Key Summary
- Alcohol-free beer sales surge as the category is far outpacing the flat growth in the total beer market.
- Consumer habits shifting as most UK adults are actively actively moderating alcohol
- Health driving demand for choosing low and no-alcohol options
The UK’s alcohol-free beer category is undergoing a significant shift, moving from trend to mainstream, as consumer demand for healthier choices reshapes drinking habits across all age groups.
According to new data from the 2025 KAM Low + No report, supported by leading brand Lucky Saint, a remarkable 76 per cent of UK adults, nearly 40 million people, are "actively moderating their alcohol intake".
Health consciousness is at the heart of the shift. The report reveals that 82 per cent of consumers cite improving health and lifestyle as their reason for drinking less.
Most (71 per cent) factor in health when choosing drinks in hospitality venues — rising to 90 per cent in the 25–34 age group.
Nearly 40 per cent of drinks consumed today are not full-strength alcohol.
People across the UK are embracing alcohol-free drinks, due to the positive health impact they are having. There is a continued drive to improve physical and mental wellbeing, and alcohol-free drinks are playing a key role within that.
Retailers should also be aware of evolving behaviours like “zebra striping”, where one in three consumers now alternate between alcohol-free and alcoholic drinks in a single outing and a growing preference for ending the night with an alcohol-free option to stay out longer.
As founder Luke Boase of Lucky Saint puts it, “People are making deliberate decisions about how they care for their health, time, and lifestyle. Alcohol-free beer is a big part of that and it’s here to stay.”
That’s showing up on shop floors and in pub fridges. Low and no beer is now the second most popular option for non-drinkers in pubs, rising from seventh just last year.
Lucky Saint, one of the UK’s fastest-growing alcohol-free beer brands, has posted back-to-back record months and reports a 125 per cent growth over two years in the on-trade channel alone. The brand sees this as a clear signal that the category is now “an ingrained part of how we are drinking.”