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What you need to know about the latest drink trendWhat you need to know about the latest drink trend

Meet soft drinks with a kick

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

January 11, 2023

 

By many accounts, alcohol consumption spiked at the onset of the pandemic. But now, as consumers are settling into a somewhat new way of life that includes a greater focus on health, they’re seeking beverages that are better for them, or at least free of alcohol. 

A survey released by Gallup in August 2021 reported that 60% of American adults say they drink alcohol, down from 65% in 2019, and the lowest level since 2012.

Restaurants are responding with beverages that don’t have booze but are nonetheless bursting with flavor and visual appeal — beverages like soft drinks — and their guests are responding by drinking them.

 

About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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