The 7 truths about Gen Z & alcohol

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

Less often, more consciously, with unprecedented sensory expectations… Gen Z's relationship with alcohol is evolving profoundly. Whether it's the trend of Sober Curious, the rise of No-Low, or the quest for self-control, the traditional codes of the beverage market are 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 adjust your communication campaigns.

91% of Gen Z drinkers say their alcohol consumption is stable or has decreased in the last 6 months.

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

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

What you will discover in this exclusive study:

• The quest for control : Why self-control and safety have become the new reflexes of Gen Z when it comes to drinking.
• The true role of alcohol : Decoding alcohol as a mere "social lubricant" (92% of motivations) and its impact on your advertising messages.
• The flaws of No-Low : Why the current non-alcoholic offerings disappoint young people and how to position yourself on the 3 key innovation territories.
• Clichés and representations : "Dad's" wine, "high schooler's" vodka... a complete mapping of your brands' image among 18-30 year-olds.
• The + Episto : Raw and authentic customer verbatims from our interviews to capture the true voice of consumers.

‍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 young people from Generation Z in France.

• Native recruitment: Respondents captured as closely as possible to their usage on social media (86% Instagram, 14% Facebook).
• Conversational questionnaire: A fluid approach combining quantitative metrics and a qualitative deep-dive module conducted 100% by AI.

Reliable, fast, and actionable insights

Founded in 2018, Episto is the AI-enhanced research platform that reinvents insight generation. By combining methodological rigor and operational agility, it enables insights and marketing teams to recruit authentic respondents and produce instant analyses.

Today, we are 30 collaborators and count among our clients the largest research institutes (Ifop, Kantar, OpinionWay) as well as brands from various sectors (Decathlon, Michelin, Auchan, Accor) or agencies like Publicis or NellyRodi.

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