Research shows June and July 2025 will see the equivalent of 33m pints of low & no beer sold in the on-trade, according to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).
In comparison, the same two months last year saw the equivalent of 27m low & no pints sold, which marked a 4m pint leap from 23m during the same period in 2023.
The BBPA said the boom for this year, which work out to be a 20% increase on 2024 figures, has been made possible by the sector adapting to trends and producing more low & no beer options than ever before – also helping attain public health goals.
Limited by restrictive definition
Despite this, the BBPA said that the current UK definition of low alcohol beer is severely limited by the UK’s restrictive definition.
Currently, an ‘alcohol-free’ beer must be below 0.05% ABV, which limits what British brewers can make. This is in contrast to many other countries, where the definition allows for a beverage to be as high as 0.5% ABV.
The BBPA said if Government matches the thresholds, UK brewers will be able to invest in more in the category so consumers will have even more options if they wish to moderate their alcohol intake and boost economic growth.
BBPA CEO Emma McClarkin said: “Few things beat a crisp pint in a sunny pub garden and, as ever, the sector has been working hard to make sure there’s a choice for everyone.
Great new options
“Low & no popularity is booming, and brewers and pubs have responded to this by creating and serving up great new options that help people choose moderation, if they wish.
“Government has heard our calls and taken a progressive approach by consulting on no-alcohol alcohol descriptions.
“Changing the ‘no alcohol’ definition to 0.5% will open the door to greater investment, means we are on par with international markets and more options for people who choose to moderate – everyone wins.”
The BBPA found the low & no sector is the sector’s biggest growth category across the UK, with volume growth of 750% since 2013.
