Across the country, there’s been a noticeable trend in how adults are choosing to socially imbibe, especially when it comes to craft beverages. Consumers are increasingly reaching for low- or no-ABV (alcohol by volume) beer, spirits, wine, and ciders, and there are a few reasons why.
For one, there’s more of a societal focus on wellness and healthy habits, thanks in large part to social media trends bringing phrases like self-care, biohacking, and looks-maxxing to our cultural vernacular. Dry January, a self-motivated month of temperance after the indulgence of the holiday season, has become a common challenge. These social trends are often fueled by the older subset of Gen Z, who are just coming into or are slightly above legal drinking age, yet choosing to drink moderately or not at all, but have also been influencing older generations.
National data reflects what Hudson Valley producers are already seeing on the ground: Americans are drinking less, and they’re doing it more intentionally. A Gallup poll released this summer found that just 54 percent of adults now identify as drinkers—the lowest share since the survey began tracking habits in the 1930s—and those who do imbibe report averaging fewer than three drinks a week, the lightest tally in nearly three decades. At the same time, the no- and low-alcohol market in the US is on track to grow nearly 18 percent annually through 2028, with analysts projecting close to $5 billion in sales. It’s less about abstinence than it is about moderation, with younger consumers in particular driving demand for beverages that fit into a lifestyle of wellness, family balance, and clear-headed connection.
“The craft beverage industry in general has been changing over the last few years, as Gen Z are not big drinkers, and everyone’s looking for new ways to meet them where they are,” says Todd Cavallo, owner of Wild Arc Farm, a regenerative farm and winemaker in Pine Bush known for their piquettes, low-ABV sparkling canned spritzers made from a second-pressing of grape pomace. The drink’s history dates back to ancient Greece, where it was known as worker’s wine.
“In general, palates in the wine world have shifted. There’s less focus on that classic 15-percent ABV California wine; instead, food-friendly wines at 10 to 12 percent or picnic wines at seven percent are just a more palatable preference lately.”
Wild Arc started offering canned piquettes around 2019 mainly as a way to make more with the ingredients they had on hand, but also to appeal to consumers who were becoming more accustomed to low-ABV canned drinks, thanks to growth of the hard seltzer market. Instead of trying for a beer or seltzer, Wild Arc opted to create piquettes and become the first US seller to do so. “We’d been making wine since 2016, but we started making piquettes two years later, originally as a way for us to make more with the little fruit we could afford while getting started,” he says. “We wanted to create quaffable beverages you could drink while working in the field without feeling inebriated; what some people refer to as ‘lawn mower beer.’”
Wild Arc Farm piquettes come in a pink (red and white grape blend) and orange (white blend) at seven-percent ABV. One of their most popular canned offerings is Lemon of Pink, a blend of Merlot and Cayuga piquette infused with lemon basil, lemongrass, and lemon balm grown on the farm. “In the Hudson Valley, we’re lucky that people are drinking the same way they’re eating—locally made, organically grown—and I think that has something to do with it, too,” Cavallo says, referring to a more intentional way of sipping that’s motivated by discovery as opposed to getting drunk. “New York City is still the biggest wine market and still very Euro-centric, but when people come to the Hudson Valley they want to try the products that were grown here.”
Going Low
This slow-food approach to mindful drinking echoes what Rachel Petach has seen through her company C. Cassis, a blackcurrant liqueur maker. “People really value the agricultural side, learning about what they’re drinking and how it’s reflective of a place,” she says. “Party culture will always be there, but lately more people are coming together to drink socially, not just to lose inhibitions, but to bond through sensorial delights.”
C. Cassis launched in December 2020 and opened a tasting room in Rhinebeck in 2023. The core aperitif is versatile with a vermouth-y approach that’s herbaceous, not too sweet, and can be made into a spritz or mixed into a cocktail. Petach concocted the liqueur because she wanted something that mirrored the drinks she enjoyed, but without preservatives or synthetic ingredients, and made from locally sourced ingredients. “When I first started making this I was pregnant, so my lifestyle was already no- and low-ABV,” she says. “In response to there being a general low-ABV trend, it’s always been a part of who we’ve been talking to. People tend to like that you can add it to cocktails to make them lower proof, or have a seat together in our tasting room and ask about the agricultural context—one of the things that makes our cassis exciting is how it relates to land stewardship in the Hudson Valley. Maybe 10 years ago people wouldn’t have been as enthusiastic about that, but the regional craft beverage scene has grown so much in a way where we all support one another and support consumer curiosity.”
A Range of Styles
Besides the goal of longevity, and the desire to visit a winery or brewery and taste farm-to-glass beverages without risking a hangover, there’s also the perspective of families, especially parents with young kids. More parents are equally sharing child-raising responsibilities, often a catalyst for choosing a light beer, low-ABV cocktail, or alternating drinks with mocktails when they have the time and energy to go out on a Saturday night (knowing the kids will wake them up early on Sunday). There’s also a matter of cost; when craft cocktails are in the $15 to $20 range, mocktails offer a less-expensive, still palatable alternative in a social setting.
“There’s absolutely been a shift driven by younger generations who are generally less interested in overconsumption of any kind,” says Paul Halayko, owner of Newburgh Brewing Co. “But this has also always been a consistent theme in our taproom. Our best-selling beer is no doubt our flagship MegaBoss IPA [seven-percent ABV], which we’ve put a lot of effort into promoting, but the next most popular are five, four, or even three percent brews in a variety of styles.”
Newburgh Brewing was an early addition to the regional craft beer boom. Fifteen years ago, it was difficult to find a craft brewery in the Hudson Valley, and around the time more started popping up, IPA brews became extremely popular. Enough so that to stand out, brewers experimented with different hop flavor profiles, fruit and herb infusions, filtering/not filtering, and pushing boundaries of how high an ABV can go.
“From the start, we never wanted to pump out IPA after IPA, so we focus on brews like our kolsch, cream ale, brown ale, corn lager, Oktoberfest, and more—which are all five-percent ABV or lower—to create a breadth of styles so that there was something for everyone,” he says. “But many of our long-time customers now have kids and new visitors are hearing that our taproom is family-friendly, so they appreciate that lower percent even more. We’ve really tried to evolve as our customers have so that we can continue to meet their needs. In terms of being family friendly, it’s not just about having chicken tenders and apple juice on the menu, it’s also about moving our events up a little earlier for parents who need to relieve the babysitter. In the past, our late-night events would run from 10pm until 2am. Now, people appreciate being able to hear some music, have a beer or two, and then head home without feeling exhausted the next day.”
“Everyone’s journey with alcohol is different, and it’s important for people in the industry to realize that although more people are making decisions based on best interests in health and family, that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone is becoming a teetotaler,” he explains. “As the culture shifts, regional producers in the Hudson Valley will still try to meet you where you are so that there’s always something for everyone.”
This article appears in October 2025.
