ANA Insider

Insights, news, events, and jobs for the adult non-alcoholic beverage industry

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How Drinks with Benefits is Building ANA Awareness

What would it take to give someone the best possible impression of an entire beverage category in one night?

​Amanda Paul-Garnier, General Manager, Alcohol-Free Drinks at The Daily Pour, and her team built Drinks with Benefits to answer that question directly. Instead of a single tasting table, they built an entire night around giving people the best possible impression of the category. A wine salon stocked with Wine Enthusiast-recognized bottles gives guests a real benchmark for what NA wine can actually taste like. A hands-on mixology lab has them building cocktails themselves instead of just tasting one someone else made. A food pairing room runs through plant-forward restaurants built for serious cooking, so the beverages hold their own against real food rather than standing off to the side. Even the dance floor is doing work, proving a night out doesn't need alcohol to feel like one. The goal, as Paul-Garnier told me, was for people to walk away with the best possible impression of the ANA world.

That's a meaningful goal for how the category thinks about building awareness. A full night like this gives someone a complete picture of what a night out without alcohol can actually look like, not just a single taste of one product.

I asked Amanda what she's learned running this event for two years now. Read how her team built the Wine Salon and the mixology lab to double as teaching moments, why the Zero Proof Choice Awards feed directly into what guests taste on the festival floor, and where she still sees the biggest opportunity for reaching people who haven't found the category yet.

​Marcos Salazar​
CEO, Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association (ANBA)

Calling Women Founders: Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition

Applications are now open for the Enthuse Foundation’s 8th Annual Pitch Competition, offering women founders an opportunity to pitch their growing brands for cash prizes and in-kind business services.

For founders in the non-alcoholic beverage industry, this could be a valuable opportunity to gain funding and support as you grow your brand. Eligible companies must be at least 51% women-owned, U.S.-based, sell a physical product, have been established after January 1, 2022, and generate between $100,000 and $999,000 in annual revenue.

The Grand Prize winner will receive $15,000 in cash plus $75,000 in in-kind services, while the runner-up will receive $10,000 plus $75,000 in services. An Audience Choice winner will also receive $3,000. Finalists will pitch live in New York City on November 5, 2026.

Applications close September 23, 2026.

Member News:

• Everleaf Drinks released Forest Chipotle Hot Honey, a limited-edition non-alcoholic apéritif with smoky chipotle spice and a honey finish designed for spritzes, sours, and margarita-style serves. (The Spirits Business)
• Athletic Brewing Company entered multiyear partnerships with Dak Prescott and Drake Maye, giving both NFL quarterbacks equity stakes and roles in the company’s marketing. (BevNET)
• Athletic Brewing Company appointed longtime beverage marketer Dan Kleinman as chief marketing officer to support the continued growth of its non-alcoholic beer portfolio. (LinkedIn)
• Everleaf Drinks is using recycled glass bottles and incorporating sustainability more deeply into its operations as it works to reduce its environmental impact. (Drinks International)
• BevZero joined Strategic Beverage Services through an acquisition that combines their U.S. dealcoholization capabilities and expands support for alcohol-free beverage producers. (PR Newswire)
• The Boston Beer Company expanded the Samuel Adams seasonal portfolio with a non-alcoholic Octoberfest developed to deliver the malt character and fall flavors associated with the traditional style. (The Boston Beer Company)
• The Daily Pour’s 2026 Zero Proof Choice Awards recognized standout alcohol-free beer, wine, spirits, and ready-to-drink products following judging by beverage professionals and industry experts. (BevNET)

ANA Industry News:

• Royal Caribbean is adding more mocktails, non-alcoholic beer, wine, spirits, and alcohol-free packages as younger travelers increasingly moderate their drinking without giving up social occasions. (Royal Caribbean Blog)
• Hospitality operators can use thoughtfully developed zero-proof menus to promote inclusivity, increase average checks, support premium pricing, and differentiate the overall guest experience. (Modern Restaurant Management)
• Non-alcoholic beer is extending the traditional post-workout social ritual by giving runners an inclusive option that fits morning gatherings, driving, work, and other commitments. (Runlovers)
• Better brewing technology, improved quality, and changing social habits are helping non-alcoholic beer move beyond its substitute image and establish itself as a credible category in its own right. (The Drinks Business)
• A behind-the-scenes account of the Zero Proof Choice Awards explores how judges assess non-alcoholic drinks and what the experience reveals about the category’s growing quality and variety. (Yahoo)
• Southern Glazer’s identifies non-alcoholic spirits as an underdeveloped segment with room for wider retail distribution as more consumers embrace moderation. (The Spirits Business)
• A review of international research found no evidence that alcohol-free drinks encourage people to consume alcohol and identified growing evidence that they can support moderation. (The Drinks Business)
• Southern Glazer’s reports that no-, low-, and functional beverages increasingly complement traditional alcohol purchases as consumers move between categories throughout the year rather than only during Dry January. (Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits)
• European Union breweries produced 2.1 billion liters of beer containing less than 0.5% alcohol in 2025, an increase of 5.9% even as total beer production declined slightly. (The Drinks Business)
• California wineries are adding food, events, retail experiences, and alcohol-free offerings as declining wine sales and fewer tasting-room visitors encourage them to reach consumers in new ways. (The New York Times)
• Research into the growing popularity of zero-alcohol drinks suggests younger consumers increasingly view them as normal choices for social occasions rather than alternatives reserved only for abstainers. (Phys.org)
• Restaurants are investing in increasingly sophisticated non-alcoholic drinks, with ingredients, preparation, labor, equipment, and margins contributing to menu prices that can rival cocktails. (Axios Charlotte)
• Some beers marketed as non-alcoholic contain trace amounts of alcohol, prompting consumers and industry leaders to seek clearer distinctions among non-alcoholic, alcohol-free, and zero-proof terminology. (The Wall Street Journal)
• Limited retail distribution can suppress apparent demand for non-alcoholic wine by pushing interested shoppers toward beer, soft drinks, alcoholic wine, or no purchase at all. (LinkedIn)
• Consumers are increasingly alternating between alcoholic and alcohol-free choices, contributing to growth in non-alcoholic wine and expanding the range of occasions brands must serve. (Forbes)
• Hotels, restaurants, cruise lines, and other travel businesses are improving their alcohol-free menus as more guests expect thoughtful non-alcoholic choices rather than simple substitutions. (The Caterer)
• New Hampshire restaurants, alcohol-free venues, bottle shops, and state-run liquor outlets are expanding their non-alcoholic offerings, with state outlet sales rising from $41,914 in 2025 to $607,693 in 2026. (Business NH Magazine)
• Research involving young adults found that zero-alcohol drinks can support social inclusion and communicate positive personal choices, offering useful insight into how younger consumers perceive the category. (The Conversation)
• A Great Britain sales analysis found that no/lo products were generally cheaper on the shelf, but volume-weighted purchase prices made no/lo beer 7% more expensive than regular-strength beer because of factors including pack size and premium positioning. (Wiley Online Library)
• No-alcohol products are outperforming low-alcohol alternatives as moderation, improved quality, younger consumers, and investment from major beverage companies broaden the category’s global growth potential. (Spherical Insights)

Events:

Drinks with Benefits Alcohol-Free Fest

Date: September 17, 2026 Time: 5:00 PM ET Where: The Altman Building, NYC Host The Daily Pour

Drinks with Benefits Alcohol-Free Fest brings together the best in alcohol-free drinks, food, music, and wellness for a discovery experience designed for both the trade and consumers. Guests can explore more than 60 top-shelf alcohol-free brands in the Tasting Gallery, enjoy curated bites from NYC favorites, experience a Sober Rave hosted by ALTRD, and unwind with a meditation experience from Sage + Sound, all while discovering a new way to drink and socialize without alcohol.
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Get your tickets below:

ANBA Member Jobs:

Featured: Social Media Lead ​(Remote, NY/NJ/CT, USA)

Curious Elixirs is seeking a creative, self-starting community manager and content producer to drive our brand voice, content production, and community engagement. This person will lead social strategy across multiple platforms - dreaming up creative campaigns, producing content people actually want to watch, collaborating with the in-house team and helping shape one of the most exciting brands in the non-alc space.

• ​​Athletic Brewing Co.​​ - Payroll Specialist (On-site, San Diego, CA)
• ​​Athletic Brewing Co. - Regional Sales Manager Southeast (On-site, FL, GA, NC, SC)
• ​​Athletic Brewing Co. - Content Partnership Manager (On-site, Milford, CT)
• ​Athletic Brewing Co.​ - Production Brewer (On-site, Milford, CT)

The Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association (ANBA) is a global trade organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and accelerating the growth of the adult non-alcoholic beverage industry. We connect producers and industry partners with the insights, resources, and community they need to thrive in this rapidly expanding category.