Is moderation a threat or opportunity for apéritifs?
Is the apéritif sector under threat from the non-alcoholic movement, or is rising consumer moderation an opportunity for the category?
*This feature was originally published in the July 2025 issue of The Spirits Business magazine.
As a bittersweet prelude to dinner, apéritifs have long signalled the start of an evening. But as the non-alcoholic movement gathers pace, reshaping how and why people drink, is the future of apéritif spirits under threat?
In the Venn diagram of spirits and non-alcoholic beverages, moderation sits neatly in the intersection, representing the best of both worlds. And it’s here, too, that the apéritif category lives: a collection of back-bar stalwarts featuring the likes of Campari, Aperol, Martini, and various vermouths, all typically resting at an ABV between 15% and 22%.
These mid-strength liquids offer a wide spectrum of flavours, and are among the most versatile in the spirits world – equally at home in a light Spritz as they are in a punchy Negroni, meaning that whether you’re taking it easy on the booze or going full-throttle, they have their place.
In the US, this versatility – combined with a change in consumer attitudes towards alcohol – has seen premium bitters and spirit-based apéritifs enjoy a notable resurgence. According to IWSR, the category grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18% between 2018 and 2023, and that momentum is set to continue, with a further 19% CAGR forecast from 2023 to 2028.
Increase in volume
At the same time, the no- and low-alcohol category is also making gains. From 2022 to 2023, it recorded a striking 47% increase in volume, with IWSR projecting the segment to maintain a 19% CAGR over the next five years – keeping pace with spirits-based apéritifs.
It is likely not a coincidence that these two segments are rising in parallel. Both categories are capturing the imagination of the modern moderate drinker. But can they thrive together, or could one eventually eclipse the other?
In the past few years, the ‘apéritif moment’ has become a window of opportunity for non-alcoholic brands, as the segment builds a new drinking culture rooted in ‘mindfulness’, moving moderation from a fringe lifestyle choice to a mainstream cultural shift. “It’s grown faster than anyone could’ve predicted,” says Benedicta Tornieri, marketing manager – UK/EU/Middle East and Africa at alcohol-free ‘spirits’ producer Lyre’s. “When we started, there was curiosity – now there’s genuine demand. What started as a niche trend has become a global movement.”
It is younger generations in particular that are leading the charge. Research from Club Soda’s Drinks for Everyone 2025 report reveals that nearly half (48%) of UK adults now regularly enjoy alcohol-free drinks, a figure that’s even higher among Gen Z. These consumers aren’t necessarily abstaining entirely – they’re simply drinking less, more intentionally, and with a growing interest in taste, mood, and occasion over intoxication.
For apéritifs, this rise in moderation presents both opportunity and tension. As natural allies to moderation, their lower ABVs and flexible serves align perfectly with the demand for drinks that offer ritual, flavour, and sociability. They’re the original slow sippers, designed for pacing and conversation rather than rapid inebriation.
London’s Doghouse Distillery has brought an apéritif to market with moderation in mind. The Battersea-based producer has created Doppelgänger, an Italian-style aperitivo that is described as England’s answer to Aperol. Made with 19 hand-selected botanicals on a base of English wheat spirit, it is bottled at 20% ABV.
Co-founder Katherine Saunders says this strength was chosen specifically “for taste reasons, but also so that when served just with pink grapefruit soda, it’s the low-alcoholic version of our London Spritz.”
The role of alcohol
Saunders says while they consider it great that non-alcoholic apéritifs are providing consumers with options, there is a richness, smoothness, and mouthfeel achieved with the inclusion of alcohol that she believes cannot be replicated without it. “We don’t feel hugely threatened by the non-alc category because it doesn’t take away from the product that we’ve brought to market.”
But moderation doesn’t always mean moderate alcohol. Increasingly, it means none at all, and this puts alcoholic apéritifs in a precarious spot: while they align with some moderation values, they are lacking in others, and that is where the non-alcoholic segment has opportunity to steal market share.
Tornieri explains that it is accessibility where the classic apéritif makers often fall short. “Not everyone wants or can drink alcohol, and for a long time, the only alternative was a soda or sparkling water,” she says. “We’re here to offer the same sophistication and ritual, minus the ABV. While we love what traditional apéritif brands have built, we saw an opportunity to open the door a little wider, and invite more people in.”
She stresses, however, that Lyre’s is not in competition with alcoholic apéritifs. “We’re offering something different – for a different mood or moment. If someone wants a classic Spritz, great. But if they want one without alcohol that still tastes amazing, we want to be there for that. We are designed to stand alongside those classics. If you love a Negroni, we want you to love a Lyre’s Negroni just as much.”
Botivo founder Imme Ermgassen shares this sentiment. “We don’t stand in opposition to alcohol. This is about giving people more choice of delicious drinks to enjoy in the aperitivo moment, with and without alcohol.”
Paul Mathew, founder of non-alcoholic apéritif Everleaf, says the brand’s target consumer is typically someone looking for the best of both worlds: “Our audience, as for most non-alc brands, are also alcohol drinkers, whether that’s apéritifs, spirits and mixers, or wine. The proportion of non-drinkers out there is pretty small, but the number of people cutting down and consuming more moderately is huge, and growing fast.”
Ermgassen explains that Botivo, a British aperitivo-inspired botanical drink, is part of a second wave of non-alcoholic products that has evolved to be its own thing, boasting complexity and innovations in flavour alongside the category’s alcoholic counterparts as it expands and shifts “from products made with flavourings and preservatives” towards liquids that “champion craft and use real ingredients with low intervention techniques to make for a better taste experience.
“Traditional apéritifs are generally alcoholic, so it is great to be able to offer something that is equally complex, grown up and craft – but without the alcohol content,” she says.
Flavour is a priority
Ultimately, while market share may be up for grabs as moderate drinking grows in popularity, zero-ABV brands aren’t out to drive apéritif spirits off the shelves, but rather seek to keep flavour as a priority, whether drinkers are on or off the wagon. “We’re here to expand what’s possible,” Tornieri says. “We want to honour the spirit of classic apéritifs while making them relevant to today’s drinkers.”
But while the non-alc movement might not be a viable threat, there are other external factors at play that could raise a question mark over the immediate future of apéritif spirits. While Ermgassen notes that the ritual of meeting friends after work for a drink “is not going anywhere”, it’s clear that the cost-of-living crisis is reshaping how, where, and how often consumers choose to engage in the ritual. Rising living expenses are leading many people to re-evaluate how and where they spend their cash, and it’s the on-trade that has taken a hit. A report by commercial real estate investment firm CBRE revealed a 4% drop in consumer spending on restaurants, pubs, and alcoholic beverages in the 18 months to March 2024, while a Deloitte survey found that between the final quarter of 2023 and the first of 2024, the number of UK consumers expressing a desire to drink in bars declined by around 6%.
These shifts suggest that it may not be alcohol moderation itself that threatens categories like apéritifs, but rather the broader moderation of lifestyle spending. Ironically, this is where moderation could serve as a lifeline to the occasion. According to IWSR, consumers increasingly view alcohol moderation not just as a wellness goal, but also as a strategic way to reduce costs – choosing lower-ABV options, drinking less frequently, or favouring sessionable serves that go further. In this way, the moderation movement doesn’t necessarily sideline alcoholic apéritifs, but rather reframes them as a more accessible, flexible, and cost-conscious option that still supports the social rituals people value.
Economic pressure
Giuseppe Gallo, founder and CEO of aperitivo brands Italicus and Savoia, explains: “Economic pressure often leads consumers to re-evaluate where they find value, and apéritifs, with their versatility and lower-alcohol content, offer more occasions for enjoyment from a single bottle.”
He says that for budget-conscious consumers, the apéritif moment has largely shifted from bars to the home. “One bottle of Italicus can become a dozen different drinks, from a simple Spritz to a creative cocktail. We’ve focused on making the at-home aperitivo moment feel just as special as a bar visit. That means offering recipes, cocktail inspiration, and packaging that enhance the everyday without requiring complex tools or ingredients,” he says.
He adds that this more intimate, meaningful ritual is emerging as a more attractive – and affordable – alternative to nights out, and one that keeps spirits-based apéritifs in the picture. And while the category faces these shifts, its versatility and cultural resonance suggest it might just be the most resilient of them all.
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