Time Out’s new UK edition of Sip Happens reveals how younger generations are reshaping drinking culture: choosing quality over quantity and authentic experiences over excess.
Gen Z isn’t swapping cocktails for kombucha and isn’t going dry anytime soon – it is a generation that seems to be more mindful when it comes to alcohol and is just drinking differently. How Gen Z and Millennials in the UK are reshaping drinking culture has now been revealed by new research by Time Out – the brand that inspires and enables people to experience the best of the city.
The Time Out Sip Happens Report found that these younger audiences are defined by contradictions: 40% of Gen Z never drink alcohol at home yet they are 1.5x more likely than Millennials to seek out high-ABV sips when they are out. Meanwhile, Millennials drink more consistently across every category but seek out champagne vibes on a larger budget: while 53% want fancy cocktail spots, 80% select bars based on their happy hour offering to afford their curated sophistication.
The Time Out Sip Happens Report was launched this week with UK-centric data to empower media planners, drink brands, marketing teams as well as the wider hospitality sector when targeting these audiences.
Developed by Time Out’s Creative Solutions & Insights team, the report combines quantitative and qualitative insights from Time Out Loud – the brand’s proprietary research community – with editorial expertise from Time Out editors as well as expert views from 15 brand, marketing, drinks education and hospitality leaders including Xavier Padovani (Experimental Group), Oscar Nadal Lamoglia (Estrella Damm), Lily Halstead (Intellima), Michelle Brampton (WSET), and Adam Foster (Heineken UK).
The Time Out Sip Happens Report identified four key trends shaping how Gen Z and Millennials drink today and across these trends, one theme is clear: this is a generation choosing quality over quantity, prioritising vibe over volume, and balancing wellness with weekends worth remembering.
Selectively Maximalist:
Whether it’s themed dinner parties or shots at Stereo, Gen Z and Millennials are embracing fewer, better drinks – it’s all about quality over quantity. Nearly 1 in 2 Gen Zs surveyed were into high-ABV RTDs like Buzzballz and MOTH tins. And when they are staying in? 86% say they curate the vibe for their at-home drinks – bringing the outside in with intention and style.
Selectively Old School:
Guinness. Dive bars. Pub carpets. The classics are back with 1 in 6 pints poured in London now a Guinness. Gen Z’s drink of choice? Strong, simple, and recognisable: 2 in 3 prefer classic cocktails over sugary remixes, and the martini reigns supreme. But while their taste leans traditional, the setting doesn’t – nearly half find old-school cocktail bars intimidating. Instead, they’re reclaiming local pubs and dive bars as low-pressure, high-vibe places. Pubs remain the top spot for Gen Z and Millennials to meet friends, helped by food menus that now punch above their weight.
Selectively Mindful:
Mindful drinking is on the rise – but the approach varies by generation. Gen Z treats it like a numbers game: think mid-strength pours, zebra striping, and pre-decided drink choices (they are 15% more likely than Millennials to plan ahead). For Millennials, it is about mood and aesthetics – from natural wines to nootropics, the vibe matters more than the ABV. Their #1 reason for not drinking is not being in the mood while for Gen Z it is saving money.
Selectively Curious:
A new kind of connoisseur is emerging. Since 2020, WSET has seen a 35% rise in course sign-ups across the UK (Source: WSET internal records, 2020-2025), with growing numbers of consumers seeking credentials, not just cocktails. 95% of Gen Z and Millennials say they are open to everything – from spicy margaritas to Ube IPAs. With wine clubs like Swirl School and Dalston Wine Club reshaping the landscape, curiosity is replacing connoisseur snobbery.
Sip Happens UK was launched last night at BLOODsports in Central London (one of the Time Out best 50 London bars), with a panel hosted by wine writer and personality Hannah Crosbie. She was joined by Caroline Thompson-Hill (M&S), Harvey Armstrong (Prime Time Beers) and Rosie Hewitson (Time Out’s Things to Do Editor) to explore the future of drinks, design, and hospitality.
For brands, marketers and media wanting to connect with how people are really drinking right now, the full Time Out Sip Happens report is available via this link.
Rob Biagioni, CEO, Time Out Media, says: “Time Out has always been about helping people experience the best of the city – and that means understanding how culture, going out and socialising are changing in real time. We created the Time Out Sip Happens Report because there’s been so much noise about Gen Z and Millennials supposedly turning away from alcohol, but what we’re really seeing is a shift in attitude, not complete abstinence. People still love a good night out – they’re just curating it differently. Our report gets under the skin of that change and shows how brands and venues can keep up with what’s really happening in cities right now.”
Anna Norfolk, Global Insights Manager, Time Out Media, says: “This project started with a really simple question: how are people actually drinking now? Not the headlines, not the clichés – the real behaviours behind it all. Through Sip Happens, we’ve uncovered a new kind of drinking culture, shaped by contradictions, creativity, and curiosity. People are still drinking, but in smarter, more intentional ways. This is our way of turning conversation into cultural insights, and making it useful for brands, marketers and venues who want to stay relevant.”
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Notes to Editors
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About Time Out
Time Out is a global brand that inspires and enables people to experience the best of the city through Time Out Media and Time Out Market. Time Out launched in London in 1968 to help people discover the exciting new urban cultures that had started up all over the city. Today, it is the only global brand dedicated to city life. Expert journalists curate and create content about the best things to do, see and eat across over 350 cities in over 50 countries, and across a unique multi-platform model spanning both digital and physical channels. Rooted in the Time Out brand, Time Out Market is the world’s first editorially curated food and cultural market, bringing a city’s best chefs, restaurateurs and cultural experiences together under one roof. The portfolio includes 13 Markets in cities such as Lisbon, Dubai and Osaka, and several new locations with expected opening dates in 2026 and beyond, in addition to a pipeline of further locations in advanced discussions. Time Out Group PLC, listed on AIM (AIM: TMO), is headquartered in the United Kingdom. Learn more at www.timeout.com and LinkedIn.