Low-alcohol beer breaks records as British drinking habits change Alcohol-free beer sales hit record 200 million pints in UK %

Brits are on track to drink more than 200 million pints of low-alcohol and low-alcohol beer this year, marking a milestone that underlines a major shift in the nation’s drinking habits.

Consumption of “off and low” beers is predicted to rise by around a fifth from 2024 levels, when around 170 million pints were sold, according to research by the British Beer & Pub Association. The trade body expects an estimated 22 million pints to be poured in December alone, as pubs and drinkers increasingly embrace alcohol-free alternatives during the festive season.

The growth has been phenomenal. Volumes in the low and non-alcoholic category have increased by more than 750 percent since 2013, driven by significant investment from brewers and changing consumer attitudes about health and moderation. Separate figures from Drinkware show that 45 per cent of adults have never or rarely drank alcohol in the past year, up from 22 per cent in 2021.

Pub staff say the trend is reshaping the bar. Greene King, one of the UK’s largest pub groups, reported that sales of soft drinks rose by 36 per cent last year across its 1,600 owned outlets, with beer and cider combined accounting for more than 70 per cent of those sales.

For professional brewers, change becomes a focus throughout the year. Luke Boase, founder of Lucky Saint, now available on draft in nearly 1,000 locations, said demand has reached record levels. “We see this in every month of the year – it depends on how people drink,” he said.

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA, said the move shows how the industry is responding to changing tastes. “The pub has always been about more than just getting a drink, and it’s encouraging to see more people choosing to moderate while still celebrating and having fun,” she said.

Despite the growth, brewers argue that the law is holding the category back. In the UK, beer must contain less than 0.05 percent alcohol by volume to be labeled “non-alcoholic”, a stricter limit than in many other countries, where up to 0.5 percent is allowed. McClarkin said modernizing the definition would bring the UK into line with international markets and open up further investment and innovation.

The shift to moderation is creating challenges for major brewers around the world, as younger, more health-conscious consumers drink less alcohol overall. Low- and no-alcohol beers accounted for about 2 percent of global beers last year, according to IWSR, a beverage analysis firm, which expects that share to rise to 3 percent by 2027.

Earlier this month, Budweiser Brewing Group, the UK and Ireland arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev, opened its second European distillery at its brewery in Magor, South Wales. The move means alcohol-free products such as Corona Cero and Stella Artois 0.0 will be produced in Britain for the first time rather than imported from Belgium – another sign that the no and low-alcohol boom is taking hold in the mainstream.