Alcohol-free beer brand hits record sales as Britons lay off the booze in heatwave
A heatwave in Britain has led to a sharp increase in purchases of non-alcoholic beer, with one brand posting record sales in the last five days.
Retail sales of non-alcoholic beer brand Lucky Saint rose 56 percent last week as temperatures climbed into the mid-thirties across much of the country.
Retail sales of the non-alcoholic beer brand increased 73 percent compared to last year.
A spokesman for Lucky Saint said: “We’ve seen strong trading in supermarkets during the heatwave. We’ve had record sales every day so far this week, with our biggest day yet.”
Soft drinks store Wine Bartender said beer sales were up 33 per cent in the past two weeks and it had noticed a “clear heatwave correlation”.
The surge in sales comes as the UK recorded its hottest June day on record for the third consecutive day. A temperature of 36.9 degrees was recorded in Wattisham, Suffolk, on Friday.
A rare red warning for extreme heat will be issued for London, South East England and East England until 9pm.
Wine Bartender said that this week’s sales were already higher than last week, and drinks such as non-alcoholic beer and hazy breath were leading the increase.
Alcohol Free Co.’s beer sales rose just over 20 percent in June; customers preferred non-alcoholic beers, pale ales, ciders and light lagers.
A spokesman said: “We always notice an increase in sales of non-alcoholic beer when the weather gets warmer. During a heatwave, customers are looking for something cold, refreshing and easy to drink, but without alcohol.”
“We’re also seeing people ordering earlier in the day, which suggests they’re planning ahead for barbecues, garden drinks and warm evenings. Non-alcoholic beer is no longer just a Dry Hearth product, it’s become part of everyday drinking, especially in the summer months.”
A report last year by the charity Drinkaware found that 31 per cent of drinkers in the UK were choosing non-alcoholic options to reduce their drinking; This rate was 18 percent in 2018.
Among Gen Z adults, often referred to as the “sober enthusiast” generation, that figure rose to 49 percent, up from 28 percent in 2018.
Health chiefs have warned England fans ahead of Saturday’s World Cup match about the dangers of drinking alcohol all day long in extreme heat.
Private Practitioner and medical director of Prestige Private Health, Dr. Wesley Tensel said drinking alcohol in hot weather “can drive people away” and cause dizziness, dehydration and heat exhaustion.
“This combination could create a double whammy,” he added.
Over the weekend, the French government announced a ban on public alcohol consumption in areas under highest red heatwave alert.
This incident came during the Fête de la Musique festival, an annual celebration of music that turns entire towns and cities into open-air concert venues.
Organizers of the music day event were ordered to limit alcohol use to “protect emergency services and allow paramedics to focus on caring for the most vulnerable”.
