[User Survey of 1,100 Non-Alcoholic Beverage Drinkers in their 20s to 50s] "Refreshing Without Getting Drunk" During Reiwa Holidays? What are the "Reiwa Non-Alc Habits" Chosen for New Ways of Enjoyment
Kirin Brewery conducted a survey of 1,100 users showing that non-alcoholic beverages are increasingly chosen for emotional value like 'refreshment' in diverse daily scenes, rather than just as alcohol substitutes.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 22:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 13:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 00:07 (10h 35m after Collected)
Kirin Brewery Company, Limited (President: Hideki Horiguchi) conducted a survey regarding non-alcoholic beverages targeting 1,100 men and women in their 20s to 50s who consume non-alcoholic beverages (hereafter, non-alc beverages).
1. Consumption scenes for non-alc beverages are expanding from "situations where one cannot drink alcohol" to "various daily life scenes"
The survey results revealed that the scenes in which non-alc beverages are consumed are no longer limited to situations where drinking is not possible, such as "having to drive" or "having plans the next day." Instead, consumption is expanding into various everyday scenes, including relaxing at home, holiday leisure time, after exercise, and weekday lunches out. This suggests that non-alc beverages are increasingly chosen to suit one's mood or how they spend their time, rather than just being "chosen reluctantly because one cannot drink."
2. In these new scenes, they are chosen for their "emotional value"
Looking at the reasons for drinking non-alc beverages in these new scenes, reasons seeking emotional value such as "wanting to refresh" and "wanting a change of mood" rank high. A key characteristic is that they are chosen not as a substitute for alcohol, but to gain the pleasantness and positive mood unique to non-alc beverages. Among them, drinkers of "Kirin Green's Free" show an even stronger tendency to drink non-alc beverages for such emotional value, indicating that many people actively choose "Green's Free" with positive motivations.
3. Quantitative confirmation of expansion in new consumption scenes
Looking by scene, while a certain level of expansion in new drinking scenes like "at home," "holidays," "after exercise," and "weekday lunches out" is seen among non-alc beverage users overall, "Green's Free" users showed a particularly high drinking rate in all of these scenes. Furthermore, common to all these scenes, "to refresh" was cited as a top reason for drinking, revealing the reality that non-alc beverages are becoming established in daily life as "a cup to change one's mood."
Main Findings from the "Non-Alcoholic Beverage User Survey"
● Non-alc beverage consumption scenes among general non-alc beverage users:
At home 71.8%, Holidays 71.7%, After exercise* 35.2%, Weekday lunches out 23.9%
● Non-alc beverage consumption scenes among "Green's Free" users:
At home 94.0%, Holidays 94.0%, After exercise* 67.4%, Weekday lunches out 63.0%
*The drinking rate after exercise was calculated among those who exercise at least once a week.
With growing demand in various scenes such as relaxing at home and leisure outings, non-alc beverages are expected to see even higher demand heading into the upcoming holiday season. By having more customers pick up "Green's Free" during this opportunity, we aim to spread "new ways to enjoy non-alc beverages" and contribute to the expansion of the non-alc beverage market.
"Non-Alcoholic Beverage User Survey" Overview
A survey was conducted targeting 1,100 men and women in their 20s to 50s who had consumed non-alc beverages, such as non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages, non-alcoholic Chuhai, or non-alcoholic cocktails, within the past month. Of these, 100 were men and women who had consumed the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage "Green's Free" within the past month.
■ Title: "Non-Alcoholic Beverage User Survey"
■ Implementation Period: Monday, March 30, 2026 - Wednesday, April 1, 2026
■ Survey Targets: 1,100 men and women in their 20s to 50s who consumed non-alc beverages within the past month (including 100 who consumed "Green's Free" within the past month)
■ Survey Method: Internet survey
■ Research Agency: Rakuten Insight
*As the composition ratios (%) in the graphs are rounded to the nearest decimal, the total may not equal exactly 100%.
"Non-Alcoholic Beverage User Survey" Results
■ Non-alc beverages are becoming drinks chosen for emotional value, not just as a "substitute"
First, when asked about the "reasons for drinking non-alc beverages," many non-alc beverage users cited situations where they could not drink alcohol, such as "because I need to drive a car." On the other hand, 22.7% of users cited "wanting to refresh/change the mood," showing that a certain number of users seek the emotional value of non-alc beverages. Furthermore, this trend is prominent among "Green's Free" users, where "wanting to refresh/change the mood" is the most common reason for drinking, indicating a tendency to choose non-alc beverages to gain a positive feeling [Figure 1]. From this, a characteristic of "Green's Free" users is that they proactively enjoy non-alc beverages for their emotional value.
1. Consumption scenes for non-alc beverages are expanding from "situations where one cannot drink alcohol" to "various daily life scenes"
The survey results revealed that the scenes in which non-alc beverages are consumed are no longer limited to situations where drinking is not possible, such as "having to drive" or "having plans the next day." Instead, consumption is expanding into various everyday scenes, including relaxing at home, holiday leisure time, after exercise, and weekday lunches out. This suggests that non-alc beverages are increasingly chosen to suit one's mood or how they spend their time, rather than just being "chosen reluctantly because one cannot drink."
2. In these new scenes, they are chosen for their "emotional value"
Looking at the reasons for drinking non-alc beverages in these new scenes, reasons seeking emotional value such as "wanting to refresh" and "wanting a change of mood" rank high. A key characteristic is that they are chosen not as a substitute for alcohol, but to gain the pleasantness and positive mood unique to non-alc beverages. Among them, drinkers of "Kirin Green's Free" show an even stronger tendency to drink non-alc beverages for such emotional value, indicating that many people actively choose "Green's Free" with positive motivations.
3. Quantitative confirmation of expansion in new consumption scenes
Looking by scene, while a certain level of expansion in new drinking scenes like "at home," "holidays," "after exercise," and "weekday lunches out" is seen among non-alc beverage users overall, "Green's Free" users showed a particularly high drinking rate in all of these scenes. Furthermore, common to all these scenes, "to refresh" was cited as a top reason for drinking, revealing the reality that non-alc beverages are becoming established in daily life as "a cup to change one's mood."
Main Findings from the "Non-Alcoholic Beverage User Survey"
● Non-alc beverage consumption scenes among general non-alc beverage users:
At home 71.8%, Holidays 71.7%, After exercise* 35.2%, Weekday lunches out 23.9%
● Non-alc beverage consumption scenes among "Green's Free" users:
At home 94.0%, Holidays 94.0%, After exercise* 67.4%, Weekday lunches out 63.0%
*The drinking rate after exercise was calculated among those who exercise at least once a week.
With growing demand in various scenes such as relaxing at home and leisure outings, non-alc beverages are expected to see even higher demand heading into the upcoming holiday season. By having more customers pick up "Green's Free" during this opportunity, we aim to spread "new ways to enjoy non-alc beverages" and contribute to the expansion of the non-alc beverage market.
"Non-Alcoholic Beverage User Survey" Overview
A survey was conducted targeting 1,100 men and women in their 20s to 50s who had consumed non-alc beverages, such as non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages, non-alcoholic Chuhai, or non-alcoholic cocktails, within the past month. Of these, 100 were men and women who had consumed the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage "Green's Free" within the past month.
■ Title: "Non-Alcoholic Beverage User Survey"
■ Implementation Period: Monday, March 30, 2026 - Wednesday, April 1, 2026
■ Survey Targets: 1,100 men and women in their 20s to 50s who consumed non-alc beverages within the past month (including 100 who consumed "Green's Free" within the past month)
■ Survey Method: Internet survey
■ Research Agency: Rakuten Insight
*As the composition ratios (%) in the graphs are rounded to the nearest decimal, the total may not equal exactly 100%.
"Non-Alcoholic Beverage User Survey" Results
■ Non-alc beverages are becoming drinks chosen for emotional value, not just as a "substitute"
First, when asked about the "reasons for drinking non-alc beverages," many non-alc beverage users cited situations where they could not drink alcohol, such as "because I need to drive a car." On the other hand, 22.7% of users cited "wanting to refresh/change the mood," showing that a certain number of users seek the emotional value of non-alc beverages. Furthermore, this trend is prominent among "Green's Free" users, where "wanting to refresh/change the mood" is the most common reason for drinking, indicating a tendency to choose non-alc beverages to gain a positive feeling [Figure 1]. From this, a characteristic of "Green's Free" users is that they proactively enjoy non-alc beverages for their emotional value.