New Products · Jul 4, 2026
A Chili Margarita Earns High Marks, Plus Seven New AF Launches in One Week
The Modern Substitute reviews the Aplós Chili Margarita and finds real complexity in a can. Meanwhile, a single week brings seven new alcohol-free launches, from a chef-driven aperitivo to a pickle lemonade collaboration.
Read the story →Latest Stories
Research · Jul 3
New Research: One in Five Drinkers Now Skips Alcohol When Out, and Price Is the Top Reason
Datassential's 2026 trend research puts numbers on what bartenders already see: Americans are drinking less, Gen Z is leading the …
Craft & Culture · Jul 2
The Best Alcohol-Free Spirits Are Being Built for Cocktails, Not Sipping
A quiet shift is reshaping the AF spirits category: the strongest products are no longer trying to be sipped neat. They're designe…
Retail · Jul 1
The Rise of the Dedicated Alcohol-Free Bottle Shop
From online specialists to brick-and-mortar storefronts, retail built exclusively around alcohol-free drinks has gone from experim…
Opinion · Jun 30
What "Sophisticated" Actually Means in an Alcohol-Free Drink
Every AF brand promises a "sophisticated adult beverage." Most don't define it. Here's what the word should mean when there's no a…
New Products · Jun 27
Two Spritzes, Two Philosophies: Venetian Bitter vs. Alpine Elderflower
The Modern Substitute reviews a pair of AF spritzes that represent the two great spritz traditions — and the tale of the tape says…
Industry News · Jun 24
How Big Alcohol Buys the AF Category: Inside the Invest-to-Acquire Playbook
Diageo, Constellation, and Pernod Ricard don't buy AF brands outright — they take minority stakes, watch the data, and convert lat…
Retail · Jun 17
Five Years to the Shelf: What It Actually Takes to Get an AF Brand Into Whole Foods
Dry Atlas traces Mingle Mocktails' path from a customer service desk inquiry to national placement. The timeline is measured in ye…
Industry News · Jun 10
"Zebra-Striping" Gets a Business Model: The Industry Discovers the Extend-the-Night Occasion
Dry Atlas argues the AF industry has been selling "moderation" while consumers actually practice something else: alternating drink…
New Products · Jun 6
Drømme Awake Earns a Rave — and Makes the Case for Functional AF Spirits
The Modern Substitute calls Drømme's botanical spirit "one of the best non-alcoholic drinks I've had yet" — with a Szechuan-pepper…