For a long time, drinking was treated like a normal part of adulthood.
Girls’ nights.
Bottomless brunches.
Wine after work.
Cocktails to “take the edge off.”
Alcohol became woven into how women socialized, celebrated, relaxed, dated, networked, and coped.
Now, more women are quietly pulling back from it.
Not always sober.
Not always publicly.
But intentionally.
And that shift is starting to reshape the industry around them.
According to Statistics Canada, Canadians of legal drinking age purchased the equivalent of roughly eight drinks per week between March 2024 and March 2025 — continuing a decade-long decline in alcohol consumption.
The agency also reported that alcohol sales fell to $25.8 billion in the 2024–2025 fiscal year, marking the steepest annual decline since it began tracking the data two decades ago.
This is not just about drinking less.
It is about women reevaluating what actually makes them feel good.
There is no single reason why women are pulling back.
There are several — and together, they reflect a much larger behavioural shift.
Wellness became personal
Women are increasingly paying attention to what alcohol actually does to the body:
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Sleep disruption.
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Hormonal impact.
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Anxiety spikes.
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Energy crashes.
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Recovery time.
The “wine mom” era stopped feeling aspirational once wellness became less aesthetic and more biological.
According to research covered by CTV News, younger consumers are becoming more aware of the relationship between alcohol, anxiety, recovery, and long-term mental health.
Drinking less no longer feels restrictive.
For many women, it feels like relief.
The emotional labour equation changed
A hangover hits differently when you are still expected to function the next morning.
Women are often carrying:
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Careers.
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Caregiving.
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Relationships.
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Household management.
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Emotional labour.
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Performance pressure.
Alcohol used to be sold as self-care.
Increasingly, it feels like something that takes more than it gives back.
Social culture is changing
Women are still socializing.
But the format is shifting.
Coffee dates instead of cocktails.
Workout classes instead of club nights.
Dinner parties instead of blackouts.
The social experience still matters.
The alcohol matters less.
And younger women especially are becoming more comfortable opting out without apologizing for it.
As alcohol historian Rod Phillips explained to CBC News, younger generations are moving away from the idea that alcohol is required to have a good time.
The Industry is feeling it
The pressure is already visible.
According to Statistics Canada, beer, wine, and spirits sales all declined over the last fiscal year.
Beer sales have now fallen for nine consecutive years by volume.
Restaurants are feeling it too.
Data cited by Restaurants Canada shows alcohol now represents a smaller percentage of restaurant revenue than it did a decade ago, while bars across the country continue to close at a rapid pace.
At the same time, the non-alcoholic category is exploding.
According to NIQ Canada, non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits now represent a market worth more than $230 million nationally, with year-over-year growth in retail channels reaching double digits.
And importantly:
Women are not rejecting ritual.
They are redefining it.
Mocktails.
Functional beverages.
Alcohol-free wines.
Adaptogenic drinks.
Social experiences that do not require feeling terrible the next day.
The demand is already there.
The industry is just racing to catch up.
5 Canadian Alternatives for When You're Taking a Break
Canadian brands are stepping up. Here are five led by women — worth knowing.
Barbet — Toronto sisters Andrea Grand and Katie Fielding. Born from Katie's decision to go alcohol‑free for her epilepsy. Makes not drinking feel less awkward.
Solbrü — Winnipeg's Leanne Kisil. An adaptogenic elixir with functional mushrooms and herbs. A bourbon alternative that actually supports wellness.
Wildfolk — Calgary's Dalia Kohen (former chef‑owner of The Coup). Canada's first ready‑to‑drink mocktail line. Vermouth Spritz, Sparkling Negroni, Bee's Knees.
Benjamin Bridge — Nova Scotia's premier sparkling wine house, now run by twin sisters Ashley and Devon McConnell‑Gordon. Non‑alcoholic options from women who grew up on the vineyard.
Oddbird — Swedish‑born, Canadian‑loved. Founder Moa Gürbüzer started it after seeing alcohol's impact on children. Her mission: make "with or without alcohol" as common as coffee with or without milk.
These brands are signals. The industry is finally catching up to what women actually want: choice, quality, and a good time without the hangover.
The BFT Take
This is not really a story about alcohol.
It is a story about women becoming more selective.
More selective about:
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What enters their body.
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What drains their energy.
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What they spend money on.
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What actually improves their quality of life.
For years, alcohol was positioned as the reward.
Now more women are questioning the return on investment.
Because the reality is: A lot of women are exhausted.
And substances that worsen sleep, anxiety, hormones, recovery, and mental clarity are starting to feel less compatible with the lives women are trying to build.
The liquor industry spent decades embedding alcohol into femininity and social culture.
Now women are quietly reshaping both.
Not dramatically.
Not performatively.
Just by ordering something else.
And that shift is powerful enough to change an industry.
Built For This
The business of womanhood.
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