Sports Goes All In on Non-Alcoholic Drinks Boom

January 17, 2026

NA drinks are now just as premium as full-alcohol options, and athletes, teams, and leagues are pouring money into the category.

For many people—including some athletes—the beginning of the year means Dry January.

The alcohol-free month has roots in sports. As a term, “Dry January” took off in 2011 when actress Emily Robinson announced on Instagram she was giving up alcohol for the month to train for a half-marathon. What began as a personal fitness challenge for an individual has since become a global ritual, which for many people has also turned into a year-round lifestyle reset.

The problem with eschewing alcohol was that, until recently, the category was limited. Products were too cloying, watery, or tasted gassy and vegetal, and were more expensive compared to their alcoholic counterparts.

Fast forward: The market for non-alcoholic (NA) drinks has soared. NA beer, wine, spirits, and mocktails have become big business with the U.S. no-alcohol market estimated to hit $5 billion by 2028 as part of a global surge, according to IWSR, which provides insight for the beverage industry.

Now, products made for alcohol-free lifestyles deliver real taste and include options from sweet and fruity to dry and herbaceous, including craft-beer alternatives. Newer spirit alternatives for gin, tequila, mezcal, rum, herbal aperitifs, etc., are satisfying enough to be sipped neat or mixed into cocktails. NA products are also meticulously designed to sell with high-end packaging, not begrudgingly shelved as afterthoughts. FOS