Alcohol
Beer, wine, spirits, cider & mixers · 7 stories
Korea’s Shorter Workweek Could Accelerate the End of Corporate Drinking
For decades, one of South Korea’s most important drinking occasions began when the working day ended. The hoesik—a company dinner that often continued through several rounds of drinks—was treated as an extension of office life. Attendance could be technically optional while remaining socially difficult to refuse.
Non-Alcoholic Beer Is Splitting Into Two Completely Different Products
For years, non-alcoholic beer had one central objective: Make a drink without alcohol taste as much like conventional beer as possible. That challenge has not disappeared. Brewers continue to improve aroma, body, foam and mouthfeel so that choosing an alcohol-free product feels less like accepting a compromise.
Why Corona Put Its Alcohol-Free Beer at the Centre of the Olympics
When AB InBev became the Olympic Games’ first worldwide beer partner, it faced an obvious strategic problem. https://www.ab-inbev.com/news-media/news-stories/corona-cero-brings-golden-moments-to-the-mountains-of-milano-cortina-2026 The Olympics represent athletic performance, international competition and public health. A conventional alcoholic beer would have created tension with that positioning—particularly around athletes, younger audiences and responsible consumption.
Meet the “Zebra Striper”: The Drinking Pattern Reshaping the Beer Aisle
For years, the drinks industry divided consumers into two simple groups: People who drink alcohol and people who do not. A newer behaviour breaks that distinction. Instead of choosing between an alcoholic night and a completely alcohol-free one, consumers are moving between the two during the same social occasion.
Why the Middle East Often Refuses to Call Non-Alcoholic Beer “Beer”: Inside Barbican's Category Strategy
In Europe and North America, alcohol-free beer is usually marketed through comparison. It is presented as: • Beer without alcohol • A moderation option • A drink for driving occasions • A healthier alternative to conventional beer • A way to retain the beer ritual while reducing alcohol consumption
The Two Fundamentally Different Ways to Make Beer Without Much Alcohol: Athletic Brewing vs. Traditional Dealcoholization
Most consumers think non-alcoholic beer is simply ordinary beer with the alcohol removed. Sometimes it is. But that is only one side of the category. Brewers generally reach a low or non-alcoholic result through two broad technical philosophies:
Why Japan’s “Slowest-Growing” Non-Alcoholic Beer Market May Actually Be One of Its Most Successful: Suntory's Long Game
Growth rates are easy to misread. A market forecast to expand by 8% a year can look more successful than one growing at 5%. But a high percentage often means the category is starting from a small base. A lower percentage can describe a market that has already: