As Alcohol Volumes Fall and THC Faces a Federal Deadline, Vibes Beverages Builds the Functional Platform

The Lehi-based functional beverage brand brings Social, Chill, and Energy to one non-alcoholic platform, with the strongest younger-consumer adoption in Utah and Florida and distribution gaining across seven states.

LEHI, Utah, Sept. 29, 2026 - Vibes Beverages today outlined its platform strategy as three forces converge: a lasting decline in alcohol participation, a shift to shopping beverages by outcome, and a federal deadline reshaping the intoxicating-hemp segment.

Utah: where the next way to drink is already taking hold

Utah has the lowest per-capita alcohol consumption of any state, at roughly 1.3 gallons of pure ethanol per person, nearly half the national average. That makes it a natural test for what adults reach for when alcohol isn't the default social drink. Vibes Beverages is seeing its strongest younger-consumer adoption in Utah.

Alcohol moderation is structural, not cyclical

Gallup's July 2026 poll found the share of Americans who drink held at a record-low 54% for the second consecutive year. Young adult drinking fell from 59% in 2023 to 50%. A little more than half of Americans now say alcohol is bad for health, versus under 30% a decade ago. Among drinkers, 40% say it has been more than a week since their last drink, the highest share since 2000.

Retail data confirms the shift

Combined US wine and spirits volume declined 6.5% over the 12 months to June 2026, with revenue down 5.5%, per WSWA. NIQ's latest four-week read showed total beverage alcohol at $9.3 billion, down 2.6% in dollars and 4.7% in volume. Off-premise volume is down 7.5% against 2.8% on-premise, so the retail shelf is where the opening sits.

The dollars are moving to functional. NIQ shows non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits up 18.5% in 2025 to $1.01 billion, and adaptogen beverages up more than 18% in the 52 weeks ending Feb. 14, 2026. Keurig Dr Pepper's second-quarter volume growth was led by energy and sports hydration drinks.

Shoppers now buy functional beverages by solution

Circana's Sally Lyons Wyatt says consumers increasingly shop beverages by effect and occasion instead of traditional categories. Spate names kava, mushroom coffee, social tonics, and adaptogen and nootropic drinks among the top trends behind "functional escapism". BevNET reports kava and kanna are positioning as the next functional adult alternatives while hemp-derived THC's future stays uncertain.

The regulatory backdrop

Hemp THC drinks generated $239 million in NIQ-measured sales in the 52 weeks ending June 27. A law signed September 2 moved the federal hemp restrictions from November 12 to December 11, 2026. Final products above 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container would no longer qualify as hemp. Retailers and distributors planning 2027 sets are weighing how much shelf space to commit to a segment with that exposure. Vibes Beverages is built on kava, functional hops, and GoBHB [CONFIRM: and contains no hemp-derived cannabinoids].

Inside the platform: kava drink, functional hops beverage, and GoBHB

Hot Tropic (Chill): the kava drink. Kava is a root long shared in social settings across the Pacific Islands, and it is now one of the fastest-rising ingredients in non-alcoholic beverages. Hot Tropic brings it to the cooler in a canned, ready-to-drink format. [ADD: kava dose or extraction detail, no health claims.]

Glow Getter (Social): the functional hops beverage. Hops are the plant behind the aroma and flavor of beer. Glow Getter uses them in a non-alcoholic hops drink built for the social occasion. [ADD: hops formulation detail.]

Electric Shores (Energy): the GoBHB beverage. GoBHB is a patented form of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a ketone body, marketed by Compound Solutions as a non-carbohydrate energy source. The ingredient's distributor reports self-affirmed GRAS status. Electric Shores pairs GoBHB with hydration for a different take on the Energy occasion.

All three share a nootropic foundation, so the brand reads as one system in any channel. Each SKU works alone, so independents can lead with a single occasion, c-stores can lead with Energy, and grocery can set the full trio.

Where Vibes Beverages is landing

Beyond Utah, the platform is gaining ground in Florida, Georgia, New York, Illinois, Washington, and Arizona, and Florida joins Utah in leading younger-consumer adoption, with high sales volume.

About Vibes Beverages Vibes Beverages LLC is a functional non-alcoholic beverage company with teams in Lehi, Utah, and Daytona Beach, Florida, producing kava, functional hops, and GoBHB beverages for Social, Chill, and Energy occasions.

Media Contact: Jason Croxford Drink-Vibes.com