The announcement was made at the launch of the SIBA Independent Beer Report 2026 this week, which took place at Sambrooks Brewery, south-west London.
SIBA Independent Beer Report 2026 author Caroline Noder said: “Pale ale, bitter and golden ale are the three most-produced styles by independent breweries [that took part of SIBA’s research] yet we had some interesting figures that showed the average ABV had stayed the same [as last year] at 4.3%. We thought that might been affected by the new duty system but it hasn’t.
Brewers capitalising
“Some 13% of beer production is now less than 0.5% ABV – that’s quite a large volume so that’s obviously a growing part of the market. [NIQ] figures suggest that part of the market grew by about 35% in 2025 [which is down from a 57.4% uplift a year before] so that is something brewers are capitalising on.”
Although the report noted an increase in the consumption of low & no beers, it also found a drop in the number of people not imbibing at all.
The report stated: “There has been a small increase in the number of consumers drinking low & no beers in our survey this year – rising to 15% from 14% last year having stalled in the previous two reports. But this is interesting given the survey also saw a fall in the number choosing not to drink alcohol at all – from 21% last year to 19% this year.
“The implication here is that more people are choosing low & no products as part of their repertoire, not just because they are abstaining. It ties in with research by KAM Insight in 2025 that found a consumer wellness trend for ‘zebra striping’ or alternating non-alcoholic products with alcoholic ones during a night out to reduce alcohol intake, keep hydrated and avoid hangovers.”
Emerging sector
With the rise in the low & no beer market noted by NIQ, the report said it is likely to be a sector that continues to see significant growth over the coming years but added while initial assumptions that low & no beers should be marketed primarily at more health-conscious younger drinkers, this might be incorrect because SIBA’s survey found only 6% of 18 to 24-year-olds drink low & no beer.
This contrasts with almost a fifth (19%) of 45 to 54-year-olds, which shows they are in fact being embraced by older drinkers on a wider scale.
“Our SIBA members’ survey this year found 4% of SIBA breweries now list non-alcoholic beer as being among their three most produced styles,” the report stated.
“This may sound low, but as an emerging category, for no-alcohol beer to already be a major focus for some SIBA breweries is significant. And [with 13% of overall production being 0.5% ABV beer], which is significant, [it] shows independent brewers are taking this trend seriously.”
