The Shift Toward Better-For-You Cocktails

The beverage alcohol industry has spent the last several years talking about changing consumer habits, particularly around wellness and moderation. We've seen the growth of non-alcoholic spirits, an increasing emphasis on ingredient transparency, and a noticeable shift in how consumers approach drinking occasions. What's interesting, though, is that the research isn't necessarily suggesting consumers want to give up their favorite cocktails. Instead, in many cases, they're simply becoming more particular about the ingredients.

In its 2024 analysis of beverage alcohol trends, NielsenIQ identified health and wellness as a significant influence on purchasing behavior, noting that the category is evolving beyond simply reducing alcohol consumption. While non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits reached $565 million in sales in 2023, growing 35% over the previous year, NIQ also observed increased consumer interest in beverage products offering wellness-related attributes. The larger takeaway is that consumers are paying closer attention to their options.

The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) has gotten considerably more specific about what that means for cocktails. Among its identified industry trends is one appropriately named Shaking Sugar, which addresses growing consumer awareness of sugar consumption and the resulting changes to cocktail menus. DISCUS reports that bartenders are responding with more savory, sour, and umami flavor profiles in their craft cocktails.

We're also seeing consumers become more selective about their drinking occasions. As people become more intentional about when and how much they drink, the experience itself becomes increasingly important. Seriously, if I'm spending $22 on a craft cocktail, it better be absolutely unforgettable. Consumers may be drinking less frequently or in smaller quantities, but their expectations for the drinks they order certainly aren't getting any lower.

When you look at these findings together, it's almost as though the industry is describing the exact problem that Above Board set out to solve. Founders Nicole and Brent Slone developed the brand after repeatedly finding that even restaurants and bars serving high-quality cocktails offered very few options without substantial amounts of sugar. Rather than creating an entirely new category of drinks, they focused on rethinking ingredients that bartenders already use every day.

Above Board's portfolio includes zero- and low-sugar versions of familiar cocktail ingredients, including coffee liqueur, orange liqueur, cream liqueur, and a bitter orange aperitif. By using alternative sweeteners such as monk fruit and allulose, the brand has developed products intended to deliver the flavor of traditional liqueurs without the same sugar content. This is particularly relevant for cocktails like margaritas and espresso martinis, where the base spirit may contain no sugar, but the additional ingredients can contribute quite a bit.

What's particularly compelling about Above Board's approach is that it doesn't require consumers to change what they order. It gives bartenders an opportunity to serve familiar cocktails using ingredients that better accommodate guests who are conscious of sugar consumption. That's an important distinction, especially as the industry continues to explore how beverage programs can evolve alongside consumer preferences.

The research from NielsenIQ and DISCUS points toward a consumer who still appreciates a well-made cocktail but is becoming more intentional about the experience and the ingredients involved. Above Board has built its product portfolio around that exact consumer, and as interest in lower-sugar cocktail options continues to develop, the opportunity for innovation within the traditional liqueur category is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

I prefer my sugar consumption to come from the dessert I ordered, not from the cocktail I'm drinking with it!