From fruit lagers to worldwide rosés, Lizzy O’Riordan looks at the drinks set to make their mark this spring/summer and what they say about the current landscape

Fruit-forward lagers

This summer, beer offerings seem to be dominated by fruity lager serves. After many years of consumers hankering after ‘challenging’ beers, easy drinking is back in style for 2026.

Scotland’s bestselling beer, Tennent’s, has just released a citrus-inspired brew in the form of Tennent’s Tops. According to Cameron Johnston, innovation manager at C&C Group, which owns Tennent’s, the decision came in response to fruit-flavoured beers being one of the fastest-growing segments in the beer industry. “Consumer demand is up £3m in spend in the UK off-trade, highlighting its importance on shelf,” he says, drawing on 2025 data from Worldpanel by Numerator.

Heineken has jumped on the fruit trend with the launch of two 0.0-abv variants: Lemon & Elderflower and Nectarine & Juniper. On this, the brand says: “Both flavours respond directly to the rising popularity of citrus and stone fruit flavours and a clear desire from consumers for more premium, discovery-led drinking experiences.”

At the same time, the brand launched Cruzcampo Sevilla Orange. A spokesperson commented that the flavoured beer segment was now worth £127m in the UK, according to Nielsen data from February 2026.

Elsewhere, Peroni has propelled itself into the fruit beer category with the launch of Peroni 0.0% Limone di Sicilia and Arancia Rossa. The brewing company said the product was aimed at Gen Z and Millennial consumers, who showed interest in alcohol-free fruit beer, according to a study by parent company Asahi.

Responding to the success of its Lemon Beer, Damm UK tells Drinks Retailing that it would be expanding its existing retail offerings. Liam Fidler, head of off-trade at Damm UK, says the Lemon beer increased by 126% in sales volumes over the past year.

Brewdog has also taken part with the launch of its Cold Beer Peach, which it described as an extension of its Cold Beer range. “Shopper data shows that fruit lagers over-index in the summer periods,” the brand says.

Worldwide Rosé

Rosé releases this spring and summer show that consumers are starting to think outside of the Provence-shaped box. In the UK, Gusbourne has announced the release of two products: a Brut Rosé from the 2020 vintage and an English Rosé 2025, the latter described as Provence in style but made in Kent.

Emily Miles, head of brand & marketing at Gusbourne, comments: “At Gusbourne, the focus is on a lighter, fresher, more precise style – closer to Provence in colour and structure, but unmistakably English in character.” She continues that, while still a smaller part of the range, demand for still English rosés consistently outstrips supply.

Also new is Zonin 1821’s rosé, Zinzula, described as the Italian answer to Provence rosé. Massimo Pighin, marketing manager at the brand, says consumers buying above the £20 price point are very curious about rosé beyond the traditional territory. He adds that this Italian release is a “really valid alternative”.

Spain also remains an emerging spot for rosé. Egle Renault, communications manager at GM Drinks, pointed to the growing distribution in the UK of Marqués del Atrio Rosado from Rioja.

She says: “Rosado from Rioja and Navarra is fast becoming a compelling alternative to Provence, driven by producers keen to reinterpret Garnacha in a fresher, more contemporary style.

For UK consumers, who are increasingly confident and price conscious, these wines offer Provence aesthetics and drinkability, but often with more character and significantly better value, making them a natural next step for the rosé drinker looking to trade up in interest, not just price.”

Aperitivo hour

With lower-abv and lighter drinks finding success, it’s no surprise that the upcoming season is set to be jam-packed with spritzes.

Leading the charge, Henkell Freixenet has launched an Orange Spritz under the Mionetto brand and a Mediterranean Aperitivo under Freixenet Solare, made with flavours of lemon, clementine and rosemary.Vanessa Lehmann, head of communications at Henkell Freixenet, reveals the brand has launched Mionetto in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties. “We see high potential in the non-alcoholic version with our Mionetto Aperitivo Alcohol Free,” she says, pointing to Gen Z as a target audience.

Likewise, non-alcoholic aperitivo brand Botivo continues to expand its range as summer approaches. Ahead of the launch of its latest offering, Botivo founder Imme Ermgassen tells Drinks Retailing the release is a limited-edition collaboration bottle with fashion brand Coco de Mer, experimenting with flavour profiles including cherry and chilli.

At the same time, Ermgassen explains that the brand continues to grow with the “abv-agnostic crowd”. Botivo’s RTD spritz format, launched last year, is fast finding success, she says. “We’ve honestly surprised ourselves with how well the RTD has performed. Within just six months, it’s become the number one non-alcoholic RTD in rate of sale in Waitrose and on Ocado.”

Other spritz releases focus heavily on the Hugo. Edinburgh Gin is among the brands leaning into this serve with the introduction of the Edinburgh Gin Hugo Spritz RTD, rolling out first into Sainsbury’s and then other UK supermarkets. Discount supermarket Aldi has also joined with the launch of its Belletti Hugo Spritz.

At the same time, Funkin Cocktails has expanded its range to include three spritzes: Sangria, Elderflower and Limoncello. At 4.5% abv, the brand said it hopes the launch will reach consumers looking for a lower-alcohol option.

Gut-health push

Tapping into the wellbeing trend, there has been a rush of launches and expansions ahead of the warmer months.

Notably, the selection of healthy sodas – especially those focused on gut health – continues to grow. Earlier this year, Remedy expanded its previously Australia-only Sodaly prebiotic soda to the UK. Now, the same is happening with the US low-calorie prebiotic soda Poppi.

Launching initially into Tesco and Pret, with a wider rollout expected over 2026, the drink enters the UK market with five flavours: Strawberry Lemon, Orange, Raspberry Rose, Lemon Lime and Wild Berry. Distributed by Carlsberg Britvic, the launch follows PepsiCo’s acquisition of the Poppi brand.

Simultaneously, gut-friendly drinks brand Hip Pop has expanded its listings into Tesco stores nationwide with two flavours: Hip Pop Berries & Cherries and Tropical Peach. The listing boosts the brand’s existing presence in Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Ocado and Booths.

Combining the gut-health trend with intentional alcohol consumption, hard kombucha brand Better Sundays has also just gone live with organic food brand Abel & Cole and is anticipating a launch into two major supermarkets this summer.

Discussing the line between alcohol and wellness, Better Sundays founder Tarek Moursi says: “We think of our audience as the ‘have it all’ crowd: people who want to go out, be social, enjoy a drink, but not at the expense of how they feel the next day. It’s not about restriction; it’s about upgrading what you reach for.”

On creating a drink that is both alcoholic and probiotic, Moursi explains the recipe uses an encapsulated probiotic, meaning that the live cultures are protected through both the brewing and pasteurisation process. “We didn’t want the gut-health element to be just a marketing line,” he says.

All in all, these spring/summer launches show a drinks world defined by lightness and a growing preference for lower-alcohol and healthier options. It appears the UK crowd is interested in imbibing playful drinks that won’t cost their bodies too much in the process.