A spritz, then a mocktail, then a spritz again, and nobody at the table notices the switch. Bartenders have started calling it zebra striping. The night keeps going, the tab stays lower, and nobody has to sit out a round.
The appeal is that nobody has to explain themselves. A group might include someone training for a race, someone driving home and someone who just wants three cocktails, and they can all order off the same menu without splitting into separate camps. The drink changes quietly, and the night keeps moving.
So how many people are actually doing this
Turns out, a lot. Nearly half of bargoers now say they mix alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks in the same outing. The crossover runs even deeper among people who buy nonalcoholic beer, wine or spirits, since 93% of them also buy the alcoholic version, proof this stopped being a niche moderation trend a while back.
The many ways people zebra stripe
The simplest version is just alternating, drink for drink, no fixed ratio, just a pattern most people fall into without ever naming it. Others stay in the alcohol column every round but dial down the strength, trading a double IPA for a session beer, or a martini for a spritz.
Some bars build the switch right into the recipe. Bartenders create a nonalcoholic version of a cocktail using the same syrups, bitters and technique, then serve both in matching glassware so they look and taste nearly identical. Industry experts call this a mirrored menu, and it works specifically because it makes switching effortless.
Fine dining has its own spin. Some tasting-menu spots now let guests order a hybrid pairing that blends wine and nonalcoholic pours course by course instead of committing to one path for the whole meal. Other bars are testing the idea earlier in the day too, pairing a mimosa with its zero-proof twin at brunch or running paired flights during happy hour.
This isn’t slowing down
Global volumes of nonalcoholic beer, wine and spirits are on pace to grow 36% by 2029, enough to fill more than 18 billion servings a year, and volumes already climbed 9% in 2025 alone. Retailers are catching on too, increasingly stocking the alcohol-free version right next to the original instead of tucking it into its own corner.
Zebra striping was never really about quitting alcohol. It is about stretching the night, treating whichever drink is in hand as part of the same evening instead of a compromise. Next round, try alternating and see if anyone at the table even notices.
Jennifer Allen is a retired professional chef and long-time writer. Her work appears in dozens of publications, including MSN, Yahoo, The Washington Post and The Seattle Times. These days, she’s busy in the kitchen developing recipes and traveling the world, and you can find all her best creations at Cook What You Love.