Brits are on track to drink more than 200 million pints of low and no alcohol beer this year, a record milestone that underlines a sea change in the country’s drinking habits.
According to a study by the British Beer & Pub Association, consumption of “no-and-low” beers is expected to rise by almost a fifth compared to 2024, when around 170 million pints were sold. The trade association expects around 22 million pints to be served in December alone as pubs and drinkers increasingly turn to non-alcoholic alternatives over the festive period.
The growth was dramatic. Volumes in the low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beverage category have increased by more than 750 percent since 2013, driven by significant investment by brewers and changing consumer attitudes toward health and moderation. Separate figures from Drinkaware show that 45 percent of adults consumed no or low-alcohol drinks last year, up from just 22 percent in 2021.
Pub operators say the trend is transforming the bar. Greene King, one of the UK’s largest pub groups, reported a 36 per cent increase in soft drinks sales across its 1,600 managed sites last year, with packaged zero percent beer and cider accounting for more than 70 per cent of those sales.
For specialized breweries, change is firmly established all year round. Luke Boase, founder of Lucky Saint, which is now available on tap in around 1,000 pubs, said demand had reached record levels. “We see this every month of the year – it becomes ingrained in the way people drink,” he said.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA, said the rise showed how effectively the industry had responded to changing tastes. “The pub has always been about more than just getting a drink and it’s inspiring to see so many people choosing to host while partying and socializing,” she said.
Despite the growth, brewers argue that regulation is holding the category back. In the UK, beer must contain less than 0.05% alcohol by volume to be labeled “non-alcoholic”. This is a stricter limit than in many other countries, where up to 0.5 percent by volume is permitted. McClarkin said modernizing the definition would align the UK with international markets and enable further investment and innovation.
The trend toward moderation also poses challenges for established global brewers as younger, more health-conscious consumers drink less alcohol overall. Low-alcohol and no-alcohol beers accounted for about 2 percent of global beer volume last year, according to IWSR, the beverage analytics firm, which expects that share to rise to 3 percent by 2027.
Earlier this month, Budweiser Brewing Group, the UK and Irish arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev, opened its second European dealcoholisation facility at its brewery in Magor, South Wales. The move means that non-alcoholic brands such as Corona Cero and Stella Artois 0.0 will be made in the UK for the first time rather than imported from Belgium – another sign that the no and low alcohol boom is firmly in the mainstream.
