Can Gen Z save cask ale from extinction?
Gen Z have been drinking more cask ale and have been pinpointed as the generation that could assist in the revival of what has long been considered to be Britain’s national drink. Jessica Mason reports.
Statistics from YouGov for the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) have shown 25% of 18 – 24-year-old beer drinkers regularly order cask ale. The figures mark an increase of more than 50% on the previous year.
Cask offers variety
Speaking to the drinks business, independent cask ale accreditation organisation Cask Marque highlighted how cask ale appeals to Gen Z because it is a method of dispense that offers a “variety” of beer styles.
Cask Marque director Paul Nunny said: “What young people are looking for is variety, which is what cask ale can deliver. They don’t necessarily want to drink the same beer twice in an evening, so they might start with a hoppy pale ale and then move on to a malty dark beer.”
The figures precede Cask Ale Week 2025 (18-28 September), which sees pubs across the UK ramping up their cask ale offer with exciting new beers. The week also encourages pubgoers to look for the hand pulls for the freshest beer available rather than only perusing the keg taps and beer fridges.
Why bet on Gen Z?
Concerns that younger consumers have been giving up drink altogether have been debunked by new data from the IWSR’s Bevtrac survey. The new data, which showcases consumer sentiment tracks 15 global markets, including the UK, assessing consumer attitudes to alcohol. According to the IWSR, these findings show the number of Gen Z consumers in the UK aged 18+ who have had an alcoholic drink in the past six months is in fact up from 66% to 76%, echoing the fact that there is an opportunity to re-target the demographic.
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has also highlighted how Gen Z are considered to be “more likely” to visit pubs than older generations who have avoided it since the pandemic.
Describing how this has played out, CAMRA chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: “Younger drinkers, Generation Z, are already more likely to use pubs than many older Brits. Many people got out of the pub-going habit during lockdown, and in tough times economically, too many have stayed away, causing real problems for many pubs and brewers.
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The independent beer sector in Britain has suffered myriad challenges of late, as has the UK hospitality sector with each business having been one another’s support as costs have risen and pub and brewery closures have dominated the direction of the industry.
Quality will prevail
Despite these struggles, the industry has reiterated that there is hope not in reinvention so much as the reminder that quality can prevail, even in times of austerity and adversity.
CAMRA pointed out that it is not just pricepoint but also the calibre of the beer available on cask that is turning heads:
Corbett-Collins admitted: “For some, the initial appeal is undoubtedly the fact that cask ale is often the best value beer on the bars, but it’s the freshness, flavour and variety of cask that keeps them coming back for more.”
Explaining how a beer’s traditional image should not be considered the element that holds it back, Cask Marque’s Nunny told db: “The resurgence in popularity of Guinness amongst the younger demographic shows that more complex flavours and traditional styles aren’t an obstacle to attracting new drinkers and that’s something cask brewers can capitalise on.”
The opportunity is now
Digging deeper into the SIBA figures, there are also statistics that support the opportunity that women present in the future of cask ale’s revival. For instance, the data revealed how 22% of female beer drinkers regularly order cask ale, compared to 43% of men. But, as Corbett-Collins noted: “It would be great to see even higher numbers, but the glass half full fact is that men and women of all ages are enjoying cask beer. Hopefully, more people than ever will do so during Cask Ale Week. Thousands of pubs are taking part, offering every style of cask ale, from light and hoppy pale ales via amber best bitters, to dark, smooth stouts.”
Cask ale enthusiasts recently launched a petition calling on the government to recognise the cask ale as having Intangible Cultural Heritage, overseen by UNESCO. The petition runs until 1 October.
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