Get out your day-glo body paint and fuzzy boots because festival season is about to start with Coachella’s two-weekend-long party – and this year the adult non-alcoholic (ANA) category is coming out in force.
Los Angeles-based The New Bar is returning to the Indio, California fest for its third year – as well as its second year at sister event Stagecoach, which takes place at the end of the month. The packed menu includes some of the biggest names in ANA like Recess, Almave, Optimist, Free AF and Hop WTR, among others.
“When we first partnered with Coachella in 2022, we set out to prove that alcohol-free options deserve space on the biggest stage – now they’re an expectation,” said The New Bar founder and CEO Brianda Gonzalez told Brewbound’s sibling publication BevNET.
The ANA category has progressively moved deeper into the festival and events space. Live music has become a prime opportunity to engage with sober-curious consumers and educate people on the category.
ANA is also giving “ordinary” NA brands a fresh angle to play. Coachella’s hydration sponsor Electrolit is getting in on the “soberchella” scene this year by leveraging its partnership with the Venice Run Club to host an Electrolit Campground 5K.
And it’s not just the SoCal festival goers who are getting the sober treatment:
- Focus on Health, a hospitality consulting group specializing in ANA, is bringing back its traveling No/Low Tour sponsored by The Pathfinder and Ritual Zero Proof;
- Last year, Hiyo signed a five-year deal with electronic music event promoter Insomniac, solidifying its foothold in live events;
- And some intoxicating hemp beverage brands are also seeing demand rise – albeit the opportunities are fewer based on state regulations and event promoters’ appetite to delve into the gray area of hemp-derived THC.
Even a brand like Liquid Death, with its intentionally deceptively designed cans made to look more like canned beer than water, has been adept at disrupting the space via an exclusive Live Nation deal – now adding a big new client this week via an integrated marketing deal with Madison Square Garden Entertainment.
The increased demand at live events stands in contrast to ANA’s slower adoption in on-premise where it can be seen by many bartenders or bar managers as an afterthought. Yet, the data shows the category is not slowing down and nearly reached $1 billion in sales last year as more consumers opt for a drier approach to partying.
However, the bev-alc industry shouldn’t be stressed about ANA brands, as bev-alc can still thrive in the space. Just ask BeatBox, which has prioritized music festivals and live events in its marketing efforts – a strategy that appears to be paying off, as the “party punch” brand recorded a 111.6% increase in dollar sales and 104.7% increase in volume (case sales) in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels in the last 52 weeks (data ending March 22), according to data shared by 3 Tier Beverage.
And last week, ready-to-drink (RTD) sparkling soju brand Hello Soju netted $6.8 million in a funding round led by a personal investment from venture capitalist Ted Schlein. The fresh cash will help expand production, fund marketing efforts and support the launch of a 700 ml Soju spirit product this summer.
Hello Soju got its start with the live music scene, launching in 2023 at Coachella. The brand now touts a refreshed look and an updated formula produced locally in California.
Former Red Bull North America CEO Dan Ginsberg and Range Media co-founder Sandey Kang have also joined Hello Soju’s board of directors.