-selling no-alcohol beer brand. The upstart, which was founded in 2018, holds 17% of the category's volume share, edging out AB InBev's Bud Zero and Heineken's 0.0 version. Just three years earlier, Athletic held only a 4% share. The company was reportedly valued at roughly $800 million in its latest funding round in 2024.
Even non-alcoholic beer hasn't been immune from the rash of celebrity-backed alcohol brands. Actor Tom Holland launched Bero, retired basketball star Dwyane Wade co-founded Budweiser Zero with AB InBev and podcast host and actor Dax Shepherd created Ted Segers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ira Winderman: How the Thunder came to own the NBA (and the Heat's draft future)
MIAMI — Salt meet wound. Not only will the Oklahoma City Thunder be playing in this year's NBA Finals, but so will a team holding a considerable stake of the Miami Heat's draft future. In this case, it's one and the same. Advertisement When the 2025 NBA Finals open Thursday at Paycom Center, the team in the home colors will be the team in possession of the Heat's 2025 first-round pick, the Heat's 2027 second-round pick, the Heat's 2029 second-round pick and the Heat's 2030 second-round pick. To say the tables have been turned since the Heat's Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh defeated the Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals would be an understatement, with the Thunder having supplanted the Heat as a touchstone franchise. Yes, the Heat went on to win not only those 2012 NBA Finals but also the following NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. And, yes, the Heat since have made another pair of visits since to the NBA Finals. But it's not as if the Thunder fell off the face of the playoff race in the interim, with trips to conference finals in 2014 and '16 and then all the way back up to the conference semifinals a year ago, before this 68-14 roughshod run through the regular season and then this playoff success. Advertisement And, along the way — perhaps in a lesson worth heeding by the Heat in their current state — offering a lesson that there is nothing wrong with taking a break. Prior to this OKC revival, the Thunder were 22-50 in 2020-21, 24-58 in 2021-22 and 40-42 in 2022-23, before the jump back up to 57-25 a season ago. Stepping back to step forward has never quite been a Pat Riley gait, admitting just weeks ago he had been complicit in a pair of tanks over his three-decade stewardship, otherwise pedal to the metal, even when all the gears weren't necessarily aligned. And unlike with the Thunder's trove of draft picks, the Heat consistently have instead dealt many away in the hope of something closer to instant gratification (hello, Terry Rozier). Advertisement But as much as anything is the type of move made by the Thunder that Riley arguably has never made over his 30 seasons, selling high to set up the future. Exhibit A (or, more to the point, non-Exhibit A) stands as holding on a bit too long with Jimmy Butler and realizing February's middling return. This, of course, also is where the drawing of parallels needs to be allowed to breathe, because the Thunder's franchise-altering trade was once-in-a-decade stuff, or even beyond. On July 10, 2019, days after the Heat had wrapped up their acquisition of Butler from the Philadelphia 76ers in yet another of Riley's win-now moves, the Thunder swung the deal that now again has Oklahoma City as a center of the NBA universe. On that date, the Thunder dealt Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, the 2021 first-round pick that turned into Tre Mann, the 2022 first-round pick that turned into Jalen Williams, a 2023 first-round pick that turned into Dillon Jones, the No. 15 pick in this year's draft that will come from the Heat, a pick swap this June from the Clippers (moving up from No. 30 to No. 24) and the Clippers' 2026 first-round pick. Advertisement As in 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. As in 2025 third-team All-NBA selection Jalen Williams. As in enough remaining draft capital to trade for another star, if need be. No, the Heat were not getting for 35-year-old Jimmy Butler in February what the Thunder in 2019 got for 29-year-old Paul George. And for those who believe the Heat should have acted sooner, they also weren't getting anything close to that for 34-year-old Jimmy Butler last summer, either. About as close as you can find to that in this millennium arguably was the Celtics' 2013 trade of what remained of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets for what turned into the draft selections of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Advertisement As for those future Heat picks now held by the Thunder, the selection at No. 15 in this year's draft traveled to Oklahoma City from the Butler trade in 2019; the 2027 second-rounder due came from the Heat's 2021 acquisition of Trevor Ariza from the Thunder; the 2029 second-rounder due from the Heat came from the 2023 salary dump of Victor Oladipo to the Thunder, which also cost the Heat their 2030 second-round pick. So as good as it currently stands for Oklahoma City, and for as ominous as it currently stands for the Heat, while watching the 2025 NBA Finals keep in mind ... the Heat also are funding the Thunder's future. (Or simply watch the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final instead.) ____
Business Upturn
2 days ago
- Business Upturn
Mondelēz International Joins the 100+ Accelerator to Help Advance More Sustainable Innovation at Scale
100+ Accelerator was created to rapidly pilot and scale solutions. Mondelēz International's addition reinforces movement among world's largest brands to collaborate on more sustainable innovation at scale. CHICAGO, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) today announced it has joined the 100+ Accelerator, the award-winning global platform dedicated to scaling sustainable innovation. Mondelēz International joins AB InBev, The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, and Unilever as the program's sixth corporate partner as it begins to accept applications for the platform's seventh cohort of startups. Launched in 2018 by AB InBev, the 100+ Accelerator was created to rapidly pilot and scale solutions in areas such as regenerative agriculture, circular packaging, and energy efficiency. To date, the program has supported approximately 190 startups across more than 40 countries, many of which have gone on to become integrated partners in global supply chains. The addition of Mondelēz International strengthens the program's cross-industry reach and signals a growing movement among the world's largest brands to collaborate on more sustainable innovation at scale. 'Joining the 100+ Accelerator is a natural extension of our Sustainability strategy—a strategy that is resilient and built with an aim for long-term, sustainable business growth,' said Christine Montenegro McGrath, Chief Impact and Sustainability Officer, Mondelēz International. 'We strive to continue building a snacking company that helps drive positive impact at scale. We believe this collaboration would allow us to further help startup sustainability innovators move further, faster by harnessing collective industry expertise and delivering more meaningful solutions for people and the planet.' 'Having Mondelēz International join the 100+ Accelerator brings a fresh perspective to the program that strengthens our reach and impact,' said Ingrid De Ryck, Chief Sustainability Officer at AB InBev. 'By working across industries, we're unlocking bold solutions that can help transform global supply chains.' The 100+ Accelerator provides startups with funding, mentorship, and the opportunity to pilot their innovations in real-world corporate environments. Through close collaboration with corporate teams, entrepreneurs can refine and scale their technologies while accelerating time to impact. Recent innovations from the program include: Smallholder support platforms that enhance agricultural sustainability and farmer livelihoods. that enhance agricultural sustainability and farmer livelihoods. Low-emission logistics including EV retrofitting, biofuels, and smart fleet analytics. including EV retrofitting, biofuels, and smart fleet analytics. Creating circular systems including compostable and bio-based packaging from bacterial cellulose, and more. compostable and bio-based packaging from bacterial cellulose, and more. Water efficiency solutions using advanced nanotechnology, spectroscopy, and electrochemistry. Applications for the seventh cohort of the 100+ Accelerator are now open. Entrepreneurs around the world are invited to apply at With the combined capabilities of Mondelēz International, AB InBev, The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, and Unilever, we believe the 100+ Accelerator is accelerating the future of more sustainable business—together. About Mondelēz International Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries around the world. With 2024 net revenues of approximately $36.4 billion, MDLZ is leading the future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such as Oreo, Ritz, LU, Clif Bar and Tate's Bake Shop biscuits and baked snacks, as well as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate. Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Dow Jones Best-in-Class North America and World Indices, formerly Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. Visit or follow the company on X at About The 100+ Accelerator The 100+ Accelerator is a global innovation program that partners with cutting-edge startups to solve some of the world's most pressing sustainability challenges. Backed by six global consumer goods companies, AB InBev, The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Mondelēz International, and Unilever, the accelerator focuses on solutions across water, energy efficiency, circular economy, and sustainable agriculture. Since launch, the 100+ Accelerator has supported nearly 200 startups across more than 40 countries, delivering business and environmental impact. Learn more at Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
CNBC
4 days ago
- CNBC
Non-alcoholic beer to overtake ale as the second-largest beer category worldwide this year
Non-alcoholic beer is on track to overtake ale as the second-largest beer category by volume worldwide this year, according to a new projections from industry tracker IWSR. While overall beer volume fell roughly 1% in 2024, volume for its non-alcoholic counterpart grew 9% worldwide, according to IWSR. The category's growth accelerated in 2018 and has continued to outstrip the broader beer market since then. IWSR is projecting that no-alcohol beer will grow by 8% annually through 2029, while ale's volume is expected to slide 2% annually in that same period. Despite recent growth, no-alcohol beer is far from becoming the top-selling beer category globally and only holds about 2% of worldwide beer market share. With 92% market share, lager is far and away the largest beer category and still growing, albeit at a slower pace than non-alcoholic beer. No-alcohol beer has gained popularity as more consumers cut back on their alcohol consumption, prompting brewers to invest in zero-proof alternatives. The trend is particularly striking across younger age cohorts; Gen Z drinks less than prior generations at the same age, and millennials hold the largest share of no-alcohol drinkers, according to IWSR. Younger drinkers use buzzwords like "sober curious" and "damp lifestyle" to describe moderating their alcoholic intake, rather than abstaining entirely. Additional fuel for the trend comes from the companies making non-alcoholic beers, which have gotten better at mimicking the taste of their alcoholic twins. Practically every major beer brand, from Diageo's Guinness to Heineken and Anheuser-Busch InBev's Budweiser, has rolled out a zero-proof version over the last five years. Non-alcoholic beer's worldwide retail sales surpassed $17 billion in 2023, according to Bernstein. Looking at global markets, Germany, Spain and Japan bought the most non-alcoholic beer that year. The U.S. landed in sixth place for its no-alcohol beer sales, although its ranking falls much further when measured by overall sales penetration. Much of the growth in the U.S. is fueled by Athletic Brewing, now the top-selling no-alcohol beer brand. The upstart, which was founded in 2018, holds 17% of the category's volume share, edging out AB InBev's Bud Zero and Heineken's 0.0 version. Just three years earlier, Athletic held only a 4% share. The company was reportedly valued at roughly $800 million in its latest funding round in 2024. Even non-alcoholic beer hasn't been immune from the rash of celebrity-backed alcohol brands. Actor Tom Holland launched Bero, retired basketball star Dwyane Wade co-founded Budweiser Zero with AB InBev and podcast host and actor Dax Shepherd created Ted Segers.
