Drinking Less Is Common Now, So Plan a Party Where No One Feels Left Out

When you sit down to plan your guest list, it's worth remembering that a lot of the people you love are drinking less than they used to. That's not a problem to solve. It's just a chance to plan a party where everyone feels equally taken care of.

Here's what the people coming to your celebration are telling researchers.

What Your Guests Are Choosing

• 49% of Americans planned to drink less in 2025, a 44% jump from 2023
• Only 54% of Americans say they drink alcohol at all, the lowest in Gallup's nearly 90-year tracking history
• 81% say it's fine to decline alcohol without explaining why
• 86% feel comfortable choosing low or no-alcohol drinks at social gatherings
• 22% plan to visit a sober bar in 2025 (41% of Gen Z)

So picture roughly half your room happily reaching for something other than a cocktail at some point in the night. They'll be glad you thought of them.

It Doesn't Mean Your Guests Are Quitting

Drinking less rarely means not drinking at all. In fact, 92% of people who buy non-alcoholic drinks also buy alcoholic ones. Your guests aren't swearing off cocktails. They're choosing when, where, and how much, rather than defaulting to "yes" every time. Someone might enjoy a cocktail during dinner and a beautiful mocktail later in the evening. The point is they get to decide, and you give them a great option either way.

Why So Many People Are Cutting Back

Health awareness: the U.S. Surgeon General's January 2025 advisory linked alcohol to 75,000 new cancer cases a year and recommended cancer risk warnings on labels. That made the health conversation a mainstream one.

A real generational shift: only 50% of adults 18 to 34 drink, down from 72% two decades ago, so your younger guests especially appreciate having a thoughtful choice.

It's socially easy now: when 81% of people say declining a drink needs no explanation, your guests can choose a mocktail without a second thought.

The drinks are genuinely good: non-alcoholic options have come a long way. Athletic Brewing holds 52% of the non-alcoholic beer market and is valued at $800 million, and Seedlip leads non-alcoholic spirits. These are drinks your guests will actually enjoy, not settle for.

What This Means for Your Party

If half your guest list is moderating, a single token mocktail tucked at the end of an otherwise alcohol-focused menu won't feel like enough. It quietly signals that non-drinkers were an afterthought, and you don't want anyone at your celebration feeling that way.

So we'd encourage you to plan a real zero-proof menu with the same creativity, presentation, and variety as your cocktails. It tells every guest that their choice is respected and that their experience matters just as much. That's simply good hospitality.

A Growing Choice, Not a Fading One

This isn't going anywhere. The U.S. non-alcoholic market is projected to approach $5 billion by the end of the decade, growing about 18% a year, and globally the category is expanding 36% in volume to more than 18 billion servings a year by 2029. When you plan for it now, you're planning for the way your guests actually celebrate.

At Scissortail, this is what we do, and we've been ready for it.

How We Take Care of Everyone

"Every cocktail on our menu has a mocktail version," says Bar-Key founder Patrick Wilson. "We always have tonic water, club soda, and ginger ale on hand for cocktails or for guests who aren't drinking. And for under-21 guests, we love setting up a station of their own with mocktails, dirty sodas, and more, so they have a special spot too."

"They feel included because they get a fun, beautiful drink in their hand just like everyone else. It was never about the alcohol or the drink. It is about the people."