Young people go out early, sleep early, and drink little to no alcohol

The 1990s, arsenic good arsenic the aboriginal years of the caller century, were the epoch of artificial abundance, the years erstwhile intoxicant and its depletion were symbols of powerfulness and societal status. Representatives of a flashy manner that collapsed nether the acold interaction of the decade-long fiscal crisis.

Today, we are experiencing the minimal luxury of wellness, introspection, idiosyncratic empowerment, and self-improvement. Here, intoxicant depletion nary longer finds fertile crushed to shine, to dominate, to destroy. Sobriety successful our clip is simply a idiosyncratic extremity and a people for millions of young radical crossed the planet.

People successful their 20s portion less

The reasons are many, explains Giannis Vavadakis, Head of Beverage Research & Development astatine the bars “Line Athens” and “Walk successful Athens”:

“First of all, there’s a absorption connected amusement that is decidedly linked to today’s fiscal conditions. Young radical present commencement their nighttime retired earlier and already cognize wherever they’re going and what they’ll consume. The days of hopping done a twelve bars earlier heading location are gone for good. Work-life equilibrium is simply a cardinal origin that radical nearing their 30s contiguous instrumentality precise seriously. Younger generations besides attraction much astir their health, they spell to furniture early, aftermath up early, and workout – possibly influenced by an charismatic imported fittingness model, but this is present a reality.

The aperitivo inclination and the after-work drink, which came to our state from Italy and Central and Northern Europe, brought to Athens the wont of ‘going for a portion astatine 6 oregon 7 close aft enactment and returning location early.’ There’s besides a increasing inclination successful galore bars and restaurants to make an ambiance of amusive earlier successful the evening with large music, blessed hours, peculiar menus, and events – but without going until dawn, arsenic was communal successful past decades.”

Then came… sober curiosity

The word “sober curiosity” means openly questioning your narration with alcohol. The sober curiosity question is simply a increasing radical of radical who take to portion little oregon not astatine each arsenic a manner choice. It challenges the stereotypes that those who don’t portion are little societal oregon person little fun. Instead, it supports the thought of questioning oregon feeling funny astir each impulse, invitation, and anticipation to portion – alternatively than blindly pursuing mainstream drinking culture.

“At Walk In,” says Vavadakis, “we spot the interaction of this question successful a striking way. With sobriety arsenic the guiding principle, a large penchant among visitors is Kombucha IPA – a span portion betwixt intoxicant and non-alcohol, betwixt wellness and nighttime out.”

“Kombucha IPA is simply a hybrid beverage that combines kombucha – a somewhat acidic portion made by fermenting tea, sugar, and a civilization of symbiotic bacteria and yeast – with India Pale Ale, a fashionable brew benignant with aggravated hop and tropical effect aromas. The effect is simply a non-alcoholic oregon low-alcohol beverage (0.0%–0.5%) with the aromatic strength of hops and the refreshing, dry, somewhat sour consciousness of kombucha. Young radical similar it due to the fact that it has little sweetener than brushed drinks, is associated with wellness and wellness (probiotics, debased alcohol), and has the spirit complexity of trade brew but is much refreshing and approachable. Plus, it’s Instagrammable and fits perfectly with the caller civilization we’re discussing.”

Young radical spell retired early, slumber early, and portion small to nary alcohol

Young radical present besides take alcohol-free cocktails, commonly listed arsenic “mocktails.” The intoxicant manufacture is afloat of innovation, truthful mocktails are nary longer conscionable juices, sodas, fruits, and garnishes. A wide assortment of 0% intoxicant bases present beryllium – gin, vodka, tequila, vermouth, rum – that marque your favourite cocktails conscionable arsenic enjoyable, with the aforesaid acquainted taste, but without alcohol. Even a Single Malt Highland Whisky tin travel with 0.2% ABV.

Closing – Three barroom professionals talk astir today

“Young radical contiguous portion much purposefully, much consciously. Their full mode of going retired is much targeted successful presumption of quality,” says Xavier Michaelides, 1 of Athens’ pioneering bartenders whose barroom counters person seen generations of patrons.

“Young radical are much awake not lone regarding their drinking habits,” helium continues, “but besides successful the mode they person fun. They’re much social, and amusement is much astir togetherness. They present stitchery astatine homes, successful squares, cafés, and by the beach. They portion much wine, beer, and tsipouro, and debar hard liquor, adjacent thing similar gin and tonic. They don’t get drunk similar successful the past. They creation and flirt without needing intoxicant arsenic the superior instrumentality for fun.”

Babis Kaidalidis, co-founder of the Athens Bar Show and longtime bartender, sums up the cardinal changes successful young people’s nightlife successful 3 points:

• cocktails with 0% intoxicant (a Negroni with 0% gin is progressively fashionable astatine bars crossed Greece),
• aperitivo civilization (spritz-style drinks are sweeping, particularly successful Athens, due to the fact that they harvester looks, aroma, duration, and terms portion being debased successful alcohol), and
• responsible drinking.

“Young radical inactive drink, but they portion much responsibly. They acceptable depletion limits, and their nighttime retired intelligibly starts and ends earlier. I besides spot an summation successful tsipouro and vino consumption, partially for fiscal reasons – but not only. Young radical person developed a existent emotion for tsipouro successful caller years.”

He besides believes the aperitivo and after-work drinking civilization reflects a worldview, a manner that has travel to Greece to stay. “It’s not conscionable a trend,” helium says. “It reflects the rhythms of our time. Young radical contiguous don’t get drunk. They’re not attracted to their drunken representation – particularly erstwhile their societal illustration is truthful important to them.”

Nikos Tachmazis, Bar Manager astatine “Avra Bar” successful the Four Seasons Astir Palace Athens, with agelong acquisition successful London and Milan, identifies a wide displacement toward non-alcoholic beverages, the alleged mocktails, which align with a steadfast manner crossed Europe and are expected to predominate successful the coming years. “Distillation techniques stay the same, but we present experimentation with non-alcoholic bases similar 0% intoxicant gin infused with herbs and spices, oregon adjacent non-alcoholic bitters and aperitifs, similar Crodino, which tin make precise tasty cocktails.”

Young radical spell retired early, slumber early, and portion small to nary alcohol

1 successful 4 young radical has ne'er drunk

The ELSTAT numbers down the caller trend

For years, intoxicant was astir ever synonymous with a nighttime retired – from a brew successful the quadrate to a solid of vino and shots astatine a bar. Young radical backmost past drank often. The caller procreation seems to beryllium rewriting the rules of consumption.

According to a 2019 ELSTAT survey, young radical up to 24 years aged were much apt to abstain from alcohol. In fact, 22.4% of 15–24-year-olds said they consumed intoxicant erstwhile oregon doubly a week, portion lone 1% drank daily.
Among 25–34-year-olds, 25.4% drank erstwhile oregon doubly a week, and lone 2.6% daily. In contrast, 6.7% of 45–54-year-olds consumed intoxicant daily.

Even much striking, 24% of 18–24-year-olds had ne'er tried intoxicant oregon had lone taken a fewer sips. At the aforesaid time, lone 21.5% of those who drank successful the past 12 months reported having six oregon much drinks successful a azygous occasion. Consumption is inactive powerfully linked to societal spaces, similar cafés and bars.

The improvement isn’t constricted to Greece. A caller Gallup survey shows that lone 54% of U.S. adults accidental they portion intoxicant – a historical debased successful the past 90 years.

Among 18–34-year-olds, the percent drops to 50%, compared to 59% successful 2023. Gallup’s yearly survey records a dependable diminution successful intoxicant depletion since 1997, with today’s younker drinking little than erstwhile generations.

Young radical spell retired early, slumber early, and portion small to nary alcohol

“I ne'er felt the request to portion to person fun”

“Nobody wants to spot you drunk connected the thoroughfare successful 2025”

Alcohol has been linked to superior diseases specified arsenic cardiovascular conditions, liver disease, cancer, and intelligence disorders. Avoiding excessive depletion tin assistance amended wellness and clarity successful young people’s regular lives.

“I ne'er drank much. A fewer years agone I was an athlete, present I inactive enactment retired and devour right, though not astatine the aforesaid level. In my mundane life, intoxicant has nary place. Once oregon doubly a period I’ll person a brew oregon a tequila-based cocktail I like, but seldom bash I spell retired drinking with friends,” says Giorgos, 22.

Abstaining from alcohol, however, besides has a affirmative interaction connected young people’s idiosyncratic and nonrecreational obligations. With the request for intelligence equilibrium stronger than ever, galore debar drinking arsenic a accent reliever and similar to usage their wealth differently. “My finances don’t let maine to spell retired drinking. We similar to spell devour instead, due to the fact that it costs little and we person a amended time,” says Manos, 19.

Ioanna, 32, besides shared her narration with alcohol: “I ne'er felt the request to portion to person fun. Even today, I lone portion with meals. I like, for example, a solid of vino with immoderate meze. In the past, it was often difficult, due to the fact that determination weren’t galore non-alcoholic options isolated from juices. Now, though, you tin find mocktails with galore spirit profiles.”

From pupil years to sober living

Student years are often associated with regular intoxicant consumption, wherever drinking becomes an astir inseparable portion of societal life. However, this wont seems to beryllium changing, with much young radical adopting a healthier and much conscious lifestyle.

Young radical spell retired early, slumber early, and portion small to nary alcohol

The rules person changed adjacent for older youth. A.S., 27, studied successful Ioannina, and, arsenic she says, she utilized to spell retired each time to tsipouro bars. “In Athens, things are different. We’ve grown up, and present we recognize that what matters is the company. We inactive spell out, but we don’t request intoxicant to person fun. My friends, for example, don’t portion astatine all,” she explains, adding that she herself drinks lone erstwhile oregon doubly each 2 weeks, and lone if she’s definite she won’t get drunk. “Nobody wants to spot you drunk connected the thoroughfare successful 2025,” she concludes.