From fizz to foam: What beer producers can learn from soft drink giants to win the away-from-home battle in Europe

Across Europe, the away-from-home (AFH) channel – cafés, restaurants, bars, travel hubs, leisure venues, workplaces, and events – is no longer just a volume driver. AFH is a stage. A theater of brands. A battleground for visibility, relevance, and premiumization.

Soft drink producers have already mastered the “stage.”

And then there’s beer… Beer companies, despite their heritage in hospitality, repeatedly under-leverage the strategic sophistication that global soft drink players bring to AFH. As consumer behaviors shift – moderation trends, premium experiences, digital ordering, sustainability expectations – beer can borrow from the soda playbook to create new momentum.

Here is how.

1. Treat away-from-home as a brand theater – Not just distribution

Soft drink companies understand that AFH is where brands come alive, so they invest in:

• Iconic glassware and service rituals
• Branded coolers and high-impact refrigeration
• Menu visibility and exclusive pouring rights
• Seasonal activations and co-branded campaigns

For them, AFH is not merely a sales channel; it is a brand amplification engine.

Beer producers, especially large brewers, often focus on tap presence and volume contracts. But there is an opportunity to elevate the experience:

• Curated tap stories (origin, brewing style, food pairing)
• Branded draught rituals beyond the standard pour
• Immersive POS materials that tell craft or sustainability narratives
• Seasonal “tap takeovers” with storytelling and digital amplification

Soft drink logic: Own the space.

Beer opportunity: Own the moment.

2. Engineer your portfolio for every occasion

Soft drink portfolios are ruthlessly structured around occasions:

• Meal accompaniment
• Energy boost
• Low-calorie refreshment
• Indulgence
• Kids & family
• On-the-go

In AFH, these companies tailor SKU, format, and pricing by outlet type – QSR, casual dining, nightlife, travel retail, and so on.

Beer portfolios are normally segmented by brand tier (mainstream, premium, craft), and less systematically so by occasion.

What if beer mirrored soda’s occasion architecture?

• Lunch-friendly lighter options (lower ABV, smaller formats)
• Premium dinner pairings (specialty styles with menu integration)
• Event-focused shareables (pitchers, tasting flights)
• Mindful socializing (alcohol-free and low-alcohol as core, not niche)

Soft drink normalized zero-sugar as mainstream.

Beer can normalize alcohol-free in AFH the same way – not as a compromise, but as a choice.

3. Win the menu, win the mind

Soft drink brands obsess over menu placement:

• Prime positioning
• Bundle inclusion
• Upsell scripts for staff
• Default drink in meal deals

In many European venues, beer listings are static and generic: “Lager, IPA, Wheat.” No pricing ladder psychology. No premium cueing. No curated pairing.

Beer brands can borrow:

• Structured menu engineering (good-better-best beer ladder)
• “Chef’s beer pairing” callouts
• Alcohol-free highlighted alongside alcoholic options
• QR-enabled storytelling linked to the brewery

Soft drink logic: Control the decision architecture.

Beer opportunity: Curate the choice environment.

4. Leverage data like a consumer goods company

Global soft drink players operate AFH like retail:

• Outlet segmentation
• Channel-specific performance dashboards
• Data-driven assortment optimization
• Revenue management by outlet type

Beer companies usually rely heavily on distributor relationships and historical presence.

Nevertheless, Europe’s AFH landscape is evolving rapidly – independent venues, hybrid café-bars, experiential dining concepts – and beer producers should:

• Segment AFH by consumer mission, not just outlet type
• Use POS data to refine portfolio mix
• Adapt pricing by region and channel sophistication
• Pilot innovations in urban hubs before scaling

Soft drink mindset: Measure everything.

Beer evolution: Move from relationship-driven to insight-driven growth.

5. Invest in equipment as strategic real estate

Soft drink operators view coolers, fountains, and dispensers as controlled brand assets. Equipment ensures:

• Visibility
• Consistency
• Exclusivity

Beer already controls taps, unfortunately it often stops there.

What if beer brands thought beyond taps?

• Dedicated alcohol-free fridges in high-traffic zones
• Interactive tap handles with digital displays
• Smart draught systems collecting real-time consumption data
• Sustainability-branded dispensing systems (low energy, low waste)

In a climate-conscious Europe, the environmental footprint of dispensing can become a brand differentiator.

Soft drinks sell refreshment.

Beer can sell craftsmanship and responsibility.

6. Master partnership economics

Soft drink producers excel at long-term strategic partnerships with chains:

• Volume-based incentives
• Marketing co-investment
• Joint innovation launches
• Category management support

Beer companies sometimes negotiate volume and rebates. They do so less when it comes to shared category growth strategy.

A more modern approach would entail:

• Category captaincy in alcohol-free beer
• Joint marketing calendars with hospitality groups
• Co-developed limited editions for specific chains
• Shared sustainability commitments

AFH operators increasingly seek partners, not just suppliers.

7. Build cultural relevance, not just availability

Soft drink brands activate culture relentlessly – music festivals, e-sports, streetwear collaborations, youth culture partnerships.

Beer has an even stronger foundation, given its deep cultural roots. However, activation often remains event-driven and seasonal.

Inspired by soda, beer could:

• Develop year-round cultural platforms in urban nightlife
• Integrate with food trends (plant-based menus, street food festivals)
• Sponsor emerging creative communities, not just mainstream sports
• Use social-first storytelling tied to AFH locations

The venue becomes content.

The tap becomes a story.

8. Lead the moderation movement – Don’t react to It

Soft drink enterprises capitalized early on health consciousness – reformulation, zero-sugar, portion control, transparency.

Europe’s beer market faces similar structural trends:

• Moderation
• Health awareness
• Work-life blending
• Earlier closing times in some cities
• Hybrid day-to-night consumption

Beer can borrow the soda playbook and:

• Make alcohol-free visible, aspirational, and well-priced
• Promote mid-strength formats as daytime options
• Position beer as a culinary complement, not as an intoxication driver
• Train staff to recommend low-ABV options naturally

Momentum in AFH will not come from pushing volume – it will come from expanding occasions.

9. Think systems, not campaigns

Soft drink success in AFH is not accidental. It is systemic:

• Portfolio architecture
• Equipment strategy
• Menu control
• Data analytics
• Commercial partnerships
• Continuous innovation

Beer frequently excels in brand building and heritage storytelling. If it wants to create sustained momentum in Europe’s fragmented AFH landscape, beer must adopt the systematic rigor of soft drink operators.

Not to become soda.

But to become strategically sharper beer.

Conclusion: The future of beer in AFH is strategic, not just social

Europe remains one of the world’s most culturally rich beer regions. However, AFH dynamics are shifting:

• Consumers seek experience over intoxication.
• Operators seek partners over suppliers.
• Margins demand premiumization.
• Sustainability demands credibility.

Soft drink producers have built an industrialized model of relevance in AFH.

Beer players can adapt this model, blending commercial precision with brewing authenticity, to unlock:

• Stronger premium ladders
• Scalable alcohol-free growth
• Higher value per outlet
• Deeper brand immersion

Foam may be different from fizz.

But the discipline behind growth can be the same.

The next wave of momentum in European away-from-home will not be caught by the loudest brand. It will belong to the most strategically orchestrated one.

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