No, low and mid-strength beers now make up almost 25 percent of CUB’s beer volume sales, up from 10 percent five years ago.
This growth highlights the changing tastes for Australians when it comes to beer, with bottleshop sales of non-alcoholic beer growing by 14 times. Carlton Zero, for example, has sold more than 3.2 million litres in Australia since its launch a year ago.
Carlton Zero is playing a role in helping drive the trend towards moderation: since launching a year ago it has sold more than 3.2 million litres in Australia.
Carlton Zero’s first birthday coincides with the Global Be(er) Responsible initiative, which is a worldwide effort by brewers, including CUB, to promote responsible consumption of beer.
CUB’s Chris Maxwell said the tastes of Australian beer lovers is changing.
“We launched Carlton Zero because beer lovers told us they wanted more opportunities to enjoy beer responsibly,” says Chris Maxwell, marketing director at CUB. “The popularity of Zero shows it’s becoming normal to consume non-alcoholic beer on many different occasions.
“Research shows the most common reason people drink non-alcoholic beer is because they’re the designated driver, and we’re seeing this predominately in people aged 18-34. We think this deserves a pat on the back, and really shows the moderation message is getting through.”
A CUB-commissioned national online survey of 1,000 people this month also found no-alcohol beer is most popular with people aged 18-34, with almost half (49 per cent) saying they would consider drinking a no-alcohol beer at a social occasion.