Why this is important to Wisconsin businesses: Wisconsin companies that make these beverages and associated products could find a welcoming market there.
France is famous for its wine and champagne, but more and more residents are opting for non-alcoholic versions of their favorite beverages.
Sales of alcohol-free wine, beer, and spirits rose 14% in France in 2022 over the previous year’s sales, and they are expected to climb another 13% between 2022 and 2026, according to IWSR, the UK-based beverage industry data organization (formerly known as the International Wine and Spirits Record).
In 10 countries studied—including France, the U.S., and the UK—the market value of no- and low-alcohol beverages topped $11 billion in 2022, up from $8 billion in 2018, IWSR said.
Among the 10 countries, France had the highest percentage of new no-alcohol drinkers, with 25% of those surveyed saying they made the switch in 2022. Many of the abstainers are from the youngest age group, generation Z, said Susie Goldspink of IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, in an article in the Guardian. “This new generation of moderators still want to feel like they’re having an adult drink that fits with the occasion but don’t necessarily want the alcohol with it,” Goldspink said.
The IWSR Drinks Market Analysis also showed that overall, France’s residents are drinking less alcohol. The average intake per adult fell by around 40 liters between 2001 and 2021.
More of the country’s major vineyards are producing alcohol-free options, and young spirits producers are inventing new types of rum and gin without alcohol. Even companies such as Pernod Ricard are investing in the sector, the Guardian article said.
In northern Paris, Le Paon Qui Boit, the first wine cellar in France that sells only alcohol-free drinks, opened in 2022, featuring 400 different types of drinks. Owner Augustin Laborde said four out of five of his customers still drink alcohol, but they alternate with non-alcohol beverages.
“At the start, people thought our customers would be mainly Muslims or pregnant women, and although those customers do come in and are welcomed, they only account for 20%,” Laborde told the Guardian.
Wisconsin companies that produce non-alcoholic wines and spirits could find an interested market in France.
