Half Your Guests Might Not Drink: Planning an Event Where Everyone Feels Included

Here is a number that should change how you plan your event: only 54% of American adults now drink alcohol. That is the lowest rate in 90 years of Gallup tracking, down from 67% just three years ago.

At your 100-person event, that means roughly 46 guests will not drink. And if your plan is "cocktails for drinkers, water and Coke for everyone else," nearly half your guests are an afterthought.

This Is a Lasting Shift, Not a Passing Trend

The data keeps stacking up:

• 49% of Americans planned to drink less in 2025, a 44% increase from 2023.
• Gen Z drinks 30% less per capita than Millennials did at the same age, and 21.5% do not drink at all.
• 30% of Americans took part in Dry January 2025, up 36% year over year.
• The U.S. Surgeon General issued a January 2025 advisory linking alcohol to seven cancers and roughly 20,000 annual cancer deaths.
• The non-alcoholic beverage market crossed $1 billion in U.S. off-premise sales, with zero-proof spirits growing 108% by volume in 2024.
• GLP-1 medications like Ozempic are incidentally reducing alcohol cravings in millions of users.

The term "sober-curious" was coined by Ruby Warrington in 2018. Six years later, 39% of consumers identify with the lifestyle. This is no longer a niche wellness experiment, it is how many of your guests now relate to alcohol.

What Non-Drinkers Experience at Most Events

You have been to this event. Everyone is holding a craft cocktail or a glass of wine. You walk to the bar and your options are water, Coke, Sprite, or cranberry juice in a plastic cup while everyone else holds stemmed glassware.

The message, intended or not: "You are here, but this part is not for you."

Your sober-curious guest notices. Your pregnant guest notices. Your 19-year-old cousin notices. Your designated driver notices. And increasingly, the friend who just decided to drink less this month notices too.

The Fix Is Simpler Than You Think

Including everyone does not mean doubling your bar budget. It means treating the non-alcoholic options with the same care as your cocktail menu:

• Craft-quality mocktails: not "a cocktail without the booze," but a drink designed from scratch to be delicious on its own. Different flavor profiles, different techniques, its own identity.
• Dirty sodas: the hottest non-alcoholic trend in America. Interactive, customizable, photogenic, and appealing to every age group.
• Hydration stations: infused waters, sparkling options, electrolyte-forward drinks, especially important for your outdoor Oklahoma event in summer.
• Beautiful presentation: same glassware, same garnishes, same bar setup. The non-alcoholic drink should look indistinguishable from the cocktail.

How Scissortail Handles It for You

"Every cocktail has a mocktail variation," says Bar-Key founder Patrick Wilson. "We also always provide tonic water, club soda, and ginger ale for cocktails or non-drinkers. For under-21 guests, we love to set up a separate area to serve mocktails, dirty sodas, and more from the menu."

The separate area is not about exclusion, it is about hospitality. Giving your younger guests their own beautiful station means they never have to wait in the alcohol line to get a drink they are excited about. And the drinks they get are just as beautiful, just as crafted, and just as intentional.

"We make them feel included by ensuring they can also have a fun, beautiful drink in their hand," Patrick explains. "It is not about the alcohol or the drink, it is about the people."

The Combo Solution

For an event with both drinkers and non-drinkers (which is every event), the Boomtown plus Scissortail combo is the most cost-effective way to cover everyone:

• Boomtown handles your cocktail bar: professional bartenders, ice chests, the full experience for your 21+ guests.
• Scissortail handles the non-alcoholic side: mocktails, dirty sodas, hydration, and under-21 service.

Every guest you invite has something great in their hand. Nobody feels like the afterthought. And you do not have to choose between "full bar" and "inclusive," because you get both.

Planning for the Future

The numbers are only going one direction. Every year, more of your guests arrive not expecting, or wanting, to drink. When you plan with them in mind, you give everyone a reason to feel welcome.

Scissortail exists because this future is already here. And we are ready for your guests.