New research by Small Beer has today revealed a seismic shift in the capital’s drinking habits, with over a third (38%) planning to cut down on alcohol or go completely teetotal in 2021. The news comes despite a similar number (31%) saying they’ve already been drinking less in 2020. Lockdown has encouraged many into healthier habits, so whilst some have been going for daily jogs, others have been detoxing from alcohol at home.

With alcohol consumption in the UK reportedly steadily declining by 16% [1] in the 13 years from 2004 to 2017, it’s evident this progression is gaining momentum, with an unprecedented number of Brits planning to reduce drinking in 2021. However, this decline in overall drinking masks growth in the more innovative subsections of the alcohol market, namely lower alcohol beer – which has seen substantial growth of late, with retail sales up 37% last year [2], as consumers’ drinking habits evolve.

The fact that there has been a decline in drinking which sets to be carried on, means that there is a chance of fewer incidents from alcohol and fewer people having complications from drinking. Drinking to excess can cause a lot of issues for the body, that is why resources such as luxury rehab centers as well as other treatment facilities re made available for these people.

The research – conducted by Small Beer, specialists in brewing classic beer styles below 2.8% ABV – polled 2,000 people of drinking age across the country.

Health push and cautious spending behind the fall

With the Government’s recent push to curb obesity and encourage healthier lifestyles in a bid to fight coronavirus, as well as working from home giving people more time to exercise, it’s evident people are becoming more conscious of their health. Roughly half (47%) of Brits credit bettering their health as the main reason for deciding to cut down on alcohol.

As expected, a higher number of those in the 65+ category, to whom Coronavirus poses a much more serious threat, say they’re cutting down on alcohol to focus on their health (55%) compared with those in the 18-34 age group (29%).

Another factor at play is the economic impact of the virus and worries of a recession; with 28% of Brits saying they’ll cut their drinking to save money – with consistent results across all age groups.

Interestingly, 21% of Londoners also went as far as saying they plan to cut down on alcohol because they can’t bear the hangovers anymore, now that they’ve become unaccustomed to them over lockdown. This may be behind the 23% of the capital stating they plan to buy more lower alcohol drinks in 2021, more specifically beer, as the lower alcohol to water ratio in these drinks equates to far fewer and less severe hangovers.

Looming recession to blame for rise for some

Despite the majority claiming their drinking has fallen in 2020 and will continue to fall in 2021, some believe their drinking has increased (13%) and will continue to into 2021 (8%).

Over a quarter (27%) of those planning to drink more in 2021 say that the reason for this is either that they’ve lost their job or are worried about a recession. Beyond this, a further 14% named stress as a deciding factor and 15% blamed boredom – both biproducts of job loss.

London is a tale of extremes

The national figure of those planning to drink more in 2021 is predominantly driven by the capital – with 22% saying they plan to drink more, compared to just 4% in East Anglia, the lowest figure, and 8% in Scotland, the next highest figure behind London.

Not everybody in the capital is planning a boozy 2021 though, with the highest planned drop also being in London, with 32% planning on cutting down, compared to less than half of that number (15%) in the West Midlands, the lowest figure.

The research points to the fact that job losses can lead people to either increase their drinking to cope with the situation, or to decrease it to save money. However, the research also points to an interesting insight that the capital’s drinking habits have been shaped by job loss more than any other city in the UK. The research revealed that London (11%) is double the national average (5%) in terms of those saying they will decrease their drinking due to job loss, as well as being nearly double (25%) the national average (15%) who say that job loss is driving their planned increase.

Coronavirus has affected men’s drinking behaviour more than women’s

Whilst the majority of findings were consistent between genders, the research uncovered an interesting insight – the discrepancy between the effect of coronavirus on males and females.

Men appear to be planning a more extreme response to the virus, with the rate of men saying they will drink more next year (11%) being roughly double that of women (6%) whilst the rate of men saying they will drink less (25%) is also higher than women (22%).

More women are planning on drinking the same amount next year (51%) than men (48%), indicating a more moderate manifestation of the pandemic in female drinking behaviour, compared to men.

The lower alcohol beer movement

Lower alcohol beer has been gaining in popularity in the past few years; with retail sales up 37% in the year ending May 2019 [2].

With many Brits working from home or shifting to a healthier lifestyle off the back of the pandemic in 2020, lower alcohol beer growth has proliferated; with an increase in sales of 32.5% immediately before the March lockdown, as shoppers stockpiled to moderate their drinking. Since then, retail sales have increased by a further 30% and according to Small Beer’s new research, this trend is set to increase further into 2021[3]. To put this growth into context, in 2018, the low and no-alcohol lager and ale markets alone grew 39% in value – compared with the total beer market which grew 3.9% between 2017 and 2018 [2].

Of the Londoners polled in the latest research by Small Beer, a huge 23% said they planned to buy more lower alcohol beer and drinks in 2021. This is perhaps down to beer below 2.8% ABV providing an alternative to the extremes of overconsumption or teetotalling, by balancing health (due to the reduced sugar, gluten and calories of lower alcohol beers) with the same tasting experience of drinking beer.