What is “zebra striping”, the art of alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks ?

In the UK, 78% of 18-24 year olds are fans of “zebra striping” Jesus Rodriguez/Getty Images

We have (maybe) found the solution to relieve the guilt of all those who lacked the motivation to take on the “dry January” challenge: try “zebra striping”. The idea is not to send you to the zoo at all, but to suggest that you include all types of drinks, alcoholic or not, in your aperitif. We explain.

It's true that there's something to feel guilty about when you don't feel like trying a “dry January”. And that's precisely why this challenge of British origin was initiated in 2013: to question your relationship with alcohol. Alternatives already exist to participate in your own way, such as “damp January” which consists of reducing the number of glasses compared to your usual consumption; “damp” meaning damp in the language of Shakespeare, we will have understood the intention.

There is also the “sober curious” movement, which has a similar project, and aims to be aware of one's consumption and to check whether one can control it. The approach is in line with Ruby Warrington's book “Sober Curious: The blissful sleep, greater focus, limitless presence and deep connection awaiting us all on the other side of alcohol” published in 2018.

Since the rise of “dry January”, the range of non-alcoholic liquid options has continued to expand, thanks to the ever more successful sharpening of dealcoholization techniques, and especially of recipes that give flavor to drinks so as to no longer give the impression of making concessions.

What is a flexibuveurs ?

These are all choices to be enjoyed during this sober month of January, especially since 75% of French people have never yet consumed alcohol-free wine, indicated the recent Chavin observatory carried out by the CSA institute. For the minority who have already taken the plunge, they have been given a name, at least for those who mix alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks: they are flexibuveurs.

In this dynamic, customers of British pubs have found another way to reduce their alcohol consumption: adopting “zebra striping”. This method, whose name evokes the idea of ​​camouflage like that of the equine, consists of integrating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks during the same consumption moment, after work for example.

More precisely, it involves alternating between each. According to the report by the Kam consultancy commissioned by the alcohol-free brand Lucky Saint and relayed by Beverage Daily, 28% of British consumers use this principle when they find themselves in a pub. For its part, the Guardian newspaper mentions the popularity of the method among the younger generation aged 18 to 24, with more than three quarters of followers (78%).

In truth, if the marketing departments of alcohol-free brands have labelled a name on this method, it is not completely new insofar as nutritionists already recommended drinking a glass of water between each glass of wine or alcohol. With “zebra striping”, we are more in the principle of replacing this glass of water with an alcohol-free alternative.