Christmas and New Year's Eve gatherings often used to result in a next-day headache, but with restraint now the prevailing trend, the emerging beverage sector popular phrase is “coasting”.
This entails opting for a white wine, lager, or even a cocktail that is approximately half the alcohol content of the regular version – allowing you can have the same number of drinks without feeling the worse for wear.
The Rise of Mid-Strength Choices
True to its name, “mid-strength” drinks take up the middle ground between alcohol-free and low-ABV and full-strength options. While an official industry guideline yet, typical ranges are:
- Beers and ciders: Approximately 2-3% alcohol by volume.
- Wines: Typically 3-9% alcohol by volume.
- Spirits: Commonly 15-20% alcohol by volume.
This advent of coasting chimes with data showing UK adults consuming less alcohol historically. The typical UK adult had approximately 10.2 alcoholic drinks a week in 2024.
This represents the smallest amount since records began in 1990 and is lower than a high of 14 weekly drinks two decades ago. Notably total teetotalism is not increasing, which suggests more cautious drinking habits are behind this shift.
Changing Habits and Market Response
Major supermarkets are tapping into the country's changing drinking culture by offering more mid-strength brands. These feature options like a pink wine at 9%, a sauvignon blanc at 3.4%, and a spirit at 15%, alongside nolo alternatives.
Online searches for nolo brands spiked before the festive period. Popular queries have included British non-alcoholic pre-dinner drinks modeled on Italian classics, as well as a spicy ginger drink. There is also considerable excitement around a new brew launched by a famous actor.
“Consumers still want robust taste from alcohol-free drinks,” commented an industry expert. “They want options beyond just gin alternatives.”
Sales of non-alcoholic cocktails and wines in cans are also reportedly “thriving,” leading to additional product additions on shelves to meet this demand.
Wider Push and Consumer Habits
To make mid-strength drinking “the norm,” a alliance of focused drinks brands has formed a “mid-strength collective”.
A study of drinking habits showed that:
- 21% of consumers are still drinking alcohol but having less per occasion.
- 13% actively “coast” through their evenings.
- 6% practice “zebra striping” – switching between alcoholic, mid-strength, and alcohol-free drinks within the same occasion.
“The way consumers consume alcohol is transforming,” observed a consumer insight director. “While some are choosing alcohol-free alternatives, a increasing segment is adopting mid-strength alcohol as the perfect compromise.”
This approach is suggested to be allowing them to extend their evenings without compromising on flavor, quality, and overall experience.
