How intentional consumer choices are shaping the US beverage market.

New survey insights show that as consumers make intentional wellness choices, beverages are becoming part of how people want to feel each day.

In brief

• Wellness has become a baseline expectation, shaping ingredients, nutritional aspects and willingness to pay. 
• Generational differences are redefining demand, from functional beverages to non-alcoholic options. 
• The idea of “feeling good” (over clinical health impacts) is shaping beverage choices, driving moderation, substitution and intentional trade-offs rather than elimination.

For many consumers, beverages are no longer just about refreshment. They are part of everyday decisions about how people want to feel. Energy. Focus. Calm. Balance. From the first drink of the day to social occasions later, beverages have become accessible wellness tools that fit naturally into daily routines.

According to the EY Consumer Beverage Survey, 97% of US consumers have engaged in health and wellness behaviors over the past two years, and those behaviors now show up clearly in beverage choices.

Three forces are converging to define the current beverage landscape. Health-first decision-making is now mainstream. Generational preferences are reshaping categories. New expectations around choice, convenience and relevance are influencing how consumers engage with beverages. Together, these forces point to a market where success depends on how well beverages fit into intentional, everyday lifestyles.

Health and wellness is now a baseline expectation in beverage choice

Wellness expectations are now shaping how consumers evaluate beverage choices. The survey data underscores how widespread this mindset has become:

• Nearly six in ten  US consumers (58%) pay attention to ingredients when choosing beverages
• Just over half  (52%) are willing to pay more for beverages that support health and wellness goals
• Two-thirds of consumers (66%) have already shifted toward lower-sugar or lower-calorie options

It reflects a broader reset in expectations. Wellness is no longer a differentiator. It’s now a baseline requirement across beverage categories, from functional drinks to everyday staples.

Survey analysis suggests consumers who view themselves as health-conscious are often leading these shifts, particularly in functional and nutrition-focused beverages. Rather than opting out of traditional categories, they are adjusting choices across alcohol, functional drinks, and emerging alternatives, reinforcing wellness as a mainstream mindset rather than a niche behavior.

At the same time, what consumers consider “healthy” is increasingly relative and personal rather than clinical. Many beverage choices are guided less by scientific definitions of health and more by how a product makes people feel in the moment, including feeling balanced, in control, or simply better than an alternative. As a result, shifts away from alcohol or sugar do not always translate into objectively healthier choices, but they do reflect a growing emphasis on perceived well-being. 

In parallel, broader changes in how consumers manage health and intake, including growing awareness of GLP 1- based treatments, are further influencing beverage choices.

International comparisons help put this into context. In Brazil, where functional beverages are further along the adoption curve, 89% of consumers identify immune support as a top factor influencing purchase decisions. While the US market is at a different stage, the contrast highlights how health-driven expectations may continue to evolve. 

How generational differences are transforming beverage culture 

Although wellness matters across age groups, how it’s defined and acted upon varies by generation. Younger consumers are changing what they drink and why. 

For many of them, beverage choices increasingly function as expressions of identity and lifestyle, not just sources of refreshment or wellness benefits. What they drink can signal how they see themselves, how they want to feel, and how they want to show up across social and everyday contexts. Beverage choice has become part of personal storytelling, reflecting values, routines and cultural alignment. 

The survey shows functional beverage consumption is highest among Gen Z and millennials. About 80% of Gen Z and 75% of millennials consume functional beverages regularly. Energy drinks, specifically, follow a similar pattern with much higher adoption among younger consumers than the overall US population. 

Attitudes toward alcohol are also expanding. More than half of US consumers (55%) say they feel more comfortable choosing non alcoholic options in social settings, with that comfort strongest among millennials (65%). Importantly, this reflects a growing desire for flexibility and choice rather than complete withdrawal from alcohol.

Notably, identifying as “healthy” does not appear to materially change alcohol consumption behavior. In the past year, nearly 50% of consumers reported the amount of alcohol they drink has stayed about the same, regardless of whether they consider themselves healthy or not. This highlights how “perceived well being” often coexists with largely unchanged drinking habits. 

Younger consumers tend to seek beverages that align with their overall health goals, while also considering how those choices fit their identity and lifestyle. By contrast, older generations typically rely on familiar marketing cues such as low sugar or low calories to indicate a healthy choice. These differences reinforce a key point for beverage companies: there is no single definition of a healthy beverage consumer. 

Brazil again offers a useful point of comparison. Forty-seven percent of Gen Z consumers reported drinking less alcohol than older generations, contributing to broader moderation trends shaped by social and cultural dynamics.

What growing consumer expectations mean for beverage categories

As consumers use beverages to meet a wider range of wellness and lifestyle needs, categories are evolving at different speeds.

Functional beverages continue to gain momentum as consumers seek products that support everyday performance and balance, spanning needs such as immunity, gut health, sustained energy, and broader nutrition and beauty goals. Millennials show a strong willingness to pay for clean, healthy ingredients at 62%, positioning this category for continued premiumization.

Which beverage trends are built to last

Health and wellness is no longer a short-term trend in the beverage market. Consumer demand for wellness-based offerings will continue to grow, reflecting a lasting shift in how people think about daily routines, balance and well-being. At the same time, not every health claim or emerging benefit will endure at the same pace or scale.

Competitive advantage will come from combining focus with flexibility. Companies that align their portfolios to the core wellness needs that consumers return to most, while retaining the ability to test and adapt at the edges, are better positioned to respond as wellness expectations continue to evolve.

Turning consumer insight into beverage strategy

Navigating these shifts calls for beverage leaders to think less about individual trends and more about how their overall portfolios reflect the many ways consumers define health, wellness and lifestyle today. Growth will increasingly hinge on portfolio decisions that span organic innovation as well as acquisitions, partnerships and divestments so that offerings remain aligned with evolving consumer expectations and definitions of well-being.

For leaders, the question is less about what to chase and more about which trade-offs to manage across the portfolio.