There’s a rumour going around that Gen Z don’t like to drink. We stay home, we avoid alcohol, and we haven’t much interest in the pub. Yet, according to Tom Khan-Lavin, who spoke on Drinks Retailing’s Imbibe Live panel at the start of this month, that isn’t true. 

 Instead, the CEO of YesMore drinks marketing agency put forward the idea that Gen Z are still drinking alcohol. The main difference between generations, Khan-Lavin said, is that Gen Z don’t publicise it as much.  

As a Gen Zer, this rings partially true. On one hand, my generation is acutely aware that any drink-fuelled behaviour we post online (for example) may be viewed by potential employers or educators – and tend to avoid it. Certainly, in my experience, university campuses and spaces like them are still full of younger people drinking. But, fewer of us are willing to broadcast it.  

So, we are still drinking, as Khan-Lavin says and according to Mintel’s UK Lifestyles of Generation Z Consumer Report 2024, two thirds of people aged 18-24 are consuming alcohol.  

However, with that said, I do think that the way we drink is different from previous cohorts.  

Yes, as mentioned, university drinking culture is still alive and well. But, in post-grad life, heavy drinking is not quite as commonplace. Perhaps this is because many Gen Zers joined the workforce following the Covid-19 pandemic, after the fall of corporate Friday night drink culture. Maybe it’s because the cost-of-living crisis makes buying lots of drinks difficult. Or it could simply be that there are so many other options. The IWSR showed that the no-alcohol market grew +17% in 2023. Whichever way, in general, my peers and I are more likely to practice moderation. 

Personally, it is common for me to head to the pub and alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. My aim of going out isn’t always drunkenness as much as enjoying the taste. And I’m not the only one. As per KAM’s Low and No 2024: Drinking Differently report, an increasing number of 18–24-year-olds are alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in a practice which has been named zebra-striping. This is part of a more general trend, says the report, where the population is incorporating more alcohol-free drinks into their habits. Yet, it’s the most common among Gen Z.  

Mental health is a big part of this choice. The Mintel report showed that two thirds of consumers aged 18-24 worried about the emotional impact of drinking. This seems true to me. Among my peers the conversation around avoiding alcohol inflicted anxiety is very present. Sometimes we’d rather opt for a Kombucha and avoid the stress. That’s one reason at least. 

Overall, the topic of Gen Z and drinking is one that often gets over complicated, when it’s fairly simple. From what I’ve seen, Gen Z aren’t anti-alcohol like some stories may lead you to believe. But we aren’t worshippers of it either. We’re also massively interested in other kinds of drink innovation – from the growing luxury soft drinks market to the CBD drinks trend. That doesn’t mean we’ll turn down a cocktail or stray away from a glass of orange wine though.