People are drinking less. But don’t just take my word for it, there’s plenty of data to back it up.

According to a report published by the BBC in January 2026, an increasing number of adults are either reducing their alcohol consumption or cutting it out entirely. The data shared in the article suggests that between 2011 and 2022 the amount of adults abstaining from alcoholic beverages remained relatively stable at about 19 per cent, or one in every five people. Since then that figure has increased to 24 per cent, or one in four – with the majority of those driving that increase being under 25 years of age.

This generational shift in drinking habits is largely driven by societal change, with an increasing number of young adults turning towards fitness and mindful living as an alternative to sinking several pints down the local most evenings. Office culture has changed too, with the boozy-lunch becoming more seldom seen, often taboo activity, in an era where everyone is always-online, and often attempting to present the very best version of themselves. Quite simply, drinking culture doesn’t fit into many people’s lives in the same way it used to – especially when people are generally more aware of the associated long-term health risks drinking alcohol carries with it.

There has also been a huge increase in the number of easily available low-and-no alcohol options, including beer. Sales of beverages containing 0.5 per cent alcohol or less have ballooned by a staggering 870 per cent since 2013, and in terms of beer, it now accounts for almost two per cent of the total market. This has been buoyed by both new entrants to the sector, such as Lucky Saint, and multinational brands including Guinness and Heineken, which now offer draught versions of their zero per cent alcohol range, in addition to bottles and cans within the off trade.

Culturally, a new language has started to emerge. For example the term Zebra Striping – meaning to alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks over the course of a session – officially entered the Collins English Dictionary in November 2024. Quite simply, it’s much easier to get a decent low or non-alcoholic option at the pub, and this is a really positive thing. Pubs are for everyone, and not just for drinking. If more people are using pubs as a result that cannot be taken for granted.

Despite the numbers demonstrating that young people are drinking less, however, that hasn’t seemed to have prevented eager marketers from trying to convince them to do otherwise. Brands are obsessed with trying to get the younger generation to drink more, and with good reason – their existing audience is getting older, and logically, gradually diminishing. A recent report published in the Telegraph suggests that the over-40s are the “last generation of regular drinkers” with around 52 per cent of people 40 or above reportedly exceeding the suggested limit of 14 units (approximately six pints of four per cent ABV beer) a week.

Some older breweries have developed entire sub-brands in an attempt to win over younger drinkers. Take Outland from Dorset’s Hall & Woodhouse – perhaps better known as the producer of Badger Ales. This sleek, modern range of beers, which includes lagers and hazy IPAs, positions itself cleverly with bold colours and modern typefaces. Other breweries have made conscious efforts to try and make their beer more appealing to Generation Z. Most recently, the UK’s best-selling cask beer, Landlord from Yorkshire’s Timothy Taylor’s brewery, unveiled its first rebrand for more than a decade. Notably, it features a far younger, bearded mascot on the pump clip of its flagship ale, replacing the previous, and far more follicly challenged incumbent.

“It’s about making sure the quality and care that go into every pint are reflected in how Timothy Taylor’s is presented today, so we’re just as relevant to the next generation of drinkers as we’ve been to the last,” said Taylor’s recently appointed CEO, Andrew Carter in a press release.

The thing is, do Generation Z – the oldest of which turn 30 this year – really care? There are other reasons to consider why they might not be drinking as much as older generations, the most prescient of which is surely the cost of living crisis. Having a drink at the pub is now something of a luxury, not a commodity. Then there’s the fact that when they do drink, they often like to drink less, but better, and spread what money they do have around by drinking wine, spirits and cocktails in addition to beer.

There’s also evidence that this younger generation of drinkers might not be as abstinent as previously thought. Just look at the staggering success of Guinness, now the best-selling beer in the UK by value, which has seen double-digit sales growth over the past 12 months, while competitor brands have contracted over the same period, largely due to its mass appeal to younger drinkers. Real ale brands are also seeing growth, with Bass having seen 23 a per cent sales increase, much of it as a result of it becoming fashionable among young men and women.

Nostalgia, it seems, is one of the few pulls successfully luring younger drinkers towards the demon drink. It might well be that we’ve entered an era where beer doesn’t fulfil the same role in our culture as it has done over the past 50 or 100 years, and there’s little we can do to change that. Or, it could be that – largely due to various circumstances out of their control – Generation Z will slowly but surely find its way to beer, and indeed ways to make a part of this culture feel like their own. I, for one, consider it’s not something that can be forced, but have a feeling that despite misgivings, my own generation won’t be the last one to enjoy a spot of overindulgence – every now and again, at least.