Research suggests younger drinkers socialise for longer and embrace bolder, boozier options as drinks companies pivot to catch up
You can tell a lot about a generation from the contents of their cool box: nowadays the barbecue ice bucket is likely to be filled with hard seltzers, non-alcoholic beers and fluorescent BuzzBallz – a particular favourite among gen Z.
Two decades ago, it was WKD, Bacardi Breezers and the odd Smirnoff Ice bobbing in a puddle of melted ice. And while nostalgia may have brought back some alcopops, the new wave of ready-to-drink (RTD) options look and taste noticeably different.
It is not just the drinks that have changed, but drinking habits too, driven in part by more health-conscious consumers and demand for variety, according to Marten Lodewijks, the president of the drinks market analysts IWSR US.
“A decade ago, hardseltzers, with less sugar and a lower ABV [alcohol by volume], appealed to a new, more health-conscious consumer that didn’t want quite as much sweetness. Lower calories also meant less flavour, however, and, as with any trend, a countertrend soon emerged,” he said.
