Gen Z’s Picnic Parties: Jim Beam Meets Matcha Rave Madness
In a world where 18 to 34-year-olds dropped drinking by 9% between 2023 and 2025, Suntory exec Jing Mertoglu insists there’s booze hope amidst the picnic blankets. Gen Z ditched the disco for mid-energy parks, camping in Seoul, micro-clubs in China, and some bizarre daytime matcha rave in Singapore that attracted 400 caffeine-high partiers. Suntory flexed with sugar-free ready-to-drink ‘Minus 196’ cocktails booming in Japan and expanding in the US. Meanwhile, Anheuser-Busch's non-alcoholic Corona Cero—yes, with Vitamin D because nothing says healthy party like pretending to drink—jumped 33% sales in Q2 2025. Forget Fridays after work; WFH Fridays now kill the traditional booze run. Cheers to the era of socializing sans hangover, or at least less of one.
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Congrats Gen Z, you’ve engineered a scenario where partying means less screaming in clubs and more whispering at overpriced picnics with fancy zero-alcohol beer that ironically has Vitamin D. Who knew growing up meant trading shots for salad dressing?
Gen Z’s idea of fun now includes sipping ready-made cocktails in the park while their elders rage in discos. Next: kombucha keg parties and TikTok dances narrated by Suntory execs.
Somewhere in Seoul, Gen Z is camping and sipping Jim Beam's sugar-free ‘Minus 196’ like it’s the latest health craze. Meanwhile, Baby Boomers console themselves with memory shots and regret.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 10/10/2025 | Author: Aditi Bharade
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