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from business insider
Millennials are making many different lifestyle choices than older generations — and alcohol consumption is no exception. Millennials are spending less money on alcohol than both baby boomers and Generation X, according to a Nerdwallet analysis of a 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey. The analysis notes, however, that they're spending roughly the same percentage of their income — 1% — on alcohol. When they do drink, millennials tend to opt for wine and spirits as their drink of choice, which has created a crisis in the beer industry, as Business Insider's Kate Taylor previously reported
Some millennials are flirting with giving up alcohol altogether, or at least drinking it more mindfully. This ties into the generation's enthusiasm for wellness and self-care, which has prompted a boom in businesses like luxury wellness centers that offer vitamin IV drips for glowing skin, cryotherapy for workout recovery, and infrared sauna sessions to de-stress. For millennials, wellness is the ultimate modern luxury.
Now, wellness is making its way into an unexpected industry: alcohol. From "clean spirits" and "wellness beers" to sugar-free, paleo-friendly, and keto-friendly natural wine, brands are starting to market their alcoholic beverages as health and wellness drinks to try to appeal to wellness-obsessed millennials. GEM&BOLT, a new artisanal mezcal brand, touts the addition of an ingredient called damiana in its beverages.
"In the realm of plant medicine, damiana is prescribed as a natural anti-depressant, mood regulator, and organ tonic," Elliott Coon, co-founder of GEM&BOLT, told Business Insider. "It is also used to promote overall sexual well-being in both men and women." While damiana has historically been used to increase sexual desire and treat some symptoms of menopause and premenstrual syndrome, there is little scientific evidence that supports its effectiveness in treating these conditions, according to WebMD. Coon said that while millennials are not GEM&BOLT's only target market, the generation exemplifies a shift toward what she calls "conscious consumerism."
Even more so than with wine and liquor, millennials have created a crisis in the beer industry. Millennials seem to be less interested in beer than wine and spirits, according to a 2017 survey conducted by financial services company UBS. So beer companies are pivoting their marketing strategies toward health and wellness.
"Welcome to the age of wellness beer, in which craft brews can be tools for athletic recovery, self-care and all-around physical optimization," Esther Mobley reported in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Take the Sufferfest Beer Company, now owned by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, which targets athletes by peddling its beers as recovery drinks. The brand's " Fastest Known Time" pale ale includes salt for potassium, magnesium — like a sports drink — and for giving the beer "its quenching flavor," according to the company's website. And the " Repeat" is made with bee pollen, which reportedly contains 1.2 grams of protein per tablespoon. Then there's Harpoon Brewery's "Rec League" beer, brewed with "a groundbreaking blend of healthy - and delicious - ingredients," according to the website, with Mediterranean sea salt and chia seeds and only a 3.8% alcohol content.
Millennials are making many different lifestyle choices than older generations — and alcohol consumption is no exception. Millennials are spending less money on alcohol than both baby boomers and Generation X, according to a Nerdwallet analysis of a 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey. The analysis notes, however, that they're spending roughly the same percentage of their income — 1% — on alcohol. When they do drink, millennials tend to opt for wine and spirits as their drink of choice, which has created a crisis in the beer industry, as Business Insider's Kate Taylor previously reported
Some millennials are flirting with giving up alcohol altogether, or at least drinking it more mindfully. This ties into the generation's enthusiasm for wellness and self-care, which has prompted a boom in businesses like luxury wellness centers that offer vitamin IV drips for glowing skin, cryotherapy for workout recovery, and infrared sauna sessions to de-stress. For millennials, wellness is the ultimate modern luxury.
Now, wellness is making its way into an unexpected industry: alcohol. From "clean spirits" and "wellness beers" to sugar-free, paleo-friendly, and keto-friendly natural wine, brands are starting to market their alcoholic beverages as health and wellness drinks to try to appeal to wellness-obsessed millennials. GEM&BOLT, a new artisanal mezcal brand, touts the addition of an ingredient called damiana in its beverages.
"In the realm of plant medicine, damiana is prescribed as a natural anti-depressant, mood regulator, and organ tonic," Elliott Coon, co-founder of GEM&BOLT, told Business Insider. "It is also used to promote overall sexual well-being in both men and women." While damiana has historically been used to increase sexual desire and treat some symptoms of menopause and premenstrual syndrome, there is little scientific evidence that supports its effectiveness in treating these conditions, according to WebMD. Coon said that while millennials are not GEM&BOLT's only target market, the generation exemplifies a shift toward what she calls "conscious consumerism."
Even more so than with wine and liquor, millennials have created a crisis in the beer industry. Millennials seem to be less interested in beer than wine and spirits, according to a 2017 survey conducted by financial services company UBS. So beer companies are pivoting their marketing strategies toward health and wellness.
"Welcome to the age of wellness beer, in which craft brews can be tools for athletic recovery, self-care and all-around physical optimization," Esther Mobley reported in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Take the Sufferfest Beer Company, now owned by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, which targets athletes by peddling its beers as recovery drinks. The brand's " Fastest Known Time" pale ale includes salt for potassium, magnesium — like a sports drink — and for giving the beer "its quenching flavor," according to the company's website. And the " Repeat" is made with bee pollen, which reportedly contains 1.2 grams of protein per tablespoon. Then there's Harpoon Brewery's "Rec League" beer, brewed with "a groundbreaking blend of healthy - and delicious - ingredients," according to the website, with Mediterranean sea salt and chia seeds and only a 3.8% alcohol content.
