DrinkUp Daily Industry Brief January 2, 2026

About this episode

The episode discusses the current trends in the beverage industry, focusing on the competition between alcohol and non-alcoholic options and the strategies brands should adopt.

“Welcome to the DrinkUp Podcast – Daily Industry Brief, where we break down what’s happening in the beverage business and what it actually means for brands, distributors, and operators.” On January 2, 2026, the story isn’t alcohol versus non-alc—it’s who owns the whole drinking repertoire. Big light lagers are still lagging the beer category, bourbon production is getting trimmed, and mainstream media is calling this “a year with fewer hangovers.” At the same time, Dry January is now a real season, with brands like Athletic Brewing driving traffic to NA-friendly bars and restaurants, while brewers push low-ABV, flavored, and even THC options to stay relevant. If you’re a brand or distributor, the play this year is simple: build a portfolio that keeps people in your ecosystem on every occasion—full-strength, low-ABV, or zero-proof—because share of occasions is the new share of market.

People in this episode

Host: Samuel Anderson

Topics covered

• beverage industry
• alcohol vs non-alcohol
• market trends
• brand strategy
• low-ABV options

Keywords

• beverage business
• Dry January
• low-ABV
• non-alcoholic
• market share

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Athletic Brewing

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