With another Dry January in the books, how do non-alcoholic beer producers keep up the momentum? Partake Brewing founder and CEO Ted Fleming and Lagunitas CMO Paige Guzman share what’s next for the growing segment and discuss increased competition and what growing retailer support means for NA beer and similar offerings such as hop water.
“To see these other companies come in is a testament to what Partake has done and some of the other early companies in non-alc of proving there is a market here,” Fleming said. “For the long-term, it’s good. For the short-term, there’s going to be a lot of noise. There’s definitely some concerns about whether some products are pasteurized and some are not. We’re definitely 100% of our product is pasteurized.”
Over time, Fleming anticipates a “weeding out” of brands.
“Right now, it’s a bit of a noisy category but in the long-term it’s going to be good to have that variety on shelf and that choice for consumers,” he added. “Any company that puts consumers first is going to do well.”
Meanwhile, Guzman noted a growing interest among retailers this January.
“In our category, it’s kind of hard to do anything until the retailers are on board, and we saw more non-alc, Dry January portfolio programs or industry-wide programs than we’ve seen before,” she said. “We saw a lot of major retailers putting big space in their ad circulars and displays as well.”
All of those efforts, plus marketing investments from suppliers, are helping build awareness for non-alc producers.
“As you invest in awareness and visibility tactics with consumers, you’re solving a problem that’s out there, and that’s where the magic happens,” Guzman said.
Also in this episode, Brewbound reporter Zoe Licata provides a field report from the 2023 CiderCon conference in Chicago.
Listen to the full interview in the episode above and on popular platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify.
Have questions, feedback, or ideas for podcast guests or topics? Email podcast@brewbound.com.