World News for Students of English

16-09-2022 07:00

To attract Gen Z, Japanese liquor businesses have turned to non-alcoholic beverages.

In Tokyo, the newly opened Sumadori Bar offers mocktails or cocktails with low alcohol levels to 3%. The Japanese giant Asahi Group manages the bar, and it aims to provide an environment where both drinkers and teetotalers can enjoy a drink together.

The popularity of low and non-alcoholic beverages has risen worldwide, particularly during the health crisis, as many people became more health conscious.

Drinking patterns in Japan have changed, and the older generation tends to drink less alcohol. The culture used to be that when a company hired a person, he or she drank with senior colleagues. However, fewer opportunities exist now, and often, it’s not even possible.

Over the summer, Japan’s tax office launched a contest to ask for ideas on how to stimulate the young people’s demand for alcohol; however, Gen Z seems to prefer non-alcoholic options.

Difficult words: Gen Z (people born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s), teetotaler (a person who doesn’t drink alcohol), stimulate (to encourage).

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