From the US to the UK and Iceland to Japan, the number of drinkers in the world decreased by nearly 5% between 2000 and 2017. More specifically, Americans are increasingly laying off the booze. New data shows that US alcohol volumes dropped last year, with beer volumes down 1.5% in 2018, as sales growth in wine and spirits slowed during the same period. 

As the trend toward mindful drinking or complete abstinence continues, beverage makers large and small are attempting to shift their strategies to align with changing consumer preferences by launching low- or no-alcohol options. At the same time, new opportunities abound for upstart brands concocting functional beverages, wellness elixirs, or healthier takes on alcoholic drinks. 

With campaigns featuring Lance Armstrong, Shalane Flanagan, and Chris Pratt, Michelob Ultra is striving to be the go-to beer for consumers who live an active lifestyle. And now, their parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev is making a push to appeal to a health-minded crowd. To that end, the company has created a “Chief Non-Alcoholic Beverages Officer” position, acquired organic energy drink maker Hiball, and recently launched Bon & Viv spiked seltzer. As Chelsea Phillips, head of marketing for AB InBev’s Beyond Beer division put it, “People are looking for something that tastes good but also allows them to live well.”

With non-alcoholic beer volumes in the US expected to grow 9.3% over the next five years, AB InBev isn’t alone in trying to capitalize on this trend. Newcomers like non-alcoholic Athletic Brewing Company and WellBeing Brewing, along with electrolyte-enhanced and gluten-free brewer Sufferfest Beer Company, are already making waves. And the industry is starting to take note — just last week Sierra Nevada acquired Sufferfest.

Meanwhile, Molson Coors is taking a different path by pursuing a portfolio of “brewed beverages.” Chief executive Mark Hunter told the WSJ that could include beer, tea, and even coffee. So far, the company has invested in Bhakti Chai and acquired Clearly Kombucha, proving that they’re not, as Hunter put it, sitting on their hands. 

The takeaway? All signs point to consumers wanting more wellness, not less. Once, hitting the bar was a preferred form of escapism. Now, some 70% of millennials brag about how long it has been since they drank alcohol, not how much they drink. In its place, younger generations are choosing to spend their money on “wellness” or experiences. In addition to creating an opportunity for beverage companies large and small, it’s further proof that everything from alcohol and travel to beauty and beyond is getting the wellness treatment.