Bartesian CEO says Gen Z wants quality over quantity in premium at-home drinks

The alcohol industry has long relied on young adults eventually becoming regular drinkers. Now Generation Z is pushing the industry for change by embracing “sober and curious” lifestyles and seeking quality beverages.

A. 2025 Gallup poll It found that the percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol dropped to 54%, the lowest rate in the 90 years it has tracked. Gallup found that from 1997 to 2023, at least 60% of Americans reported drinking alcohol. This figure dropped to 58% in 2024 and again to 54% in 2025.

The alcohol industry faces a new challenge. Instead of turning young adults into lifelong customers, they now need to convince them that their product is worth the price.

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Ryan Close, CEO and founder of Bartesian, said he sees consumers preferring quality over quantity. Instead of consuming more or less alcohol, they are looking for better, higher-quality beverage options, he said.

“I’m not going to argue with the data, you know, they’re probably drinking less alcohol. I think they’re drinking less, but with the expectation of ‘I want better,'” he told Fox News Digital about Gen Z’s drinking habits.

Bartesian makes an automatic at-home cocktail machine that allows users to create bar-style cocktails by inserting flavor capsules and adding their own spirits.

Close told Fox News Digital that before starting Bartesian, she noticed that although people were ordering cocktails at bars and restaurants, they were mostly drinking wine and beer at home. He said many find making cocktails too difficult and don’t want to collect all the necessary bitters and other ingredients. Despite his years of bartending experience, Close struggled to make a classic cocktail: the Old Fashioned, a flavor found in Bartesian capsules.

Close said his company was founded on the idea that consumers want premium cocktails made at home with good ingredients.

“We only use real ingredients, so we don’t put anything artificial in the cocktails, we don’t put artificial colors or flavors, so you only get real quality freshness,” he said.

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Bartesian CEO Ryan Close believes younger consumers are looking for premium experiences rather than drinking for the drink. (Media photos via iStock/Getty Images)

Industry research shows that Close isn’t the only one noticing the shift towards the pursuit of quality. The Jan. 2 report outlines five consumer trends shaping the alcohol industry. NielsenIQ (NIQ) A similar pattern was detected among drinkers. The NIQ found that 67% of alcohol drinkers and nearly half (52%) of average drinkers say they would be willing to pay more for better quality drinks. However, NIQ’s report examines on-premise drinking habits, not drinking at home.

Close believes the shift goes beyond what consumers drink and extends to why they drink in the first place. He argued that Gen Z consumers don’t want to “drink for the sake of drinking” but are instead looking to have a shared experience. Bartesian not only allows users to choose different cocktail flavors, but also shows what type of spirits and how much alcohol is added to the drinks. Something Close says is based on this idea of ​​wanting experience.

“I think the younger generation is more conscious, and it’s not about, ‘Hey, I don’t want to drink at all,’ it’s about, ‘I want to drink better, less frequently, and with better quality,'” Close told Fox News Digital.

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Bartesian machines allow users to choose the type of spirits included in their cocktails and the strength of their drinks. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Many older Gen Z consumers turned 21 during the COVID-19 pandemic, as restaurants and bars across the country closed or operated under strict restrictions. Close said he believes younger consumers are increasingly viewing their homes as “an extension of restaurants and bars,” creating a demand for quality cocktail experiences at home.

Rising cocktail prices have only accelerated this shift as consumers become more selective about how they spend their money, Close said. He recalled that during a recent trip to New York City, he found himself paying nearly $24 for a martini that was missing a key ingredient, blue cheese olives.

“I don’t plan on spending $75 on a martini, especially without the blue cheese, when I know I can go home and make the same cocktail for $3 or $4,” he said.

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According to Close, the trend is not to completely replace bars and restaurants, but rather to meet consumer demand who are more conscious of what they drink, where they drink it and the value of experiences.