Six behaviours of winning Gen Z brands
Six things winning Gen Z brands are doing, and Big Alcohol needs to emulate, before it gets too late.
Watch the full presentation below.
Essential viewing for drinks innovators
Gen Z aren’t the sober generation anymore; they’re comfortably settled into the bar.
But they’re passing over the premium, heritage brands Big Alcohol has spent decades building.
- 76% of UK Gen Z now drink alcohol, and it’s holding steady (IWSR, July 2026)
- 68% of UK 23-year-olds binged in the past year (UCL, March 2026)
- They now pick just 1.8 drink categories a night, down from 2.8 (IWSR, 15 markets), as they start discovering a new generation of brands that ‘get them’.
- Big Alcohol hasn’t built these brands, so it’s currently having to buy them.
- We’ve identified the six things the winning Gen Z brands do, so you can build (or adapt) your own!
In less than 15 minutes, Nick will talk you through what Gen Z are buying, why, and show you practical examples that illustrate what your brands need to do next.
Essential viewing for any innovation team trying to adapt its drinks portfolio to the needs of the next generation of drinkers.
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Six drivers of winning Gen Z drinks brands
Article
What Gen Z are drinking, why, and the six things the brands winning them do differently.
About Gen Z drinkers
Where do Gen Z go out to drink?
Pubs, and “third space” venues. Nearly half (49%) of Gen Z visit a third-space venue every week, CGA finds. Half are in the pub between 8pm and 10pm, six points above the UK average.
Are Gen Z moderating or bingeing?
Both, often on different nights. Drinkaware finds 91% of UK drinkers use at least one way to cut down, yet weekly binge drinking rose from 11% to 13% of drinkers. UCL finds 29% of 23-year-olds binge at least monthly, against 25% of Millennials at the same age.
Does Dry January still appeal to Gen Z?
Less than it did. IWSR finds the share of UK Gen Z drinkers who took a month or more off alcohol in the past six months fell from 33% in 2024 to 24% in 2025.
What does this briefing cover?
In under 15 minutes, Nick Shadbolt sets out what Gen Z are buying and why. He then walks through the six things winning Gen Z brands do, with real examples drinks innovators can adapt.