Irish People Embracing Low- And No-Alcohol Drinks

By Robert McHugh
Irish People Embracing Low- And No-Alcohol Drinks

A third (33%) of Irish consumers have, in the past year, increased the frequency with which they drink low- and no-alcohol alternatives (no/low) – outpacing any other category – when they are out in bars, pubs, restaurants, and other venues.

This is according to CGA by NIQ’s On-Premise User Survey (OPUS) research.

In terms of what people are seeking, 0.0% ABV no/low products are the most popular strength, with two thirds of on-premise visitors drinking the category.

Beer Is Most Popular

Beer is still the most popular no/low option when drinking out (50%), followed by mocktails (40%) and virgin cocktails (26%).

The research shows that 48% of consumers have tried new drinks or brands across all categories in the past three months.

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‘Dry January’

“Dry January is continuing to gain momentum, year on year,” said Sian Brennan, client director, Ireland, at CGA.

“It’s accompanied by surging consumer preferences for no-/low-alcohol choices.”

Lifestyle Choices

The research shows that health continues to be an ever-growing motivation in terms of lifestyle choices, with three quarters of consumers claiming to lead a healthy lifestyle and 16% saying that it is more important to them that their drink is healthy than it was a year ago.

Consequently, no/low and soft drinks are picking up pace with these consumers.

Vital Trend

The study indicates that the 18- to 34-year-old age bracket is over-indexing (+1pp) for the category, and also for drinking more frequently (+4pp).

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For these reasons, CGA suggests that no/low is a vital trend to leverage and engage the next generation of on-premise consumers.

‘Shifting Preferences’

“[The] OPUS outlines how to best tap into the demand for no/low alternatives and identifies core groups to appeal to,” said Brennan.

“Catering to their shifting preferences ensures broader appeal and captures the market of those prioritising no/low experiences.”