Local craft beer equalled global lager to become the joint most-consumed beer category among UK drinkers, according to The SIBA Independent Beer Report 2024.
According to SIBA – the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates - 55% of consumers now drink local craft beer in 2024, an 8% increase in popularity since 2023.
For male beer consumers, local craft beer is now the most popular choice with 59% drinking it, 4% more than are drinking global lager.
In contrast, local craft beer scores lowest with the youngest age group, the 18-24-year-olds, with only 43% ever drinking it.
Cask ale suffered another fall in consumption, down -2% from 39% in 2023 to 37% this year.
Only 16% of 18-24-year-olds, and 22% of women, ever drink cask ale.
Overall number of consumers who drink beer has increased by 4% from 45% to 49%, almost back to 2022 levels.
This reverses a trend seen over the last two years which saw that figure fall from 53% in 2020 to just 45% in last year’s survey.
Both men (+3%) and women (+4%) are drinking more beer.
Age demographics
Beer drinking is still most prevalent among 45-54-year-olds, with 56% in that group saying they drink it, up 5% to 51% from last year.
However, beer drinking continues to decline among 18-24-year-olds at 30%, where it has been on a downward curve for almost five years.
Of the 18-24-year-olds category, only 12% drink beer more than once a week.
According to the survey, the number of 18-24-year-olds going teetotal is up 4% to 27%.
The number of 45-54-yearolds who drink beer regularly increased to 26%.
Pub habits
The report also reveals almost a quarter (24%) of consumers say they never visit their local pub, and a quarter of them (25%) say there is nothing that pubs can do to make them visit more often.
More women (26%) than men (23%) don’t visit local pubs, while SIBA finds the 18-24-year-old age group is the most likely to visit, with only 13% saying they never do so.
Given the lower number of 18-24-year-olds drinking, this suggests younger consumers are going out, but not necessarily to drink.
The report finds 93% of beer drinkers say they have been served a band quality pint, with 82% saying they will tell friends about a poor quality serve.
