A short guide to the new generation's drink preferences at the office, and how to meet them.
Gen Z doesn't head for the coffee machine on autopilot. For the fastest-growing segment of the workforce, coffee is just one option to fuel their day, alongside flavored water, plant-based drinks, functional alternatives, and low- or no-alcohol options. That's a real shift from the office standards of the last two decades. For HR and facility teams rethinking what the kitchen should offer, it matters. It's more than just 'following a trend'. It's a signal to your team you're paying attention.
What Gen Z is actually reaching for
Four categories are reshaping drink trends on the workplace floor.
Iced coffee and cold brew. When Gen Z reaches for coffee, it's cold more often than not. Iced coffee has gone from summer extra to year-round default among under-30s.
Flavored and functional water. Infused waters, sparkling waters, and drinks that pack in vitamins, electrolytes, or botanicals are the fastest-growing category by a long way. Over 40% of Gen Z has swapped their daily tea or coffee for functional alternatives altogether [1]. 70% of Gen Z had bought a functional beverage in the three months before Mintel's 2024 survey [1].
Plant-based drinks. Oat, almond, and soy milks aren't niche anymore. For a lot of Gen Z employees, they sit alongside dairy as a standard option in coffee, tea, or the morning smoothie.
Low- and no-alcohol alternatives. Gen Z drinks noticeably less alcohol than previous generations [2]. That shows up after 5pm too: borrels and office events where alcohol-free options are expected on the table, not tucked behind the bar.
Why these preferences are shifting
Three forces are driving the shift.
Health. 65% of Gen Z say their generation cares more about healthfulness and nutrition than previous ones [3]. That shows up in what they drink: 38% want cognitive or mood benefits from their coffee and 35% want stress relief, not plain caffeine [3].
Sustainability. Single-use cups, imported beans, and stacks of plastic bottles don't sit well with Gen-Z values. Tap-connected, lower-waste options win over pods and bottles every time.
Lifestyle. Drinks are an extension of identity, not a utility. What's on offer in the office kitchen says something about the employer, and whether they've updated their thinking since 2010.
Why employers need to adapt
A drink offering that stops at coffee and plain tap water sends a message: ‘we’re not really considering what supports wellbeing and haven’t thought about change in a long time’. Gen Z is now the fastest-growing segment of the workforce, and they factor everyday workplace experience into where they want to work, and stay. Healthy drink options at work aren't a perk layered on top of the job. They're part of how a modern office fuels focus, hydration, and culture through the day.
How to build an offering that actually lands
Start with variety. Cold and hot. Flavored and plain. Functional and neutral. One pathway doesn't cut it anymore.
Make healthy the default. Move sugary drinks off the main menu and make hydration the easy, interesting, first-thing-you-reach-for option.
Back it with infrastructure built for the shift. A tap-connected water dispenser with flavored and functional options replaces a patchwork of bottles, pods, and packaging. It shrinks the supply chain along the way, too. For more on moving from coffee-first to hydration-first, read our guide on why your next hire wants more than a coffee machine. It lays out the numbers.
Aquablu's REFILL+ is built exactly for this moment. Filtered tap water with flavored and functional options, still or sparkling, chilled or at room temperature, so every employee can pick the sip that fits their day.
See how REFILL+ works as an alternative to coffee at the office →
SOURCES
[1] Gen Z beverage trends (Opeepl) [2] Young adults in U.S. drinking less than in prior decades (Gallup) [3] Coffee and tea trends: Gen Z demands pick-me-ups with functional benefits (Food Navigator USA)
FAQ
01
What is a healthy alternative to coffee in the office?
The best alternatives target what coffee actually does: lift energy, sharpen focus, break up the day. Matcha and yerba mate pair caffeine with L-theanine, which smooths the spike and skips the crash. Functional water with B-vitamins or electrolytes covers the slump without any caffeine, handy after 2pm when coffee starts eating into sleep. Flavored water adds the sensory variety most people are actually missing. A system like REFILL+ covers 60+ functional drink options straight from the tap, so the choice maps to how someone feels, not what happens to be sitting in the kitchen.
02
Why are more young employees choosing less caffeine?
Three things stack up. First, wearables and sleep tracking make the impact visible: people now see what an afternoon coffee does to their recovery score. Second, caffeine correlates with anxiety at higher doses, and Gen Z is more open about mental health than previous generations. Third, the sober-curious shift that cut into alcohol is extending to caffeine too. Stable energy beats the peak-and-crash, especially when the workday stretches across time zones or into evening calls.
03
What drink options do employees expect in today's office?
Personalization more than product. One-flavor water is now what coffee-only used to be: the baseline to go beyond. Employees expect to pick by mood or moment: sparkling for lunch, functional focus water for the afternoon, something cold and flavored for a heads-down stretch. Plant-based milk is a standard not a perk, and alcohol-free options are expected at events. The benchmark has shifted toward what people get from a good café, and offices that stay at "coffee and tap water" feel a decade behind.
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