The jury is still out on Gen Z LDA’s alcohol consumption habits, says NielsenIQ’s Kaleigh Theriault, and the industry should be wary of drawing long-term conclusions from a generation aging into the category and its peak earning years. One trend that does seem likely to stay: intentionality tied to specific social settings and occasions, which she says can favor premium and low-ABV options.

Theriault will expand on this research in an education seminar at NBWA’s Annual Convention (Oct. 11-14). She’ll highlight how distributors can identify emerging growth pockets and align their portfolios with evolving consumer behavior.