Right now, a full 20% of the U.S. population belongs to Gen Z. By the year 2030, this group’s spending power is predicted to reach $2 trillion. Understanding their likes and dislikes, not to mention connecting with them where they spend most of their time, is essential to staying competitive. Only half of Gen Z is of legal drinking age, so only a part of the picture is starting to develop. But we do know that social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are considered necessities. They are vital sources of information, not just outlets where trends and gossip are discovered. Forbes reports that social media marketing is more “efficient and effective” and can reach more niche markets than television. This fact alone makes Gen Z different from every generation that came before them.
Despite being considered a “digital native” generation, Gen Z does like to shop in regular stores. They value
the experience of being able to physically see, touch, and try products before buying, which is not always possible online. Gen Z also appreciates the social aspect of shopping in-person and the ability to discover new items while browsing in a store environment.
Something that makes Gen Z truly unique is their relationship with food and beverages. They are significantly more health conscious and appear to drink less alcohol. The post-millennial generation isn’t necessarily abstaining or completely sober, but they are more likely to sample products from many different categories, favoring liquids with bold flavor and low or even no alcohol.
While the dust hasn’t completely settled on Gen Z’s habits, a lot of what the generation likes in a drink is fruit-forward, bold, and distinct. An example of this is new Corona Sunbrew Citrus Cerveza, filled with orange and lime peel, making it a bold, citrus-forward drink with a modest 4.5% ABV.
Sunbrew Citrus Cerveza banks on the bold, flavor-forward drink market with the lower ABV Gen Z is looking for. Corona took inspiration from a viral TikTok cocktail, the Corona Sunrise, made with tequila, a bottle of Corona, orange juice, grenadine, and lime juice. With 14 million views, the cocktail was a popular flavor and trend to follow (more on social media’s impact below).
Sunbrew explores those same flavor notes to satiate Gen Z’s inquisitive nature and fondness for exploring different types of drinks, which has allowed TikTok cocktail trends to become an “it” thing out of nowhere.
Molson Coors developed a Gen Z culture panel to help with product development, which is how Happy Thursday came to be. The panel helped Molson Coors select its four flavors: strawberry, pineapple starfruit, black cherry, and mango passionfruit. Its low 4.4% ABV is also a way for it to adhere to low-alcohol trends and the health-forward mindset. And through the panel, Molson Coors also learned Gen Z doesn’t care for carbonation. TikTok videos of people using a milk frother to decarbonate their drinks also informed this product’s development. A big selling point of Happy Thursday is its lack of carbonation which reduces bloating and the sensation of burning.
More than ever, brands must evolve and tether themselves to trends, especially as these alternatives to traditional drinks gain more sales ground and continue to grow. Low ABV, NA drinks, ready-to-drink cocktails, spiked iced tea, hard seltzers, and noncarbonated drinks are all part of this ever-increasing Gen Z segment.
About the Author
Louis Livingston-Garcia helms the Tulip and Schooner beer and spirit newsletter for Heavy Table. If he isn’t traveling around the world with his wife to photograph wild bears, he is most likely playing soccer, watching soccer, playing video games, or reading with a pint of hazy IPA in hand.
About Kramer Beverage
Kramer Beverage is South Jersey’s largest beer wholesaler and is owned and operated by the Kramer family – through four generations – since 1924. Kramer Beverage is based out of Hammonton and serves an eight-county footprint in South Jersey with top brands from Molson Coors, Constellation, Yuengling, Boston Beer, Heineken USA, Pabst, Diageo, FIFCO, and others. Kramer Beverage also distributes wine, spirits, and a variety of craft beers from suppliers such as New Belgium and Sierra Nevada to local favorites, including Cape May Brewing, Flying Fish, MudHen, Double Nickel, Evil Genius, and Glasstown. For more information on Kramer Beverage, please visit www.kramerbev.com.