It tastes like NANANA

When my wife stopped drinking when we were pregnant, I stopped as well in solidarity. It wasn’t hard at all for me since I’ve never been much of a drinker anyways.

After the birth, she was thrilled to enjoy her wines and Coors Lights again, but I wasn’t really ready to have alcohol in my system just yet.

I was still in a protective mode, worried that I may need to spring into action at any moment to drive to the hospital in case of an emergency. What if we ran out of something that the baby needed and I was drunk at the time? I didn’t want to risk it, and drinking just isn’t that much fun for me to warrant that unnecessary risk.

But there were times where I felt the taste of a good beer would suit the moment well. Like when I ate a taco or burrito. Or when hanging out with friends who were having drinks.

And then I started noticing nonalcoholic beers at the store or on restaurant menus. In particular, this nonalcoholic beer called Athletic came on my radar. And it was good. I enjoyed it. I liked it even better than alcoholic beer because I could be lucid and keep up with conversations when having drinks with friends.

I’ll still have a beer here or there, and what’s great is I can throw in a can of NA between alcoholic beers to pace myself.

Turns out I’m not the only one:

At Whole Foods Market, Athletic now sells more than any other beer. Including the ones with alcohol.

Woah!

Americans are drinking less, and younger Americans are drinking the least. A recent Gallup Poll survey found that 62% of adults under 35 drink, down from 72% two decades ago, and that number is likely to keep dropping since Gen Z drinks the least of any demographic. They increasingly see nursing a nonalcoholic beverage as a socially acceptable, perfectly normal alternative to downing shots and chugging beer. 

I often forget what Gen I’m supposed to be boxed into. This trend with whatever generation is one I can down with though. Even in my younger college days, I found it annoying how folks would pressure others to drink in order to hang out.

Nonalcoholic beer sales in U.S. grocery, convenience and liquor stores have nearly tripled since 2019, and its market share in groceries specifically has grown from 0.8% to 2.2%, according to Bump Williams. But in Whole Foods, it is already 10%.

Mmm, all this talk makes me wanna go to the fridge and open up a cool can of NA.