Corona’s parent company just watched its stock drop 14% in one day.

Not because of bad press, ambassador faux-pas or product issues.

Young people aren’t drinking like they did back in the day.

The “sober curious” movement is reshaping an entire industry:

• Heineken 0.0 is everywhere
• Athletic Brewing can’t make enough non-alcoholic craft beer
• Bars are adding $15 mocktails
• Zero-proof spirits increasingly fill liquor store shelves

Something big is afoot here.

Gen Z is definitely drinking less — AND they’re redefining what social drinking means.

The $15 mocktails are not merely a way of avoiding alcohol. They’re for the experience, the ritual, the Instagram or TikTok moment.

In I Need That (Chapter 22) I talk about how needs evolve when cultural shifts happen. For decades, “social drinking” meant alcohol. Full stop.

Now it means whatever makes you feel part of the moment. Your beverage of choice, from kombucha to Dr. Pepper, to Jägerbombs (if you dare go full old-school). You do you.

Some fascinating patterns:

• Premium non-alcoholic drinks often cost more than beer
• Bars are becoming “drink culture” spaces, not just watering holes
• Established brands are racing to launch zero-proof versions
• New brands are starting alcohol-free from day one

Meanwhile, traditional beer brands are crying in their brewskis.

Constellation (Corona’s owner) reports lower-income consumers switching to smaller packs or cheaper options.

Could be they’re missing the point.

This stopped being a direct race to the bottom. It’s clearly now a reflection of changing values and priorities.

I stopped drinking alcohol almost 7 years ago, about the time I learned it was a Group 1 carcinogen right alongside asbestos and tobacco smoke. (The US Surgeon General, Health Canada and others, recognizing that only 25% of consumers are aware of this fact, are calling for bold warnings on every bottle.) Even moderate levels of consumption are linked to 7 types of cancer, liver disease and other health conditions.

Action for today: Look at your product category’s core assumptions. What cultural shifts might be eroding them? Is the big threat competition — or change itself.

What’s your strategy for the next generation?

Laurier

Product Payoff: Athletic Brewing started as non-alcoholic only and hit $37 million in sales by their second year. The hack was in zigging when everyone else was struggling to zag.