In 2009, The Hangover took the box-office by storm. It did not go on to make hundreds of millions of dollars because of academy-worthy performances or the fact that Bradley Cooper looks that good in a tux, but rather because the film became an anthem for a generation that measured the success of a weekend by how much of it they forgot. The premise is simple: four best friends head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. What follows is a frighteningly alarming amount of alcohol consumption, a misplaced groom, a hospital visit, and, like all highly-acclaimed comedies, a wedding. The story follows the friends as they desperately try to piece together the night before through a haze of regret. While the movie does not exactly give alcohol a glowing reputation, it perfectly reflects one of the defining aphorisms of the time: drinking used to be cool.
If you think about our infamous Pretoria party scenes, places like the Strip hardly seem to be cooling down. If anything, one would argue the opposite. Thank goodness global metrics are not taken from Pretoria’s local clubs, because, on an international stage, the shift is staggering. When the alcohol industry reports a massive multi-billion-dollar valuation slump, one has to wonder: what is going on with Gen Z?
For decades, entering your twenties was synonymous with making terrible, alcohol-fuelled decisions. It was a rite of passage to wake up on a Saturday morning with a pounding headache and a wallet mysteriously emptied by shots of warm tequila. But a massive cultural shift has been brewing. Gen Z are studiously “sober curious” – a movement where people are avoiding alcohol for personal or wellness reasons, curious to examine the reasons that fuel the need to pick up a drink in the first place. Dry January has extended its stay. Welcome to the Dry Year. The contrast between generations is stark. Where a millennial’s Friday night goal was to erase the week, Gen Zs are actively trying to optimise their REM sleep and protect their skin barrier.
So why is this generation turning its back on the bottle? It is not just about avoiding the headache; there are a few distinct, modern realities at play. Because Gen Z tends to go out and socialise in traditional spaces less, less alcohol is being consumed. But painting the decline of drinking as a mere side effect of staying home misses the point. This is not an accident of modern life – it is an intentional choice.
Secondly, wellness has become the ultimate status symbol. For this generation, health is wealth. Gen Z do not want to poison their bodies for a temporary buzz. They talk about cortisol levels, gut health, and mental clarity in the way previous generations spoke about sports or local politics. Alcohol simply does not fit into a lifestyle centred on being intentional about what one consumes.
Then, there is the sheer economics of it all. Going out is incredibly expensive, but it is deeper than a conscious choice to budget. Gen Z has effectively been priced out of the market. Whether it is skyrocketing concert tickets or overpriced drinks, traditional avenues of fun seem increasingly unaffordable. It just makes more sense that Gen Z would rather set their sights – and their budgets – on things that offer a better return on investment, like nutrition and gym memberships.
This shift is sending shockwaves throughout the hospitality industry. Traditional dive bars are sweating, while “sober bars” and non-alcoholic bottle stores are popping up in major cities worldwide. In fact, the nightlife script has been completely flipped into the morning with the sudden rise of “coffee raves”. Instead of stumbling out of a club at sunrise, crowds are arriving at trendy cafes at 07:00 before work, trading double vodkas for double espressos and dancing to live DJ sets. Bars have been forced to evolve, and in doing so, non-alcoholic menus are expanding to feature sophisticated, complex flavour profiles rather than the sugary mocktail afterthoughts of the past.
Ultimately, Gen Z is not skipping the party – they are just redefining what a party looks like. They have traded the chaotic, blurry nights of the past for clear-headed connection. And while older generations might poke fun at their lavender-infused waters, nobody can argue with the absolute bliss of a Saturday morning completely free of a hangover.
So, raise a glass of kombucha. The kids might actually be onto something.
Visual: Jemma Thomson
