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    • Date: 20.06.25

    Thirst Shots: Lo & No: The New Frontier

    From full-proof mimicry to category-defining moves, the NoLo space is growing up fast. What began as a wave of alcohol alternatives closely mimicking their full-proof counterparts has helped consumers grasp the proposition, but also led to a flood of copycats chasing category momentum. Now, as the market matures, creating brand distinction and proving lasting relevance is critical for winning over today’s more mindful drinkers.

    We believe NoLo is at a turning point, breaking away from being seen as a substitute and stepping into its own identity. With unique innovation streams, occasions, and motivations that stand apart from alcohol, it’s time to stop viewing NoLo as a spin-off and start seeing it as a stand-alone category.

    Let’s take a look at three opportunity spaces for NoLo brands wanting to step out from Full Proof’s shadow.

    01 Navigate Neo-Hedonism

    As people’s drink settings and motivations have stretched to include more low-key moods, NoLo has a key part to play in facilitating emotional connection. The category must go beyond the focus of pure product propositions and start to think about the emotional play.

    Part of this rethink is leveraging the moments that alcoholic brands can’t currently enter; the parents at a family-friendly rave, the rewarding group drink post-yoga or gym session.

    It’s time to create immersive brand worlds that help people feel more together, beyond just a product claim.

    What if…

    • We’re the go to for decelerated occasions?

      eople want to make deeper connections in moments of ‘togetherness’, creating more lo-fi or low-key moods, in at-home or third space settings. Why not help at-home hosts make more of these events? Table dressing kits? Glassware? New age decanters?

    • Owned a moment alcohol can’t enter?

      From age-barriered, too-early time of day, to wellness moments and organised ‘dry dating’ these new occasions will all feed growth for NoLo brands. Opening up potential for interesting partnerships
      and building a new landscape of drinking moments and motivations.

    • Served up spiritual journeys?

      Gen Z are driving interest in alternative spirituality –
      a way to connect with community as well as your inner self without stimulants. This is perfectly manifested by Eleven Eleven, a non-alcoholic gin, distilled under the full moon each month.
      ‘We believe that mindful drinking plays a big role in people’s health and spiritual growth.’ – Eleven Eleven

    02 From Mimicry to Breaking The Mould

    If NoLo wants to take centre stage, it needs to metamorphose into new liquid propositions and formats so it is no longer seen as the ‘weaker’ alternative.

    Until now, it’s been all too easy to keep releasing ‘new’ flavours that mimic their higher-ABV counterparts but consumers are being fed an AI diet of surrealist visual delights and they want to feel it for themselves.

    This is where fantasy needs to start to become reality; from froths, to ferns, from liquid capsules to inhalation vapours. NoLo brands must offer their own distinct merits, complex flavours, textures and unexpected formats. Just don’t compromise on the quality.

    What if…

    • Inverted ingrediant, texture and flavour expectations?

      To leap frog alcohol’s fast paced innovation, NoLo needs to look at category-mash-ups that challenge the expectations of a ‘mocktail’ drinking experience. Develop a range of lo-alc RTDs with in-halable elements? Boba tea spirits? Ketchup barrel-finished non-alc dry gin? Expect the unexpected.

    • Doubled down on guilty pleasures?

      Whilst Dirty Sodas have been around for over a decade, their recent resurgence has been driven by Tiktok, opening up a trend for “Virgin Spiked”. With many non-alc alternatives focusing on wellness, there’s still space for the treat occasion, so why not experiment with coffees, syrups and creams to add new dimensions to your serves?

    • Opened the doors for adventurous savoury tipples?

      Flavour is king and as the sober curious become empowered we will see more experimentation as brands make plays into the savoury world with spices, sours and brines leading the way. Pickle Juice continues to call favour, so why not serve these adventurous flavour seekers with something to make the taste buds tingle?

    03 Bring The Spirit of The People

    One of the biggest challenges for non-alcoholic options is merchandising to reach people in the right shopping mode. But one man’s weakness is another’s advantage when you consider that with less limits, NoLo has the opportunity to dream bigger than the on-trade back bar, grocer shelf and festival booths and turn up where their consumers live their lives and alongside what they choose to consume culturally.

    This is NoLo’s siren call to create 360 brand worlds that drinkers can obsess over. Are your people into Grime? Or are they pseudo-intellectuals who care about sustainability? Use these psychographics as north stars for activation. This will take the category from a permissible alternative to a lifestyle choice.

    • Found new points of discovery?

      86% of drinking occasions don’t involve alcohol, and if it’s not on your list, the virtual alcohol aisle is easy to avoid. Eisberg alcohol-free wine appearing as part of Ocado’s Meal Deal is a masterful play to shift perceptions and occasions for non-alc wine and beyond.

    • Created beyond-product, full-proof experiences?

      Consumers now want brands to delight and enrich them with memorable experiences;
      LoNo brands need to get on the bandwagon.
      Go where your drinkers are. Liquid Death hosted a tattoo parlour in their Liquid Death Country Club pop up, seeing 29k visitors over 110+ venues and 40+ festivals (including Lollapalooza).

    • Created a genius cultural collaboration?

      We’re about to see more NoLo brands intersecting with consumers in their worlds through activation partnerships. Muri, a non-alcoholic fermented beverages producer, collaborated with Anne-Sophie Pic, a Michelin-starred chef, to create Uzume. This 0.4% ABV beverage is crafted from fermented strawberry, tomato, and vanilla, offering a unique flavour profile that reflects culinary artistry.

    Want to continue this conversation? Has this sparked an idea for your brand? We would love to hear from you, get in touch: newbrief@thirstcraft.com

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