Upside Drinks Scales Its Alcohol-Free Beer Offering as Traditional Beer Loses Ground

Canada's largest alcohol-free retailer expands its beer selection past 250 options as Gen Z drives a generational shift away from traditional alcohol.

MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, May 4, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Upside Drinks, Canada’s largest alcohol-free beverage retailer, has expanded its non-alcoholic beer selection to more than 250 products as demand from younger consumers accelerates a market-wide shift away from traditional beer. The expansion positions Upside Drinks as the single largest source of alcohol-free beer in the country, spanning IPAs, stouts, lagers, sours, and wheat beers from producers across North America and Europe.

The expansion comes as younger consumers continue to move away from traditional alcohol. Drinking rates among adults under 35 have dropped significantly over the past two decades, with Gen Z leading the shift. In Canada, non-alcoholic beverages are now among the fastest-growing retail categories, and the global alcohol-free beer market is on pace to more than double over the next decade. For Upside Drinks, the trajectory confirms what the company has been building toward since its launch.

What this means for consumers

Upside Drinks now carries non-alcoholic beer from more than 30 producers, including Athletic Brewing, Collective Arts, Bellwoods Brewery, Asahi, Blue Moon, and Corona Cero. The retailer’s beer catalog covers craft styles that were unavailable in non-alcoholic format even two years ago: hazy IPAs, guava goses, fruit sours, and barrel-aged stouts. For consumers, the result is a selection that mirrors the variety found in traditional beer aisles.

The company also offers free shipping across Ontario and Quebec on orders over $75, and Canada-wide on orders over $145, removing a barrier that has historically limited access to specialty non-alcoholic beverages outside major urban centres.

Where the category and the company are headed next

Upside Drinks was ranked #12 out of 400 in The Globe and Mail’s Canada’s Top Growing Companies 2025. Co-founder Simon Poulin was named to Maclean’s Top 40 Nation Makers 2025 and is a finalist in the Arista 2025 Awards for Young Entrepreneur in the Business Growth of Québec category. The company’s wholesale channel, launched in September 2025, now accounts for approximately 10% of total sales, with partnerships expanding across hospitality groups and retailers nationwide.

About Upside Drinks

Upside Drinks is Canada’s largest alcohol-free beverage retailer, offering more than 2,500 non-alcoholic wines, beers, spirits, and cocktails to consumers and businesses across Canada. The company operates from Québec with nationwide delivery and a growing wholesale network serving hospitality groups and retailers.

Simon Poulin
Upside Drinks
simon@upsidedrinks.ca
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