The outlandish clothing that Lily Collins wears throughout season four of Emily in Paris may be pure fantasy, but one piece of dialogue in the latest season reflects a rising real-life trend. Ordering a non-alcoholic drink — quite the statement in French culture, which is so well known for its grape industry — Emily sheds light on the ‘sober-curious’ movement, which she describes as “mostly Gen Z and millennials who are adopting a wellness approach to alcohol.”
The mocktail Emily was served may not have appealed to Collins’s on-screen character, but off-screen, drinking alcohol is evidently losing its allure — earlier this year Newsweek reported that 61 per cent of Gen Z respondents (born from 1997 to 2012) planned to decrease their drinking in 2024. Even Munich’s famed Oktoberfest is getting an abstinent spin this year, with the launch of Die Null — an alcohol-free garden serving soft drinks and alternative beverages — which opened in the heart of the city in advance of the world-renowned festival to encourage more responsible drinking. And according to marketing insights platform NCSolutions, 36 per cent of Gen Z are giving up alcohol for the sake of their mental health — a motivator that rings true for many beyond the youthful demographic.
Bali-based Alex McRobert hosts sober retreats and yoga training through her platform The Mindful Practice, and tells MOJEH that when she lived in Abu Dhabi, before she discovered the benefits of abstinence, she was a regular drinker — but noticed a negative impact on her mental health. “Alcohol was a huge part of my lifestyle, but the problem was that it really enabled me to drink excessively and normalised the rate of my consumption,” she explains. “It felt like I was always anxious and depressed.”
And Alex was far from alone, with the range of negative effects of alcohol being vast and well-documented by the scientific community. Memory, speech and judgment are all adversely affected, not to mention increased risk of diabetes, cancers and weight gain.
However, a rising category of non-alcoholic beverages called ‘functional drinks’ looks to not only deliver a delicious experience without alcohol’s damaging effects, but provide an extra health boost too. It’s become a new buzz phrase in the zero-alcohol sector, and — as someone who’s always been teetotal for both religious and health reasons — I must admit that my interest is piqued. Often fashioned to look like mocktails, these drinks are formulated with ingredients that claim to lift your mood or promote relaxation. In the United States, functional beverages currently make up approximately 10 per cent of the non-alcoholic beverage market, and Euromonitor expects global sales of functional beverages to increase seven per cent every year until 2027.
New Dubai-based brand Sensus falls under the umbrella of functional drinks, claiming to be a “wellness experience in a glass.” Co-founders Victoria Shulzhenko and Natasia Frans had both been alcohol-free for five years before joining forces to launch their herb-infused beverage brand, which aims to provide an elevated drinking experience that goes beyond a simple soft drink — a delicious and uplifting alternative to alcohol’s eventual post-drink trough. From antioxidant-rich angelica root and rosemary to skin-revitalising Ceylon cinnamon and pink peppercorn, Sensus incorporates 26 herbs in its line of drinks.
“Each flavour is designed with a specific purpose in mind, whether it’s enhancing energy and confidence or promoting relaxation,” explains Natasia. The founders of Sensus agree that Gen Z can be credited for popularising lifestyles that reject alcohol in favour of more wholesome experiences, and point out that many have witnessed the negative consequences of their parents, siblings or peers’ drinking habits. “We shouldn't forget that while often cited as a way of relaxing, alcohol can lead to uncontrolled aggression — resulting in arguments, fights and violence,” says Natasia, an opinion supported by international research. For example, in Australia, a country in the midst of an epidemic of violence against women, government research states that up to 54 per cent of domestic and family violence incidents reported to police are classified as alcohol-related, and further statistics show that alcohol-related domestic and family violence is two to three times more likely to involve severe physical violence, such as life-threatening injuries and broken bones, compared to domestic and family violence where alcohol is not involved.
Natasia believes that the pandemic may have also played a role in minimising the appeal of alcohol. “Since 2022, we’ve been witnessing significant changes in energy and consciousness — there has been a noticeable rise in spiritual awareness and a move toward higher levels of consciousness, with many people becoming more concerned about their wellbeing,” says Natasia. Alex tells MOJEH that her own spiritual practices “deepened tremendously” once she went sober, with religion also a chief motivator for abstaining from alcohol for those living in the Middle East.
Dubai’s first non-alcoholic bar, NoLo, opened in 2022 in the Dusit Thani hotel, reflecting both the demand for healthier socialising and a recognition of the cultural and religious norms of the region.
Natasia says that Sensus “naturally aligns with Muslim values,” with the beverages considered Halal, or permissible under Islamic dietary guidelines. International non-alcoholic brands have also begun getting Halal certification for their beverages, in attempts to tap the Muslim market. Yet such drinks may prove to be more tempting for former alcohol drinkers than for Muslims who never drank in the first place. When asked if they were interested in the prospect of healthy mocktails, a quick poll of 75 fellow non-drinkers on my Instagram Stories showed that 56 per cent were keen on trying out non-alcoholic functional beverages, while 44 per cent weren’t interested in the concept. And when asked what would attract them to such drinks, only nine per cent would be motivated by the health aspect — which, conversely, is a driving factor for those who previously drank alcohol. When I finally try a bottled mocktail from Sensus, I’m drawn in by the chic, sorbet-coloured packaging. The taste, however, is too overpowering and medicinal for me personally. Happy with a cup of tea to uplift my mood and energy, I realise I may not be the target market for this functional drinks niche. While younger consumers may be popularising the zero-alcohol revolution, those who are in the process of quitting alcohol seem to be key in sustaining the movement, and their desire to turn over a new leaf is the propelling force behind embracing a ‘NoLo’ lifestyle.
Gen Z has been credited with a lot over the past year, from advocating for solidarity with Palestine and raising important discussions about gender violence on TikTok, to now questioning something that’s erroneously thought of as a hallmark of a luxury lifestyle — drinking alcohol. Through enlightenment and self-awareness, this ‘sober generation’ is making a case for raising spirits in a completely different way. “We have entered a period of healing, self-love and self- care, where self-destruction no longer resonates,” believes Natasia. “People’s habits are changing — it’s a new era.”
Originally published in the November 2024 issue of MOJEH Magazine. Subscribe here
