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When John Herman left a senior role at one of America\u2019s fastest-growing energy drink companies, he wasn\u2019t looking to build another beverage brand. Yet less than two years later, he finds himself at the helm of one of the most closely watched names in the rapidly expanding non-alcoholic drinks market.<\/p>\n
The business in question is BERO, the premium alcohol-free beer company,\u00a0co-founded with actor Tom Holland. Born in London, brewed in America and now stocked by retailers including Morrisons and Selfridges, the brand is positioning itself as more than simply another entrant in the no- and low-alcohol category. Herman believes it represents a broader shift in consumer behaviour.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe set out to create something that was premium. It was aspiration, it was lifestyle,\u201d he says. \u201cUltimately, a brand that people would want to be part of.\u201d<\/p>\n
The timing also appears favourable. According to IWSR, no and low alcohol products continue to be among the fastest-growing segments in global drinks, with no-alcohol volumes forecast to increase by 36% by 2029. In the UK alone, no-alcohol beer recorded 20% growth in 2024, while US sales of non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits surpassed $1bn in off-premise channels last year.<\/p>\n
For Herman, however, BERO\u2019s origins lie less in market data than in two personal experiences converging at the right moment.<\/p>\n
Before launching the company, Herman spent nine years helping scale a fast-growing energy drink business before its investment by Keurig Dr Pepper. At the same time, Holland was embarking on a period of sobriety that would ultimately inspire the brand\u2019s creation.<\/p>\n
\u201cTom was going on a year and a half sober,\u201d Herman recalls. \u201cHe realised he had never felt better than when he made the decision to eliminate alcohol from his life. Better physically, better mentally, better clarity, better professionally and, he would say, better in his relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet Holland felt something was missing.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t see a brand out there that really supported this idea of aspiration, coolness, lifestyle and ultimately inclusivity in traditional drinking settings,\u201d Herman says. \u201cMany of them felt more functional in format.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Herman, the opportunity looked slightly different. Unlike Holland, he still drinks alcohol occasionally but saw a growing place for premium non-alcoholic options within modern lifestyles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still enjoy wine,\u201d he says. \u201cBut after a glass of wine at dinner, there\u2019s a wonderful world for non-alcoholic beverages. Professionally, personally, trying to stay active, having a young daughter, there was a place for non-alcohol in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Catering for the younger consumer<\/h5>\n
While the alcohol-free category has traditionally skewed towards older consumers moderating their intake, Herman says BERO is attracting a younger audience.<\/p>\n
\u201cRoughly two-thirds of our consumers are under the age of 45,\u201d he says. \u201cIn the broader non-alcoholic category, only about 45% of consumers are under 45.\u201d<\/p>\n
That demographic profile is no accident. Holland, who recently celebrated his 30th birthday, sits squarely within the brand\u2019s target audience. Herman describes BERO\u2019s customer as slightly more affluent, more educated and often navigating the competing demands of careers, young families and health-conscious lifestyles.<\/p>\n
The customer base remains around 60% male and 40% female, although Herman believes that split compares favourably with traditional beer.<\/p>\n The wider backdrop is a generation rethinking its relationship with alcohol. NHS England data shows that a quarter of people aged between 16 and 24 did not drink alcohol in the previous year, while a growing number of younger consumers are embracing moderation rather than abstinence.<\/p>\n At the same time, Herman rejects the idea that younger consumers are abandoning social drinking altogether.<\/p>\n \u201cThe important part isn\u2019t necessarily the alcohol that gives you the buzz,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s the environment that you find yourself in.\u201d<\/p>\n That social element, he argues, is helping to drive growth across the category.<\/p>\n Prior to the pandemic, health and wellness trends were already reshaping food and drink. Covid accelerated the shift. Herman points to the emergence of brands such as Olipop and Poppi in the US, alongside changing perceptions of legacy energy drinks.<\/p>\n \u201cThe same thing is happening to beer,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople are looking to make better, healthier decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n That philosophy underpins BERO\u2019s latest launch: a limited-edition shandy range featuring lemon-lime, pink grapefruit, elderflower and blackberry yuzu variants.<\/p>\n The move marks a notable departure from traditional alcohol-free beer and perhaps provides a clue as to where the category is heading next.<\/p>\n The collection consists of 70% lemonade and 30% beer, built on BERO\u2019s Kingston Golden Pils base and packaged in brightly coloured 12oz cans designed to evoke \u201ca trip to the Italian coast\u201d.<\/p>\n For Herman, the appeal goes beyond seasonality. \u201cIf I remember the first time I had a beer, my reaction was probably, \u2018Why do people drink this?’\u201d he says. \u201cBeer is an acquired taste.\u201d<\/p>\n That presents a challenge for younger consumers who may never have developed an attachment to traditional beer styles.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a world where you see Gen Z in their early twenties never really acquiring that taste for beer, how do you introduce them to the category?\u201d<\/p>\n His answer is fruit. \u201cThe shandy removes that barrier. Immediately you taste it; it\u2019s familiar, it\u2019s sweet, it\u2019s refreshing. It almost drinks like a soda.\u201d<\/p>\n The inspiration partly came from Holland\u2019s fianc\u00e9e, who supports the business but has never been a beer drinker herself.<\/p>\n \u201cHe saw it as a personal challenge to create something she would actually enjoy,\u201d Herman says with a laugh. \u201cI get texts saying, \u2018She drank them all again. Can you send more?’\u201d<\/p>\n The flavours themselves reflect broader beverage trends. Pink grapefruit taps into the popularity of Palomas and citrus-forward sparkling drinks, while elderflower and blackberry yuzu were selected to bring something distinctive to the range.<\/p>\n The launch also serves a strategic purpose: \u201cWe view it as a massive category expander and certainly a consumer expander for us,\u201d Herman says.<\/p>\n Early sales have exceeded expectations, and while the collection is currently positioned as a limited edition, Herman admits he hopes that changes.<\/p>\n \u201cI really hope it becomes an everyday listing,\u201d he says. \u201cAt the very least, a summertime revisit.\u201d<\/p>\n For all its American production roots, Herman repeatedly returns to Britain when discussing BERO\u2019s future.<\/p>\n The company spent much of 2025 brewing in the US and shipping products across the Atlantic.<\/p>\n \u201cCandidly, it was a nightmare,\u201d he says. \u201cIf you looked at the P&L, you\u2019d ask what I was thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, the company also works with a contract brewery in Belgium, creating a European production base to support future growth. Even then, the logistics remain complex.<\/p>\n Different can formats, pack sizes and suppliers must be managed across markets. In the US, BERO sells six-packs and 12-packs; in Britain, four-packs and eight-packs dominate.<\/p>\n Launching the new shandy line added another layer of difficulty. \u201cCommercialising four different flavours becomes quite cumbersome.\u201d Yet Herman believes the UK market offers advantages elsewhere.<\/p>\n In particular, Britain\u2019s hospitality sector has embraced non-alcoholic beer more quickly than its American counterpart.<\/p>\n \u201cI can walk into almost any pub and see multiple high-quality non-alcoholic offerings,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re often on draft.\u201d<\/p>\n As a result, BERO\u2019s channel mix looks markedly different on either side of the Atlantic. In Britain, roughly 80% of sales come through the on-trade and 20% through retail. In the US, the split is almost entirely reversed, with around 90% of sales coming through off-trade channels.<\/p>\n \u201cWe think the on-trade is really where this brand will be defined,\u201d Herman says. The company has recently expanded into hospitality partnerships across the UK while continuing to build distribution through retailers such as Morrisons and Selfridges.<\/p>\n Further questions remain. For example, packaging regulations, such as the UK\u2019s forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme is one area under close scrutiny.<\/p>\n BERO recently launched a glass bottle format, which Herman believes offers the best drinking experience outside draft beer. However, the operational implications of future return schemes remain uncertain.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re exploring it, but we don\u2019t have all the answers just yet.\u201d For now, however, Herman\u2019s focus remains fixed on growth.<\/p>\n Alongside Britain and North America, he points to growing inbound interest from Asia and the Middle East. The ambition, he admits, is considerable.<\/p>\n \u201cTom said on day one that we wanted to create a brand that becomes synonymous with non-alcoholic beer,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a lofty target. But in a category that remains relatively young, Herman sees room for many more drinkers to make the switch.<\/p>\n \u201cIf people follow our brand and it looks like we\u2019re having fun building it, that\u2019s because it\u2019s true,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve never enjoyed building something more than what we\u2019re doing here. The team is incredible and Tom is a great partner.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.retailgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Slanted-and-Column-template-Yasmeen-55-e1781180312907-300x222.png\")
Why BERO is betting on shandy<\/h5>\n
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Britain leads the way<\/h5>\n
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