Alcohol-free drinks are no longer a niche request in British hospitality, according to new research suggesting customers are increasingly mixing them into nights out rather than treating them as a complete substitute for alcohol. KAM Insight, working with Lucky Saint, found that a sizeable share of adults now order low and no-alcohol drinks without advertising the fact to friends, with younger adults most likely to do so. The findings sit within a broader picture of changing habits: KAM says nearly 36 million UK adults are moderating their intake in more flexible ways, and Drinkaware has also recorded a sharp rise in the use of alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks across the country.

The research points to a more complicated drinking culture than a simple move away from alcohol. KAM says most people who buy low and no-alcohol drinks still drink alcohol as well, while the practice of alternating between the two on a night out, known as zebra striping, has become more common. That pattern reflects a wider shift towards pacing and swapping depending on the occasion, a trend also identified in KAM’s earlier reporting and in Drinkaware’s analysis of younger consumers.

For pubs, bars and restaurants, the commercial lesson is clear: customers increasingly want visible, credible non-alcoholic options that feel like part of the normal drinks offer. KAM says one in four customers has left a venue early or been disappointed because the low and no-alcohol selection was poor, while its research suggests people are now more likely to judge a venue on whether it caters properly for moderation rather than abstinence alone. That matters at a time when Statista says UK consumption of non-alcoholic beverages reached almost 16 billion litres in 2025, the highest level in a decade.

Lucky Saint founder Luke Boase said the category has moved into the mainstream, even if some drinkers still prefer not to draw attention to their choice. The broader evidence suggests stigma is easing: KAM says more adults believe there is less pressure to drink than before, while a Guardian report in January, citing the Health Survey for England, said almost a quarter of adults in England did not drink alcohol in 2024. Together, the findings suggest the hospitality sector is serving not a declining trend, but a more selective and self-aware one.

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