What is The Future of Drinking? Designing Drinks in a World Where Experience Trumps ABV #25
Wed Nov 05 2025
What does it mean to ‘go for a drink’ in 2025, and what’s at stake for those vying for a place in everyone’s glass?
Gone are the days of the binary option. ‘Alcohol vs 0% beer’ has been replaced by functional beverages, ashwagandha, CBD and beyond.
Today’s episode of You, Me & CPG isn’t just about the future of drinking, but by proxy it’s the future of socialising, and we couldn’t be joined by three more important guests.
Laura Willoughby MBE (Club Soda Co-Founder), Imme Ergassen (Botivo Co-Founder) and Luis Osório (IWSR’s Head of Consumer Insights) see the glass half-full, but heed their warnings - there’s plenty for brands to reshape if they’re to fit the mould of the future…
This episode covers
The new social perspective on drinking experiences Functional beverages and blurred boundariesThe real story behind rising moderation - less about abstinence, more about optionsAuthenticity, storytelling, and brand craft as tools for market positioningNavigating the industry shift, and what the beverage sector must do to stay relevant Imme Ergassen
https://www.linkedin.com/in/immeermgassen/?originalSubdomain=uk
Luis Osório
https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismosorio/?originalSubdomain=uk
Laura Willoughby MBE
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurawilloughby/?originalSubdomain=uk
Jamie Holtum
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-holtum-85b79634/
Haines
https://www.haines.partners/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hainespartners/
https://www.instagram.com/youmeandcpg/
More
What does it mean to ‘go for a drink’ in 2025, and what’s at stake for those vying for a place in everyone’s glass? Gone are the days of the binary option. ‘Alcohol vs 0% beer’ has been replaced by functional beverages, ashwagandha, CBD and beyond. Today’s episode of You, Me & CPG isn’t just about the future of drinking, but by proxy it’s the future of socialising, and we couldn’t be joined by three more important guests. Laura Willoughby MBE (Club Soda Co-Founder), Imme Ergassen (Botivo Co-Founder) and Luis Osório (IWSR’s Head of Consumer Insights) see the glass half-full, but heed their warnings - there’s plenty for brands to reshape if they’re to fit the mould of the future… This episode covers The new social perspective on drinking experiences Functional beverages and blurred boundariesThe real story behind rising moderation - less about abstinence, more about optionsAuthenticity, storytelling, and brand craft as tools for market positioningNavigating the industry shift, and what the beverage sector must do to stay relevant Imme Ergassen https://www.linkedin.com/in/immeermgassen/?originalSubdomain=uk Luis Osório https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismosorio/?originalSubdomain=uk Laura Willoughby MBE https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurawilloughby/?originalSubdomain=uk Jamie Holtum https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-holtum-85b79634/ Haines https://www.haines.partners/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/hainespartners/ https://www.instagram.com/youmeandcpg/