Old guys like me have trouble keeping up with the new trends and the lexicon that goes with them. It took me a long time to understand that a "flexitarian" wasn't a person who is extremely flexible, but rather is someone who sometimes includes meat or fish in their diet. And I'm still not clear on how a word like "bussin" can be used to describe delicious food. So imagine my surprise when I read that the "sober curious" lifestyle is going mainstream -- when I didn't know what it was in the first place.

For those who, like me, were unfamiliar, sober curious individuals are consumers who limit or eliminate their consumption of alcohol for a whole host of reasons. According to Mintel research, nearly 4 in 10 people in the US closely (22%) or occasionally (16%) follow a sober curious lifestyle. The main reason for doing so is health and wellness but cost is also a factor. Thus, the consumer desire for more no-alcohol options and "mocktails" (another word I didn't know existed in the English language until a few years ago) appears to be here to stay. 

Despite the ostensible momentum behind the sober curious movement, roughly half (47%) of Americans say they won't be giving up alcohol any time soon. And even though one in five (18%) say they drink less alcohol now than a year ago, the premium alcoholic beverages category continues to be strong. Caleb Bryant, the Associate Director of Food & Drink at Mintel Reports US predicts that alcohol companies will develop premium, better-for-you drinks, to satisfy this consumer desire. 

So I guess we are going to see more and more "boujee" drinks in the future, yes Migos? I can't keep up . . .