The No/Low Alcohol Revolution
- meghafagipitchloun
- Jun 11
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 17
What’s Driving the Buzz?
The No/Low alcohol segment is booming as consumers increasingly prioritise health, wellness, and flavorful alternatives to traditional alcoholic drinks. From alcohol-free beers and wines to innovative botanical blends, consumer interest in this space has grown rapidly, making it one of the fastest-growing categories in the beverage sector.
Investment Industry Appetite
Investment appetite is also heating up, with funds, angel investors, and major drinks companies actively seeking opportunities in No/Low alcohol. Industry giants are not just investing—they’re launching new products, acquiring innovative startups, and expanding their portfolios to meet the demands of a growing audience that wants both sophisticated taste and mindful drinking experiences.
Drinkpreneurs Collective Pitch Lounge
As a sibling to the longer-running “Foodpreneurs Collective Pitch Lounge” (with its next edition on 18th June 2025 with available pitch slots available from our website), the “Drinkpreneurs Collective Pitch Lounge” event series is in its 8th Edition and connects drinks founders with investors and industry leaders (see 2024 Event Highlights and 2025 Event Highlights). Please see a history of our events on LinkedIn event pages to see the volume of interest we receive in these events. Also, the upcoming Drinks (LinkedIn event page) and Food (LinkedIn events page) this month.
No/Low Alcohol Edition - The Panel
The No/Low Alc Edition features a panel of drinks experts and investors, including:
Bradley Jones - Founder (ThatRound) & Drinks Co-Founder (CROSSIP)
Neeraj Singh - Co-Producer & Moderator (Pitch Lounge) | Advisor to Health & Wellness Startups | Head of Overseas Development, US (Perfect Cellar).
Emile Ward - Drinks Investor & MD (TL;DR & Slake VC) | Drinks Investor & Exited Founder
Maria Harding - Founder (Four3lDigital) | Drinks Export Specialist
Esther Park - VP Portfolio (InvestBev) | Beverage Innovation & Brand Strategist | Former Global Category/Brand VP (Bacardi, MolsonCoors)
Scott Rosenbaum - Portfolio Development Director (Distill Ventures) | Co-Host (Business of Drinks) | Beverage Alcohol Start-Up Advisor
This panel will offer invaluable insights for startups and observers keen to learn more about the future of No/Low. Connect with them and celebrate their involvement on our LinkedIn post here.
No/Low Alcohol Edition - Pitching Startups
The event features a range of founders pitching their drinks startups from Europe, North America, and the Middle East:
Igor Sergunin (Majlis) - please also see a brief report from Sascha Dutta (nee Taylor) after the recent Pitch Lounge x Foodpreneurs Collective Networking Meetup, Tasting & Tour at MAJLIS Brewery
Bernardo de la Vega (Esquisito Tequila)
These startups highlight the creativity and innovation driving the No/Low movement forward. Connect with them and celebrate their involvement on our LinkedIn post here.
Want to join us?
If you’re interested in observing the event and exploring the latest insights from this dynamic sector, you can find all the details and register to observe on the Pitch Lounge website.
For founders looking to pitch at future events and connect with investors in the food and beverage space, applications are open year-round via our short and simple form on our website: www.pitchlounge.net/startups.
Our online pitch events take place monthly (if not weekly) and we are planning to launch a new Beverage Pitch Lounge as well as a more BevTech-focused series soon (both will be regularly hosted and livestreamed).
We also co-produce the Foodpreneurs Collective Networking events with Sascha Dutta from Foodpreneurs Collective & FoodHack Dubai (next meetup on Tue, 17th June). On average, we run at least one networking event monthly in Dubai for Food & Drink Entrepreneurs, Investors/Buyers, Consultants, and Other Professionals to meet. In May, we ran a record of three networking events in Dubai and you can read a report about this in our recent Pitch Lounge newsletter.
Additional Insights
For additional insights on this rapidly evolving No/Low Alc. drinks sub-category of the Food & Beverage sector, check out these recent LinkedIn posts:
Real Support for Non-Alc Brands
Victoria W. (Dry Atlas) highlights the need for data, resources, and structure—beyond enthusiasm—to sustain the category.
Hiyo’s Playbook for Non-Alc Success
Erica Duecy highlights George Youmans’ insights on how Hiyo scaled to 500K+ cases in the non-alc space by leveraging mood-based marketing and smart retail strategy.
Botivo’s Limited Edition with Ottolenghi
Imme Ermgassen announced Botivo’s new bittersweet, botanical collaboration with Ottolenghi.
Looking Ahead
The No/Low alcohol revolution is here to stay—and Pitch Lounge will schedule another event on this theme between September and November 2025 (if not before) to continue helping founders and investors tap into the full potential of this sub-category of drinks.
Hope to see you at this month’s Drinkpreneurs Collective and/or Foodpreneurs Collective events and/or at our future events!
If you’ve questions as a prospective panelist, startup, or partner/sponsor company, please email jamal@pitchlounge.net
Author: Megha P. Kumar (Pitch Lounge Intern - Pagoda Projects/University of Dundee)
