Room to improve visibility of non-alc ‘spirits’, study shows
New research shows a significant uptick in the number of UK venues serving alcohol-free ‘spirits’, but there is work to be done to improve back-bar visibility and floor execution.
Non-alcoholic apèritif brand Everleaf teamed up with hospitality research specialist Kam to discover how the alcohol-free arm of hospitality was developing in the UK. The results have been published in the Raising the Bar report.
The study included a ‘comprehensive audit’ of 100 London venues representing 4,400 UK sites in February 2026.
It found alcohol-free ‘spirits’ are on the rise in the UK, with 70% of venues now serving 0% options compared with 47% in 2024.
In comparison, non-alcoholic draught beer has grown to 26%.
Dan I’Anson, commercial director at Everleaf, said: “Hospitality has made huge progress in taking no- and low-alcohol seriously, but there’s still a meaningful gap between simply having an option available and creating something guests genuinely want to order.
“The opportunity now is to move beyond obligation and towards excitement, building drinks offers that are elevated, delicious and commercially smart.
“When done well, no-and-low can drive incremental revenue, broaden occasions and create more inclusive experiences for everyone at the table.”
The research suggested venues should offer a greater quantity of non-alcoholic options to cater for growing consumer demand. The data showed that alcoholic cocktails are available threefold compared with alcohol-free alternatives.
Furthermore, the research showed staff are sometimes ‘entirely unaware’ that non-alcoholic options are available.
Katie Jenkins, marketing director at Kam, commented: “The no-and-low category has matured enormously, but guest expectations are rising just as quickly.
“The venues leading the way are those treating these drinks with the same creativity, care and commercial focus as any other part of the menu.”
The full report is available to read online at everleafdrinks.com.
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