In Vietnam, 41% of restaurants and bars reported a growing preference among customers for non-alcoholic drinks. Fruit juice and smoothie sales rose at 43% of establishments, while 28% saw premium spirits and cocktails decline and 21% reported falling wine sales. Beer held up better, with only 3% of establishments reporting a drop.

The shift shows up on menus as much as in sales figures. At Akuna, a one-Michelin-star restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, spirits appraiser Travis Nguyễn said roughly 4 in 10 guests now choose non-alcoholic pairings alongside tasting menus, a trend he said is especially common among female diners and tourists. Tales By Chapter, a fine-dining venue in the city, has built a dedicated non-alcoholic menu using handcrafted plant-based ingredients, priced at 750,000 VND per person to accompany a 10-course tasting menu.

The pattern extends beyond Vietnam. Across the wider Asia-Pacific region, 42% of surveyed restaurants reported increased non-alcoholic sales, and 56% have created separate non-alcoholic menus.

Garry Berryman, Global Head of Customer Experience at Pernod Ricard, said the shift is not a wholesale retreat from alcohol. Consumers are instead choosing non-alcoholic options selectively, based on the occasion, and increasingly expect the same attention to quality ingredients and presentation in those drinks that they'd expect from an alcoholic one.