The festive season and New Year's Eve festivities often used to culminate in a next-day headache, but with moderation now the prevailing trend, the latest beverage sector trending term is “coasting”.
This involves selecting a white wine, lager, or even a cocktail that is roughly 50% the alcohol content of the traditional version – allowing you can enjoy the same number of drinks without feeling the after-effects.
The Growth of Moderate-Strength Alternatives
By definition, “mid-strength” drinks occupy the middle territory between no and low-alcohol (nolo) and full-strength options. While an official industry guideline yet, typical strengths 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 emergence of coasting corresponds to data showing Britons consuming less alcohol than before. The typical UK adult drank approximately 10.2 alcoholic drinks a week in 2024.
This is the lowest figure ever since data collection began in 1990 and is a decrease from a high of 14 weekly drinks 20 years prior. Notably total abstention is not increasing, which suggests more moderate drinking habits are driving this trend.
Shifting Drinking Culture and Consumer Response
Major retailers are catering to the country's changing drinking culture by offering more mid-strength brands. These encompass options like a pink wine at 9%, a white wine at 3.4%, and a gin at 15%, alongside nolo alternatives.
Web searches for non-alcoholic brands surged ahead of the holidays. Popular in-demand items have featured British non-alcoholic pre-dinner drinks modeled on Italian classics, as well as a fiery ginger drink. There is also significant interest around a new brew co-founded by a famous actor.
“Consumers still want big flavours from alcohol-free drinks,” commented an industry buyer. “They want options beyond just gin alternatives.”
Sales of non-alcoholic cocktails and wines in cans are also reportedly “booming,” leading to new product additions on shelves to satisfy this growing appetite.
Wider Move and Drinker Behaviors
To make mid-strength drinking “the norm,” a coalition of specialist drinks brands has formed a “group”.
A survey of drinking habits revealed that:
- 21% of consumers are still drinking alcohol but having less in total.
- 13% actively “coast” through their social events.
- 6% practice “zebra striping” – rotating between alcoholic, mid-strength, and alcohol-free drinks within the same occasion.
“The way consumers engage with alcohol is evolving,” said a consumer insight director. “While some are choosing alcohol-free options, a growing segment is adopting mid-strength alcohol as the perfect middle ground.”
This approach is described as enabling them to extend their time out without compromising on flavor, quality, and the social ritual.
