Bottles of Heineken 0.0. Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images for Heineken
If you overindulged during the holidays, you may want to join the Dry January movement in the new year. Dry January started in the United Kingdom, but it has spread to the United States with one in five Americans participating in 2019. Heineken wants to help you stick to the Dry January resolution, so it has launched a limited-edition pack of its nonalcoholic beer: Heineken 0.0.
31 Days of Dry January
Dry January started in 2013 as a campaign to give up drinking for one month in the United Kingdom. Since its launch, Dry January has spread overseas, and more Americans are using it as a resolution for the new year. According to a 2019 survey, 23% of Americans planned to skip alcohol for the entire month of January.
Heineken’s January Dry Pack has 31 cans of Heineken 0.0. The limited-edition pack is designed to give consumers one nonalcoholic beer per day during January. The pack looks similar to an advent calendar, so you can select one beer at a time.
Heineken 0.0. LEX VAN LIESHOUT/AFP via Getty Images
“Heineken® 0.0 is brewed and fermented with Heineken’s unique A-yeast and made with natural ingredients with gentle alcohol removal and blending to achieve a fruity flavor and slight malty notes. We gently remove the alcohol with vacuum distillation and blend the brew to perfection with natural flavor,” Heineken explained.
Blame the Millennials Again
Millennials are once again getting the blame for Dry January and the lower consumption of alcohol in general. From their destruction of the napkin industry to their refusal to get married, millennials make an easy target when changes happen, such as the growth of Dry January outside of the United Kingdom.
“As with many of today’s consumer trends, Millennials are driving the mindful drinking movement, as 66% say they’re making efforts this year to reduce their alcohol consumption — well above the average 47% among all U.S. consumers 21 and older,” Nielsen said.
Although the reasons for abstaining from alcohol vary, companies like Heineken are paying attention and creating more options for those who are participating in Dry January. The Dutch business is not the only one that is responding to consumer demand as Anheuser-Busch and others try to increase their nonalcoholic lines.