Drinking culture is shifting fast. The change is visible in big-city bars, on nights out with friends and even at the dinner table at home. A drink is still a small pleasure that holds taste and togetherness in the same glass, but a growing number of people now lean toward low- and zero-alcohol choices.
Gen Z and the Zero-Alcohol Trend
The first push comes from younger drinkers. Gen Z walks into bars with a different mindset and, order after order, is shaping a way of going out that leaves room for flavor without weighing down the evening. Alcohol remains part of the picture, yet it is balanced by low-ABV and zero-ABV alternatives that no longer feel like a compromise. Bartenders have taken note and are building drinks that can hold their own, with aromas, textures and layers of complexity that feel increasingly convincing. Cocktail lists end up working like mirrored menus, with full-proof and zero-proof options presented on the same level.
Dry January and the Sober Curious Movement in the Zero-Alcohol Landscape
Within this shift, some rituals have turned into global fixtures. Dry January, for instance, now has a steady place in early-year conversations. Many treat it as a personal reset: thirty days to listen more carefully to themselves, decide how much room to give alcohol in the months ahead, and take back control of their own time. It is a simple, often useful exercise with an unexpected side effect: more attention when ordering something to drink, and a clearer sense of what truly gives pleasure as opposed to what is accepted out of habit.
Alongside Dry January, a more flexible current has emerged: the sober curious mindset. Here there are no challenges to complete, only the wish to think about drinking in broader terms.
Zebra Striping and the Rise of New No-Alcohol Drinking Habits
Those who feel close to this approach step into a bar with the same openness as always, but with more possible paths in mind. One night a structured cocktail, another night a non-alcoholic drink built on botanicals and careful extraction. Rather than taking something away, this widens the field and alcohol now shares a space that used to be almost entirely its own.
Within this mosaic of habits, zebra striping is taking hold too: the practice of alternating an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic drink in the course of the same evening. The idea started in English-speaking countries and has found fertile ground in many places because it reflects a more dynamic way of spending free time. It makes the night last longer, keeps energy steady and allows each pause to be enjoyed with more calm. It works above all because zero-alcohol products have reached a level of quality that makes this alternation feel natural and satisfying.
Zero Alcohol in Italy, Between Bars and Restaurant Pairings
Italy is watching this change closely and weaving it into its own style. In bars, non-alcoholic cocktails are now a stable part of the menu, often mixed with fresh ingredients, light fermentations, spices and cold infusions. Restaurants suggest alcohol-free pairings that support each dish with the same care once reserved for wine. Brands invest in increasingly technical 0.0 spirits, while guests welcome them as an extension of the drinking landscape. Alcohol still plays, and will continue to play, a cultural and social role. At the same time, low-ABV drinks and, above all, those with no alcohol at all are opening up new spaces, new freedoms and a different way of spending the evening. A new generation is recasting drinking as a broader experience, shaped by what feels right in a specific moment.
The article first appeared on Coqtail – for fine drinkers. Order your copy here
Images courtesy De Vie, Geranium, Local
