Gen Z and the myth of the ‘sober’ generation

There’s been a whole lot of media noise lately about the ‘sober generation’: the idea that Gen Z are turning away from alcohol in favour of run clubs and skincare routines.

Confusingly, while recent headlines have made much of Gen Z’s apparent clean living, the pubs always seem to be full of them and, speaking as one of them, I’d say we’re keeping the bars busy enough.

Luckily, last week I went along to Time Out’s Sip Happens event to clear things up a bit. Despite the headlines, Time Out’s new report has found the percentage of Gen Z who say they enjoy a drink is only 4% behind Millennials, and the share of under-30s who drink alcohol at least monthly is just 3.7% lower than it was in 2016. Sure, there’s a drop there, but it’s hardly the death of all pub culture.

In fact, Time Out’s data suggests we’re in the midst of a ‘pub core’ revival. Think nostalgic old-school venues, sticky-floored dive bars and the increasing cultural dominance of brands like Guinness. At the same time, Gen Z are increasingly experimental drinkers, embracing unexpected flavours like savoury, umami cocktails. They also care about provenance: wine clubs are no longer stuffy, guided tastings are up, and alcohol education course enrolments have risen 35% since 2020.

If that sounds contradictory, it’s because it is. And the contradictions don’t stop there: Gen Z are less likely to drink at home but at the same time Pinterest searches for ‘dinner party’ are up by 6,000%. They’re more likely to opt for high-ABV drinks when they’re out (a ‘fewer, stronger’ approach) and yet are also driving the rise of 0% and mid-strength options.

Generations, like the people who make them up, are full of contradictions. Personally, I think we should be careful of slicing people up into neat age groups and expecting each to behave predictably. Still, there’s no question that the people we call ‘Gen Z’ are already reshaping drinking culture as we know it.

Beyond all the contradictions and all the noise, for those of us in comms, this generation is offering up a wealth of creative ideas that shouldn’t be ignored: from high-ABV Buzzballz to high-concept hosting and ultra-sleek dinner parties to an old-fashioned Guiness.

As the built environment races to catch up, Gen Z’s impact is being felt far beyond Instagram. In the growing build-to-rent sector for example, dining rooms and rooftop terraces are catering to high-concept hosting and curated get-togethers. High streets too are adapting to meet the appetite for experience. With finances unsurprisingly Gen Z’s biggest barrier to a night out, the venues and destinations that win their attention will need to evolve, serving up trends from umami cocktails to dive bars or, even better, umami cocktails in dive bars.