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The alcohol industry has long relied on young adults eventually becoming regular drinkers. Now, Gen Z is forcing the industry to shift as they embrace “sober-curious” lifestyles and search for quality beverages.
A 2025 Gallup poll found that the percentage of U.S. adults who said that they consume alcohol fell to 54%, the lowest rate in the 90 years it had been tracking. From 1997 to 2023, Gallup found that at least 60% of Americans reported drinking alcohol. The figure fell to 58% in 2024 and again to 54% in 2025.
The alcohol industry faces a new challenge. Rather than simply getting young adults to become lifelong customers, they now must convince them that their product is worth the price.
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Bartesian CEO Ryan Close says consumers are seeking premium experiences, opening new opportunities for the at-home cocktail industry. (Courtesy of Bartesian)
Ryan Close, the CEO and founder of Bartesian, said he is seeing consumers choose quality over quantity. He said they are not looking to consume more or less alcohol, but rather they’re searching for better and higher-quality beverage options.
“I’m not gonna argue with the data, you know, they probably are drinking less alcohol. I think they’re drinking less, but with the expectation that ‘I want better,'” he told Digital, regarding Gen Z’s drinking habits.
Bartesian makes an automated at-home cocktail machine that allows users to create bar-style cocktails by inserting flavor capsules and adding their own spirits.
Close told Digital that before starting Bartesian, he noticed people were mostly drinking wine and beer at home, despite ordering cocktails while out at bars and restaurants. He said many found cocktails to be too difficult and that they did not want to gather all the necessary bitters and other ingredients. Despite having years of bartending experience, Close struggled to make a classic cocktail: the Old Fashioned, a flavor that is available in Bartesian pods.
Close said that his company was built around the idea that consumers wanted premium cocktails at home that are made with good ingredients.
“We only use real ingredients so we’re not putting anything artificial, no artificial colors or flavors in the cocktails, so, you’re just getting that true quality freshness,” he said.
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Bartesian CEO Ryan Close believes younger consumers are looking for premium experiences rather than drinking for the sake of drinking. (Mediaphotos via iStock/Getty Images)
Industry research suggests Close is not the only one noticing the shift toward a search for quality. In a Jan. 2 report outlining five consumer trends shaping the alcohol industry, NielsenIQ (NIQ) identified a similar pattern among drinkers. NIQ found that 67% of spirits drinkers and around half (52%) of average drinkers said they would be willing to pay more for higher quality drinks. Though NIQ’s report looked at on-premises patterns, not at-home drinking.
Close believes the shift is going beyond what consumers drink and expanding to why they’re drinking in the first place. He argued that Gen Z consumers are not looking to “drink for the sake of drinking,” but are instead seeking to have a shared experience. Bartesian not only allows users to pick different flavors of cocktails, but also what kind of spirits and how much alcohol goes into the drinks, something Close said leans into this idea of wanting an experience.
“I just think the younger generation is more intentional and it’s not about, ‘Hey, I don’t wanna drink at all,’ it’s, ‘I wanna drink better, less often, and more quality,'” Close told Digital.
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Bartesian machines allow users to pick the type of spirits that go into their cocktails and the strength of their drinks. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Many older Gen Z consumers turned 21 during the COVID-19 pandemic, as restaurants and bars across the country were closed or operating under tight restrictions. Close said he believes younger consumers are increasingly viewing the home as “an extension of restaurants and bars,” creating a demand for premium at-home cocktail experiences.
Close said rising cocktail prices have only accelerated that shift, as consumers become more selective about how they spend their money. He recalled that during a recent trip to New York City, he found himself paying around $24 for a martini that was missing a key ingredient — blue cheese olives.
“I’m not looking to spend $75 on martinis when I know — especially without the blue cheese — when I can go home and make that exact same cocktail for $3 or $4,” he said.
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The trend, according to Close, is not about replacing bars and restaurants altogether, but rather meeting consumer demand who are more deliberate about what they drink, where they drink it and the value of experiences.
