Picture this: you open your favorite online grocery app, scroll past the usual suspects, and suddenly realize the entire wine and spirits aisle has vanished. Not hidden, not on sale—gone. That’s exactly what just happened at one of America’s fastest-growing healthy grocery platforms, and honestly, it feels like a cultural earthquake disguised as a business decision.
The Day Thrive Market Went Completely Dry
Last week, Thrive Market made history as the first major online grocer to completely eliminate alcohol from its marketplace. Not reduce. Not relegate to a tiny corner. Eliminate. Every single SKU—wines they once proudly curated for “better-for-you” standards, craft beers, even the organic vodka—poof. In its place? A curated collection of more than 100 non-alcoholic beers, wines, spirits, and ready-to-drink mocktails from over 20 brands.
I’ve been watching the sober-curious movement for years, but even I didn’t see this coming so fast. It’s one thing for individuals to cut back. It’s another for a company with 1.7 million paying members and $700 million in annual sales to bet the farm on a future without booze.
“Alcohol is not the future.”
Nick Green, Co-founder & CEO of Thrive Market
That single sentence stopped me in my tracks when I read it. Not because it’s shocking—plenty of us have felt the cultural tide turning—but because a mainstream retailer finally said it out loud and put real money behind it.
The Numbers Don’t Lie (And They’re Sobering)
Let’s start with the data, because it’s frankly wild how quickly attitudes have shifted.
- Only 54% of U.S. adults now drink alcohol—the lowest level in decades (Gallup)
- U.S. beer volumes have dropped mid-single digits year-over-year since June
- Non-alcoholic beverage sales are projected to hit $5 billion by 2028 (IWSR)
- Searches for non-alcoholic options on Thrive’s own platform have skyrocketed in the last three months
Perhaps the most interesting aspect? The decline isn’t just among older generations “aging out” of drinking. Gen Z is leading the charge. More than 40% of 21-24-year-olds report having had zero drinks in the past week. That’s not a blip. That’s a generational rewrite of social norms.
I’ve found myself at parties lately where the most popular person isn’t the one mixing cocktails—it’s the friend who brought the fancy NA aperitif that actually tastes complex and adult. Ten years ago that person would have been politely ignored. Today they’re the hero.
From “Better Wine” to “No Wine At All”
Thrive Market actually entered the alcohol space seven years ago with a mission: raise the bar on clean, organic, additive-free wine and spirits. They wanted to do for booze what they’d already done for pantry staples—make the healthier choice the easy choice.
But something unexpected happened. Their own customers started voting with their carts. Alcohol sales flattened, then declined. Meanwhile, searches for hop-free IPAs, dealcoholized cabernet, and adaptogen-laced mocktails kept climbing.
As Nick Green put it, the shift felt less like a gradual trend and more like a dam breaking. One day alcohol was socially unquestioned; the next, it was starting to carry the same cultural baggage once reserved for cigarettes.
“What surprised me is how fast that shift has seemed to happen with alcohol.”
He’s not wrong. Remember when smoking was glamorous? Then suddenly it wasn’t. The parallels are uncomfortable, but increasingly hard to ignore.
Why This Move Now? Logistics, Values, and Pure Business Sense
On the surface, dropping alcohol simplifies life dramatically. Alcohol can only ship to 39 states thanks to archaic post-Prohibition laws. Non-alcoholic beverages? Coast to coast, no restrictions.
But the deeper reasons run straight to Thrive’s DNA. This is a company built for people who read ingredient labels like detective novels. Their average member buys 15 items per order—big, heavy boxes of staples. They’re not impulse-buying a $12 bottle of natural wine the way someone might on certain mega-retailers. They’re stocking an entire lifestyle.
When your core customer is already prioritizing sleep, mental health, and longevity, selling a known depressant starts to feel… misaligned.
What’s Actually Replacing the Booze Aisle?
Far from leaving a gaping hole, Thrive has gone overboard (in the best way) curating replacements. We’re talking:
- Dealcoholized wines that legit taste like the real thing (0.5% or less ABV)
- Hop waters and botanical sodas that scratch the craft beer itch
- Ready-to-drink mocktails with adaptogens, nootropics, and zero sugar crashes
- Non-alcoholic spirits that mix 1:1 in classic cocktails
- Even functional beverages promising better sleep or reduced anxiety
Seriously, the innovation in this category over the past three years has been insane. We’ve gone from O’Doul’s and grocery-store sparkling cider to products that bar programs are proud to serve.
Is This the Death Knell for Alcohol Culture?
Not quite. Plenty of people will keep drinking, and that’s fine. But Thrive isn’t moralizing—they’re responding to their specific audience. But moves like this accelerate the normalization of choosing NA.
When a major retailer says “we no longer need this category to thrive,” it sends a message. When legacy beer giants like AB InBev, Molson Coors, and Heineken all launch massive NA lines, it’s no longer a niche. It’s the main event.
I suspect we’re watching the early stages of alcohol becoming like red meat: still popular, but no longer assumed. Something you might choose occasionally, but not the default.
What This Means for Conscious Consumers
If you’ve been sober-curious, doing Dry January for years, or just trying to drink less without feeling like you’re missing out—this is huge. Finally, a one-stop shop that treats non-alcoholic options as seriously as everything else in your cart.
No more hunting across three different sites. No more settling for whatever random NA beer your local store bothers to stock. Just a robust, constantly updating selection shipped with your almond butter and sustainable toilet paper.
Honestly? It feels like permission. Permission to build a bar cart that makes you feel good the next morning. Permission to host without worrying about over-serving. Permission to say “I don’t drink” without it being a whole conversation.
The Bigger Picture: Health, Mindfulness, and Joy Without the Hangover
Look, I’m not here to tell anyone how to live. But I’ve done enough “one glass of wine to unwind” nights that turned into three and left me groggy to know the math doesn’t always add up.
The most exciting part of this shift isn’t abstinence—it’s abundance. We’re not giving something up. We’re gaining options that let us socialize, celebrate, relax, and even get a pleasant buzz (thanks, kava and CBD) without the downsides.
Thrive Market didn’t just remove alcohol. They’re making a bet that wellness includes pleasure, sophistication, and ritual—minus the toxin we’ve all been taught to pretend isn’t there.
And if a company doing hundreds of millions in sales is willing to bet on that future? Maybe it’s time we place our bets too.
So raise a glass—sparkling, dealcoholized, or adaptogen-infused—to whatever comes next. The future of drinking just got a lot clearer. And a lot more interesting.
