Heineken 0.0 says 2025 is officially the first festive season where workers feel able to say “no thanks” to alcohol at parties without fearing judgement – a shift retailers may see reflected in growing demand for low and no-alcohol options.
A new global study from the world’s leading non-alcoholic beer brand finds nearly three-quarters (72%) of people now feel confident declining alcohol at festive events, while 81 per cent say it’s socially acceptable to do so without offering an explanation.
The research, carried out across the UK, US, Spain, Japan and Brazil in partnership with Sober Curious author Ruby Warrington, suggests the stigma once associated with opting out is rapidly fading.
Two-thirds (67%) say asking someone why they aren’t drinking is outdated in 2025. Meanwhile, 66 per cent find it “very easy” to turn down a drink at occasions such as workplace Christmas parties – a marked shift from Heineken’s January findings, which showed lingering pressure, particularly on younger adults.
Professor Charles Spence, University of Oxford, who worked on the January study, said the pace of cultural change is striking. “Alcohol has been central to social life for generations, but the data now prove moderation is for everyone.”
Moderation goes mainstream
The study indicates a decisive move toward more balanced festive drinking habits:
- 37% of people plan to moderate their alcohol intake
- 27% intend to abstain altogether
- 20% expect to choose a 0.0 beer at some point
Gen Z remain the leading moderation advocates, with 30 per cent planning to “zebra stripe” their night – alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Social pressure is also waning. Almost nine in ten (86%) are comfortable choosing low or no-alcohol options at festive events, and 76 per cent say they no longer need alcohol to feel included. Support for others making the same choice is even stronger, with 90 per cent saying they’d back a friend who chooses 0.0 this festive season.
While the UK and US are leading the shift, Heineken notes the trend is global. Two-thirds of Brazilian consumers (67%) say they’re comfortable choosing 0.0 in social settings, and 44 per cent of respondents in Japan – traditionally seen as an alcohol-forward culture – now feel at ease going alcohol-free at parties.
Ruby Warrington called the change “a milestone that’s been a decade in the making”. “People everywhere now feel free to choose if and when they drink,” she said. “The question ‘why aren’t you drinking?’ belongs firmly in the past.”
New excuses, just for fun
The brand says the mood has even shifted from defensiveness to humour. Gen Z respondents shared tongue-in-cheek excuses ranging from “I’m on a secret government mission” to “I promised my cat we’d do yoga together”.
Nabil Nasser, global head of the Heineken brand, said the trend reflects broader cultural acceptance: “Reaching for a Heineken 0.0 doesn’t represent omission, it represents option.”
Heineken continues its focus on moderation through its When You Drive, Never Drink platform and its Formula 1 sponsorship, reinforcing the message that “great nights out don’t need reasons, just good company.”