Make risk calculations on the non-alcoholic spirits industry

The hangover sucks. Especially so for those who felt compelled to drink the alcohol that inevitably caused the hangover to begin with.

Alcohol consumption is slowly beginning to fall into disuse, especially among younger generations. According to a 2022 Gallup poll, 60% of American adults drink alcohol. That’s down from 65% in 2019, and while 5% doesn’t sound like a huge change, it’s a pretty drastic change when it comes to consumer spending.

Founders are taking full advantage of this shift, as many startups have sprung up in recent years looking to offer low-alcohol and no-alcohol options. Aplós is the latest to get funding.

The Miami-based startup this week announced a $5.5 million Series A funding round led by McCarthy Capital, a Midwestern private equity firm. Co-founder and CEO David Fudge told TechCrunch+ he wanted to start the company because he always considered himself a “reluctant drinker” but didn’t think there was a product that would fill what he needed. he was looking for: something that gave the same relaxation the goodness and the vibrations of alcohol but without the regret of the next day.

“The vision is to reinvent the adult beverage category for the new era, to create the first brand of super premium non-alcoholic spirits,” Fudge said. “We want the refinement, complexity, versatility and functionality of a high-end spirit. It’s something we didn’t see on the market and what really interested us ourselves.

As a consumer, I to like that there are entrepreneurs trying to both innovate in this category and bring new options. Non-alcoholic spirits brands like Aplós feel like a win-win because not only does it make people more likely to choose a healthier, lower-calorie option than alcohol, it gives bars and restaurants a better means of providing comparable non-alcoholic beverages. -alcoholic cocktails to their customers and can offer them the same price. Capitalism!

But while I think the growth of this sector has benefits for society, its impact on investors is unclear.