The 7 truths about Gen Z & alcohol

18–30-year-olds consume differently: Are your strategies still up to date?

Less often, more consciously, and with unprecedented sensory expectations... Gen Z's relationship with alcohol is evolving profoundly. From the "Sober Curious" trend and the rise of No-Low to a sharp focus on self-control, the traditional codes of the beverage market are being shattered.

For Insights, Marketing, and Strategy teams, understanding these shifts is no longer optional—it is an absolute necessity to innovate, design tomorrow's packaging, and align your communication campaigns.

91% of Gen Z drinkers say their alcohol consumption has stabilized or decreased over the last 6 months.

57% of young people spend less than €10 per week on alcohol.

26% of 18–30-year-olds claim they never consume alcohol (a figure that rises to 37% among the youngest cohort in the sample).

What you will discover in this exclusive study:

• The quest for control: Why self-control and safety have become instinctive priorities for Gen Z when it comes to drinking.
• The true role of alcohol: Decoding alcohol as a mere "social lubricant" (92% of motivations) and what this means for your advertising messaging.
• The flaws of No-Low: Why current non-alcoholic offerings disappoint young consumers, and how to position your brand across 3 key innovation territories.
• Clichés and perceptions: "Dad's wine," "high schooler's vodka"... a complete mapping of brand imagery among 18–30-year-olds.
• The Episto Advantage: Raw, authentic consumer verbatim feedback from our interviews to capture the true voice of your audience.

‍A hybrid methodology enhanced by AI

This study was conducted by Episto from April 20 to April 23, 2026, with a representative sample of 168 Gen Z respondents in France.

• Native recruitment: Respondents were engaged directly within their natural social media environments (86% Instagram, 14% Facebook).
• Conversational questionnaire: A fluid approach combining quantitative metrics and a qualitative deep-dive module powered 100% by AI.

Reliable, fast, and actionable insights

Founded in 2018, Episto is an AI-enhanced market research platform reinventing insight generation. By combining methodological rigor with operational agility, we enable insights and marketing teams to recruit authentic respondents and generate instant analyses.

Today, our team of 30 professionals serves leading research institutes (Ifop, Kantar, OpinionWay), major brands across diverse sectors (Decathlon, Michelin, Auchan, Accor), and top agencies like Publicis or NellyRodi.