ANA Insider

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

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For ANA Brands, Growth Starts Upstream of the Consumer

A lot of the founders I talk to want to talk about the consumer first: what they'll buy, why they'll come back, how to get in front of them. That's natural. It's also, in my experience, only half the picture.

The brands I've watched build real, lasting velocity in this category spend just as much energy on the partners standing between them and the consumer. The co-packer filling the cans. The wholesaler getting them into a truck. The retailer deciding whether they're worth the shelf space. Each of those partners has their own incentives and their own reasons to go the extra mile for a brand, or not.

I saw this play out clearly when talking with Jamie Fay, Founder and CEO of Rationale. Rationale doesn't treat its wholesalers as a pass-through. When product ages past its freshest window on a shelf, the team buys it back themselves rather than let a stale can represent the brand. They pitch retailers with category data instead of a sales pitch. They talk about their brewing partner, Asahi, as an extension of their own team, sharing risk in both directions.

None of that is cheap, and none of it happens overnight. But it's how a brand earns shelf presence that lasts past a single order cycle, and how an ANA brand grows without asking any one relationship to carry all the weight.

I sat down with Jamie to understand how Rationale built each of those partnerships, one relationship at a time. Read how the team decided to buy back their own product rather than let it go stale, why they pitch retailers with category data instead of a sales pitch, and what going deep in California instead of chasing new markets has taught them about growth.

​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:

• Mockly launched Salted Watermelon Punch, a limited-edition non-alcoholic sparkling cocktail that gives the nostalgic backyard punch bowl a more sophisticated twist with cardamom and gentian. (BevNET)​
• Mingle Mocktails served as the official non-alcoholic sponsor of the Academy of Country Music Honors, bringing an alcohol-free option to one of country music’s major industry events. (LinkedIn)​
• Three Spirit, Free Spirits, and Everleaf Drinks were featured among Chilled Magazine’s 25 non-alcoholic spirits that deliver the complexity and experience of traditional spirits without the alcohol. (Chilled Magazine)​
• Athletic Brewing Co. signed a multi-year partnership with MetLife Stadium, the New York Jets, and the New York Giants, making its award-winning non-alcoholic beer part of the game-day experience. (PR Newswire)​
• Mingle Mocktails ranked No. 1,014 on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list, earning recognition among the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. (LinkedIn)​
• Jukes Cordialities co-founder and acclaimed wine writer Matthew Jukes has passed away, leaving behind a legacy that included bringing his wine expertise to sophisticated alcohol-free drinking through the brand he created. (The Telegraph)​
• Athletic Brewing Co. saw its Free Wave Hazy IPA nominated for Sports Readers’ Choice Best Non-Alcoholic Beer for Football Fans. (LinkedIn)​
• Free Spirits took the top spot in The Daily Pour’s ranking of the best non-alcoholic Old Fashioned RTDs with its Espresso Old Fashioned, made with real espresso and the brand’s alcohol-free bourbon alternative. (MSN)​
• Three Spirit, Mingle Beverage, RationAle Brewing, Just Enough Wines, Tomorrow Cellars, Free AF, and Blind Tiger Spirit-Free Cocktails were among the winners of the inaugural 2026 Zero Proof Choice Awards recognizing standout alcohol-free beverages across multiple categories. (Yahoo)​
• Blind Tiger Spirit-Free Cocktails expanded its footprint across Pennsylvania through a new statewide distribution partnership with Pennsylvania Libations. (LinkedIn)​
• PARCH partnered with Union Beer Distributors to expand the availability of its non-alcoholic drinks across New York City. (LinkedIn)​
• BevZero’s U.S. operations where acquired by Strategic Beverage Services to create what it says is the country’s largest dealcoholization service provider, expanding capacity as demand for low- and no-alcohol beverages grows. (PR Newswire)​

ANA Industry News:

• Marella Cruises has significantly expanded its alcohol-free selection across its fleet with 18 non-alcoholic cocktails, six 0% spirits, four 0% wines, and non-alcoholic beer and cider as part of its all-inclusive drinks program. (TUI Group)​
• Israeli dealcoholization and aroma-recovery technology helped produce an award-winning non-alcoholic wine at a U.S. competition, highlighting how advances in production are improving quality in the no- and low-alcohol category. (The Jerusalem Post)​
• New global research from ADM identifies functionality, more sophisticated flavor profiles, and occasion-based drinking as three major forces creating new opportunities for non-alcoholic beverage innovation. (BeverageDaily)​
• Consumers increasingly expect non-alcoholic beverages to deliver more than refreshment, creating opportunities for drinks that combine functional benefits, complex flavors, and experiences tailored to different social occasions. (ADM)​
• Gen Z is helping drive demand for alcohol-free and functional drinks in the UK, with 53% of 18-to-34-year-olds choosing alcohol-free options when socializing as wellness and mindful drinking shape their beverage choices. (Nutraceutical Business Review)​
• More than half of UK adults now consume low- and no-alcohol drinks at least monthly, while zebra striping continues to grow as consumers increasingly switch between alcoholic and alcohol-free options depending on the occasion. (Scottish Licensed Trade News)​
• Better production techniques and a growing wave of premium producers are helping non-alcoholic wine evolve from a simple alcohol substitute into a category increasingly capable of appealing to serious wine drinkers. (Robb Report)​
• An alcohol-free wine earned top honors in a blind judging competition, offering another sign that improvements in non-alcoholic winemaking are helping the category compete on quality rather than simply the absence of alcohol. (Yahoo Life)​
• The U.S. adult non-alcoholic beverage market has surpassed $1 billion in off-premise sales, with established and emerging brands increasingly pursuing different positioning, channels, and drinking occasions as the category matures. (Brewbound)​
• Zebra striping is gaining traction as Gen Z alternates between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks during nights out, making mocktails and other alcohol-free options an increasingly important part of social occasions. (Miami Herald)​
• As fewer Americans choose to drink alcohol, non-alcoholic options are gaining ground and becoming a more established part of how consumers drink and socialize. (Cleveland.com)​
• Zebra striping is giving consumers a middle ground between drinking and abstaining by alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages throughout a night out. (The Sacramento Bee)​
• Non-alcoholic wine is finding a place alongside traditional wine as consumers seek alcohol-free options for everything from fitness and pregnancy to aging and everyday moderation, while producers respond with increasingly sophisticated bottles. (Forbes)​
• Gen Z’s relationship with alcohol is becoming more flexible, with sober-curious and moderation-focused habits giving alcohol-free drinks a bigger role in how younger consumers socialize. (Charlotte Observer)​
• The Dominican Republic is responding to the rise of mindful drinking by promoting alcohol-free travel experiences that give visitors more ways to enjoy vacations without alcohol. (TravMedia)​
• Lessons from Dutch non-alcoholic wine retailer Amavine suggest that building the premium NA wine category requires more than a strong product, with thoughtful curation, storytelling, education, and partnerships playing key roles in turning interest into demand. (LinkedIn)​
• Gen Z may be drinking less, but it is not abandoning nightlife, with thoughtful mocktails and other non-alcoholic drinks becoming part of a broader shift toward more intentional, varied, and value-conscious ways of socializing. (Salon)​
• Premium non-alcoholic wine has successfully generated consumer curiosity and trial, but converting that interest into repeat purchases and sustained global demand will require stronger positioning, education, and distribution. (LinkedIn)​
• Trial of adult non-alcoholic beverages is rising in the U.S. even as the overall share of adults who drink alcohol remains unchanged from 2025, suggesting consumers are increasingly adding NA options rather than necessarily abandoning alcohol. (BevNET)​
• Zero-proof cocktails are earning more space on modern bar menus alongside traditional alcoholic drinks, reflecting growing consumer demand for sophisticated alcohol-free choices both on-premise and at home. (The Wall Street Journal)​

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.​​ - Associate Counsel (On-site, Milford, CT)
• ​Athletic Brewing Co.​ - Production Brewer (On-site, Milford, CT)
• ​​Athletic Brewing Co.​ - Social Media Intern (On-site, San Diego, CA)
• ​​Athletic Brewing Co.​ - Benefits Manager (On-site, San Diego, CA)
• ​Mingle Mocktails - National Account Director (Remote, USA)

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.