The Bigger Picture: Why Beer Is Becoming Less Popular

This isn't just about you personally. The health messaging around alcohol is shifting the entire market.

UK alcohol consumption has been falling steadily. Government health campaigns, updated medical guidance, and growing public awareness have all contributed to a cultural shift — particularly among younger people. Studies consistently show that Generation Z drinks significantly less than previous generations at the same age. "Sober curious" culture, Dry January participation growing year on year, and the expansion of the no-and-low alcohol market are all symptoms of the same trend: people are choosing to drink less.

The government's response has been to use duty as a lever. Alcohol duty has been increased repeatedly, with the explicit health rationale that making alcohol more expensive reduces consumption and its associated harms. For a brewery, this is a double squeeze — your customers are drinking less, and the duty on what they do drink is taking an ever-larger share of your revenue. The health agenda and the fiscal agenda are aligned against you, and neither is going to reverse.

This is the long-term trajectory of the market you're proposing to enter. Not a temporary dip. A structural, permanent shift in how society relates to alcohol. The industry you're romanticising is one that the medical establishment wants people to use less, and the government is actively making more expensive.