From Brewery to Cannery: 5 Beverages Your Menu Needs to Stay Competitive

Breweries can meet shifting functional and flavor trends by adding these 5 beverage formats to their menu.

From clean label trends to the BOOM in non alcoholic drinks, the beverage landscape is very different today than it was even just a few years ago. Consumers are shopping for NA beer, formats are evolving, and newly legal-drinking-age consumers are bringing an entirely new perspective to beverage occasions, flavors, and experiences.

Some breweries are navigating these changes better than others, and the Brewers Association 2025 Midyear Report found that brewery closings are outpacing openings.¹ 

Before you fall into despair, they also stress that this isn’t the full picture. 

Many brewers are expanding beyond beer, which isn’t included in that report. “Swapping some beer production for other products has been a way for brewers to diversify their revenue by meeting the needs of their ever-evolving consumers.” 

That’s exactly what brewers who want to stay in business must do! While beer is the traditional foundation for many breweries, offering formats and flavors that align with today’s consumer preferences will help breweries future proof their business.

Read on and learn about the five beverage formats breweries need to add to their menus ASAP.

1. Non Alcoholic Beer Offers Familiarity for Those With Changing Habits

One of the most logical ways to expand your menu is to offer Non Alcoholic Beer. More and more consumers are reducing their alcohol intake. So, instead of losing current customers who want to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption, this gives them an alternative beverage to enjoy that’s already familiar.

Having an NA Beer on your menu also helps patrons pace themselves in terms of both alcohol consumption and overall experience. Ending the night with a Non Alcoholic Beer promotes safer drinking habits, they can be enjoyed at any time of day, and even die-hard IPA fans might want to start or end the night with a lighter beverage. 

This also creates an opportunity to attract entirely new customers. For consumers who don’t consume alcohol at all, they may feel breweries have nothing to offer them. Delicious, non alcoholic beverages can appeal to consumers who might otherwise have never stepped foot inside your brewery.

Looking for NA inspiration? Check out 5 Trending Hops for Non Alcoholic Beers and get this format on your menu ASAP.

2. Hop Waters Take BFY Top Spot and Offer Cost-Effective Production

Speaking of non alcoholic beverages, you should add Hop Water to your menu as quickly as possible. While NA Beers can still have calories, carbs, and sugars, hop waters have NONE of those giving them a BFY (better for you) win. For wellness-focused consumers, this is a huge win. On top of that, the process of making hop water is extremely fast and cost-effective. 

First, these beverages can be made in just a few short days. It involves boiling water, lowering the temperature, adding hops (whole hops, pellets, or extracts), chilling, adding carbonation, and then a bit of citric acid. 

Second, the flavor possibilities are endless.

While there is a hop-forward element to these drinks, they’re essentially a sparkling water with a blank canvas for flavor innovation. A few ideas for making hop water include highlighting regional flavors, making a hop water version of your most popular beer, or even leaning into trending fruit fusions. Guava and Kiwi, anyone?

3. Energy Drinks Are A Multi-Purpose Format For Any Occasion

While non-alcoholic beverages like NA Beer and Hop Water are taking the place of some traditional beers, overlooking Energy Drinks would be a big mistake. These drinks are popping up at bars, music festivals, and parents are even drinking them in the pickup line. 

Clearly, energy drink occasions are evolving, and adding them to your menu creates even MORE opportunities for people to enjoy them. 

According to a 2025 Mintel report, energy drink growth is expected to exceed 33 billion dollars by 2029, “driven by flavor innovation, BFY (better-for-you) claims and consumer habits of drinking 2+ types of energy drinks, depending on occasion.” Additionally, flavor preference remains a top priority for energy drink consumers with 43% stating flavor was more important than brand name.² 

Consider experimenting with fruit fusions, candy-inspired flavors, or even something floral and dessert-like! Flavor innovation is a key selling point in this category, and consumers want bold experiences that stand out. Want help making the best-tasting energy drinks? We can help!

4. Functional Beverages Taste Good AND Feel Good

Energy Drinks aren’t the only “functional” drink consumers are thirsty for. Functional beverages are intended to promote benefits beyond basic hydration and often include ingredients like vitamins, minerals, herbs, and probiotics to promote mood states like focus and relaxation or even immune and digestion support.

Maybe that doesn’t fit the vibe of yesterday’s breweries, but today’s consumers are health-focused and the resulting wellness trends have led to a boom in functional beverages. Sure, these consumers can get hydration and flavor complexity from hop waters, but sometimes they want a drink to taste AND feel good. Functional beverages can do both.

So, what does that look like for you? You could offer a carbonated soda or kombucha that provides digestive support, a mushroom drink designed to promote a positive mood, or even a sparkling water with added protein for customers looking for nutritional support. 

Terpenes can be functional flavor ingredients, and we even have a collection specifically designed to enhance different mood states. Check out our AI Terp Effects, and contact us for expert assistance making delicious, functional beverages.

5. THC Drinks Offer Innovative Flavors and an Alternative to Alcohol

Speaking of functional drinks, you might want to consider offering some kind of hemp or cannabis beverage! While not all states let bars and breweries serve cannabis-derived THC drinks, it’s legal in some states to serve beverages with hemp-derived THC, CBD, or other cannabinoids.

These beverages are a perfect solution for those still wanting a social lubricant after quitting alcohol, and they also appeal to consumers who simply prefer cannabis to alcohol. Plus, advancements in cannabis flavor solutions are making it easier than ever for craft brewers to create great-tasting THC beverages that upend all your ideas of what cannabis tastes like. 

Consider leaning into the natural citrus of Super Lemon Haze by pairing it with Citra® and/or complementary fruits like Blood Orange or Clementine. Create an IPA with the dank gas of OG Kush, round it out with the tropical stone fruit in Krush™, and finish it with the unexpected depth of Guava.

If someone could create a Sour Tangie Sorbet drink, we’d be the first to order! Just be sure to double-check the regulations regarding THC and Hemp beverages in your state first. 

Abstrax | Cheers To Your Next Best-Selling Beverage!

At Abstrax, we provide novel solutions for beverage manufacturers of all sizes looking to streamline, innovate, and gain a competitive edge. With our knowledge, technology, and extensive resources, we’ve crafted our collections to provide recognizable flavors and aromas that consumers love.

Contact us today, and let’s create your next best-selling beverage to round out your beverage portfolio!

1. Gacioch, M. (2025, July 23). 2025 Midyear Report: Headwinds Persist, But So Do Successes. Brewers Association. https://www.brewersassociation.org/association-news/2025-midyear-report/

2. A Mintel Analyst, Global Analyst. (2025, April 01). Energy Drinks – US – 2025. [Market Report]. Mintel. https://www.mintel.com/