Are breweries losing their way… or missing their biggest opportunity?
As alcohol consumption continues to decline, breweries are exploring many directions beyond alcohol-free beers (NABLABs):
• Beer-based functional beverages
• Isotonic drinks
• Fruit-based alternatives
• New social drinking occasions
• Health-driven positioning
But here’s the real question: Why compete with global soft drink players on their own battlefield?
Breweries already have a unique strength: the ability to brew and transform cereals into complex, structured beverages 🍺.
At CBS, we see two key directions for success in the 0.0 space:
1️⃣ Perfecting traditional alcohol-free beers The priority remains clear
👉 delivering 0.0 beers that taste like real beer Lagers, IPAs, stouts, witbiers, abbey beers…
The gap with alcoholic beer is closing fast and breweries that master this will build strong consumer trust and brand value.
2️⃣ Expanding into new beer-based beverages The second path unlocks entirely new growth opportunities.
👉 creating fruit-based and functional beverages on a beer base Not soft drinks. Not copies. But beer-derived innovations with real identity.
💡 Why this approach works
✔️ Health-driven positioning More than empty calories: proteins, polyphenols, vitamins…
✔️ Lower sugar content A clear advantage versus traditional soft drinks and RTDs.
✔️ Beer experience preserved Foam, mouthfeel, visual appeal — the essence of beer remains.
✔️ Social inclusion Non-alcoholic drinkers remain fully part of the moment.
✔️ New consumer occasions From refreshment to functional beverages (up to 30 g/L protein, magnesium, vitamins…)
From challenge to opportunity This is not about moving away from beer. This is about extending its potential.
At CBS, we support breweries in both directions.
• enhancing the drinkability and authenticity of 0.0 beers
• developing tailored solutions to create new beer-based beverages
Perhaps the future is not “beyond beer”, but beer itself, mastered, adapted, and reinvented.