Want to know what the single hottest category is in the beverage world right now? It's No and Low Alcohol (NOLO) products.

Never before have we seen such a surge in interest for products with lower alcohol, echoing what has now become a $10 billion global trend for drinkers to choose beverages that are 'better for you'.

Today, as we approach the halfway mark of Dry July, it seems like the perfect time to take a look at what's really selling in the NOLO world.

For answers, we've spent a few hours digging into the Kaddy Marketplace sales data to come up with some insights. As Australia's largest B2B beverage marketplace, with 15,000 skus, it's only natural that we go digging in our parent company's vault for answers. And what the excel sheets have come up with is even more surprising than expected.

Let's dive into the results:

Beer is leading the non-alc charge

NOLO beer is the fastest-growing category on the Kaddy Marketplace, with an astonishing 170% growth in the last 18 months. Admittedly it's off a small base, but in some months we're looking at 20% MoM growth. Overall in 2022, beer has made up 42% of non-alc sales, with 21% wine, 20% spirits and 14% RTDs/cocktails.

Beer is also head of the pack in non-alcoholic listings (but wine is catching up)

There are now over 500 NOLO products listed on the Kaddy Marketplace, with everything from cider to non-alc margaritas making up the mix. But again it is beer that is the champion with almost a third of listings.

Non-alcoholic listings by numbers (out of more than 500)

• 150+ beers
• 136+ wines
• 100+ spirits
• 50+ RTDs and cocktails

Dry July is genuinely drier

Don't believe that other outlets and venues are buying up for Dry July? Think again. Sales for NOLO products last week (the first week of July) were over 46% above average. Technically, it is the first week of February that is the largest NOLO week, although it could be skewed by more venues coming out of lockdown. The week starting 27th June (ie, leading into Dry July) comes in just behind.

Hail to the Quiet king

if there is one big winner in this list, it is Heaps Normal's XPA. Voted in the GABS top 20 for the first time this year, it is not just the best-selling non-alc beer, but also the best-selling non-alcoholic product and among the top 10 products sold in the Marketplace full stop.

The non-alc beer top sellers:

• Heaps Normal Quiet XPA
• Heaps Normal Another Lager
• Brewdog Nanny State Hoppy Alcohol-Free
• Bridge Road Brewers Free Time
• Big Drop Pine Trail Pale Ale

Lyre's is on fire

By far the best performer in the non-alc spirits category, Lyre's has multiple products on the top-sellers list, and with an ever-expanding range, we expect this to grow even more. The gin alternative Dry London Spirit is the standout performer here too. For a great insight into the Lyre's story, check out this exclusive interview we had with co-founder Carl Hartmann.

Non-alc spirits top sellers:

• Lyre's Dry London Spirit
• Lyre's American Malt
• Lyre's Italian Spritz
• Lyre's Agave Reserva Spirit
• Hellfire Bluff Inspirit

Margarita's popularity spills over into NOLO

Given that margarita is now Australia's favourite cocktail, it's little wonder that the trend is carrying over into non-alcoholic versions. As you can see in this list, G & T is also right up there in the popularity stakes, which also follows the enthusiasm for gin as a general category and the predictions for G & T set out at the beginning of the year.

Non-alc RTDs and cocktails top sellers:

• Naked Life Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Margarita
• Smug AF Non-Alcoholic Margarita
• Lyre's G & T Premix
• Lyre's Amalfi Spritz Premix
• Naked Life Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Classic G & T

Shop more of your favourite cocktails on Kaddy Marketplace

Photos source from Instagram