Nat'l survey: Vermonters less likely to switch to "near beer" brands

MIDDLEBURY | Vermonters love their beer. And based on the number of popular, brisk-selling microbrew brands produced in the Green Mountain State, it's not surprising. Among the participants of a recent Recovery First Treatment survey of 3,000 drinkers nationwide, Vermont drinkers were given a voice, too; they were surveyed to find out which parts of the country are putting up the most resistance to non-alcoholic beer and wine and other non-alcoholic drinks marketed as substitutes for alcohol-based beverages. According to Connie James, a public relations spokesperson for Florida-based Recovery First, just 50 percent of Vermont drinkers were willing to switch to a non-alcoholic version of beer (sometimes called "near beer"), at least for a month. "This (Vermont) percentage is below the national average of 59 percent," James noted. James reported that those survey participants from Michigan were most willing to make the switch with 82 percent of them happy to give it a go. Mississippians, on the other hand, did not embrace the idea; only 30 percent of respondents would be happy to try alcohol-free beverages for one month. "The survey asked what drinkers feel is the main advantage of non-alcoholic drinks, and more than half (51 percent) said it was the joy of not having a hangover," according to James. "Nineteen percent liked that it meant they were consuming fewer calories, 12 percent said it was better for their heart health, nine percent enjoyed knowing they were not dehydrating themselves, no more feeling parched the morning after, and nine percent were happy that it still supports the alcohol industry," she noted. Survey results may be viewed online at https://recoveryfirst.org/blog/who-would-try-non-alcoholic-drinks/.

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Nat'l survey: Vermonters less likely to switch to "near beer" brands

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