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White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, Kansas City, MO, USA

Sober-curious consumers are zebra-striping

We've written a lot about the decline in alcohol consumption with poll after poll reporting that fewer people are drinking. Gallup's July 2025 poll found that only 54% of U.S. adults now consume alcohol, down from 64% in 2019. Gallup also found the average number of alcoholic drinks consumed over the past week by all adults declined to 2.8 from 4.5 in 2015, the lowest amount Gallup has recorded since 1996.

However, for alcohol drinkers, the sober-curious movement is more complicated. Sober curious drinkers are drinking with intention rather than complete abstinence. There is a growing trend of "zebra-striping," meaning they alternate between alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks on the same occasion to moderate their alcohol intake. You might have a cocktail, then a water or mocktail, then another alcoholic drink, repeating that pattern across the night. Consumers don't want to drink alcoholic beverages all evening; mixing in alcohol-free drinks provides a way to stay in the moment and enjoy social occasions.

The latest data from Nielsen IQ shows that 47% of on-premises customers already engage in zebra-striping.

The zebra-striping moderation movement is partly driven by a desire to be healthier and to avoid the negative consequences of over-drinking.

Robert Byrne, senior director, consumer research at Technomic, said, "Gen Z and younger millennials are most likely to engage in both alcohol and non-alcohol bar drinks during the same restaurant occasion& - to a significant degree& - and mocktails/alcohol-free cocktails are the top item paired with beverage alcohol".

Recommendations

To appeal to both teetotalers and zebra-strippers, shake up the drinks list. Develop a drink menu featuring a wide variety of high-margin nonalcoholic beverages that go beyond soft drinks and fizzy water, and, worse yet, tap water. Mocktails that closely match the flavor profile and presentation of the alcoholic cocktails can prompt consumers to switch between the two. High-quality zero-proof spirits, beer, and wine, paired with fresh garnishes and appropriate glassware, can all upsell alcohol-free drinks.

• Build drinks menus in "mirror pairs," such as a signature cocktail and a parallel zero‑proof version with similar flavor, the same glass, and the same garnish, to invite an easy stripe pattern.
• Add a dedicated "Moderate Tonight" or "Zebra Stripe Friendly" menu section featuring low‑ and NA options, as well as premium NA cocktails, so guests can bounce between sections without feeling like they're downgrading.
• Price NA cocktails, wines, and beers only slightly below full‑proof versions so they feel like desirable peers, not an afterthought; upsell them as an experience, not "cheap.
• Train staff with simple language like "Want to zebra-stripe with a zero‑proof option next?" to normalize the behavior and upsell premium N/A drinks.

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