Time Out’s new UK edition of Sip Happens reveals how younger generations are reshaping drinking culture: choosing quality over quantity and authentic experiences over excess.

According to Time Out’s latest research, Gen Z isn’t swapping cocktails for kombucha and isn’t going dry anytime soon.

The Time Out Sip Happens Report found that younger audiences are defined by contradictions:

• 40% of Gen Z say they never drink alcohol at home yet they are 1.5x more likely than Millennials to seek out high-ABV sips when they are out.
• Meanwhile, Millennials drink more consistently across every category but seek out champagne vibes on a larger budget: while 53% want fancy cocktail spots, 80% select bars based on their happy hour offering to afford their curated sophistication.

The Time Out Sip Happens Report used UK-centric data to empower media planners, drink brands, marketing teams as well as the wider hospitality sector when targeting these audiences. 

Developed by Time Out’s Creative Solutions & Insights team, the report combines quantitative and qualitative insights from Time Out Loud – the brand’s proprietary research community – with editorial expertise from Time Out editors as well as expert views from 15 brand, marketing, drinks education and hospitality leaders including Xavier Padovani (Experimental Group), Oscar Nadal Lamoglia (Estrella Damm), Lily Halstead (Intellima), Michelle Brampton (WSET), and Adam Foster (Heineken UK).

The Time Out Sip Happens Report identified four key trends shaping how Gen Z and Millennials drink today and across these trends: Selectively Maximalist; Selectively Old School; Selectively Mindful; and Selectively Curious.

Rob Biagioni, CEO, Time Out Media, says: “Time Out has always been about helping people experience the best of the city – and that means understanding how culture, going out and socialising are changing in real time. We created the Time Out Sip Happens Report because there’s been so much noise about Gen Z and Millennials supposedly turning away from alcohol, but what we’re really seeing is a shift in attitude, not complete abstinence. People still love a good night out – they’re just curating it differently. Our report gets under the skin of that change and shows how brands and venues can keep up with what’s really happening in cities right now.”

Anna Norfolk, Global Insights Manager, Time Out Media, says: “This project started with a really simple question: how are people actually drinking now? Not the headlines, not the clichés – the real behaviours behind it all. Through Sip Happens, we’ve uncovered a new kind of drinking culture, shaped by contradictions, creativity, and curiosity. People are still drinking, but in smarter, more intentional ways. This is our way of turning conversation into cultural insights, and making it useful for brands, marketers and venues who want to stay relevant.”

The full Time Out Sip Happens report is available via this link.