Terminology

Low- and No-Alcohol

The umbrella name the drinks industry uses for the whole category of reduced- and zero-alcohol products.

Low- and no-alcohol, often shortened to lo-no or no-lo, is the trade term for the entire category that runs from lower-strength drinks all the way to fully alcohol-free ones. The "no" covers 0.0% products, while "low" typically covers anything under roughly 1.2% ABV, though the exact threshold varies by market. It is the phrase you will see in industry reports, retail buying, and trend pieces describing one of the fastest-growing segments in all of drinks.

Why It Matters

The category is now big enough to have its own vocabulary, and lo-no is the shorthand insiders use for it. Understanding the term helps you place alcohol-free cocktails inside a much larger shift in how people drink, one measured in billions of dollars and growing at double digits a year.

Where You'll Use It

Reading about the industry, shopping the category, or explaining to someone what this whole world is called.

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Words are only half of it

The vocabulary matters most when you're actually making a drink.