Can bitter follow Guinness in winning younger drinkers?
Traditional bitter remains profitable for pubs but faces declining volumes in the on-trade as stout, lager, and alcohol-free beer gain ground. Despite this, some brewers argue bitter could appeal to a new generation if positioned with the same confidence that has helped drive stout’s resurgence.
The fortunes of traditional British bitters have become increasingly entwined with those of cask ale, the format through which most bitters are served in pubs. Recent trade data paints a challenging picture for that segment of the market.
Cask ale volumes fell to 1.28 million hectolitres in 2025, down 7.1% from 1.40 million hectolitres a year earlier and 11.2% compared with 2023, according to CGA by NIQ figures. Value sales have also slipped, declining from £982 million in 2023 to £974 million in 2024 and £947 million in 2025, while cask’s share of total on-trade beer volume has edged down from 8.3% in 2023 to 7.7% in 2025.
The contraction is steeper than that seen in the wider beer market. Total on-trade beer volumes dropped 2.2% over the same period, meaning cask is losing share more quickly than the category as a whole, according to the same CGA dataset.
Fashion and cycles in beer styles
For brewers, the shifting popularity of bitter sits within the broader ebb and flow of beer styles. Ed Mason, founder and co-owner of Hackney-based Five Points Brewing and the Whitelock’s group of pubs, tells db, “It is true that more traditional bitter styles probably command a lower selling price, in pubs, than fashionable highly hopped beer styles, or even Guinness.”
He argues that the economics of brewing the style partly offset that reality, offering a potentially positive point of difference in a tough market. “However, the input costs of brewing traditional bitter styles also tend to be lower, at least for the ingredients [if not labour and other overheads]. e.g. British not American hops, lower hop quantities used and straightforward malts. So it is still possible for publicans to make a good margin from bitter style beers.”
Popularity can also move in unexpected directions, Mason pointed out that while highly hopped pale ales have dominated craft beer conversations, traditional styles have not disappeared entirely, and the recent resurgence of stout is a testament to this.
“I think that traditional ‘bitters’ have fallen victim in recent years to the popularity of highly hopped Pale Ales, and American beer styles, but at the same time we have seen an explosion in demand for Guinness in the past two years, which is nothing if not traditional. So it’s not straightforward, and there is always a cyclical fashion of certain styles falling in and out of favour.”
The practical realities of cask
Beyond changing tastes, the logistics of producing and serving cask beer present their own barriers, Mason said declining cask sales might reflect several structural issues. “Falling cask sales, overall, [and traditional bitters are typically served in cask] is due to a number of reasons. But include the fact that ‘proper’ cask-conditioned beer is seen as a more complex and time-consuming process by some breweries, and also requires training and knowledge in pubs for cellaring and dispensing. Keg is more straightforward to brew, package and dispense both for breweries and pubs.”
Those operational challenges contribute to concerns among independent brewers. According to the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates’ Independent Beer Report 2025, 46% of brewers list simple survival as their main priority this year. The group recorded 1,715 active UK breweries at the start of 2025, down 100 compared with the previous year.
Access to pubs is another structural obstacle. According to CAMRA, independent brewers are effectively locked out of around 60% of UK pubs due to formal beer ties, loan agreements tied to supply and restrictions around dispense equipment.
SIBA data also shows how strongly smaller brewers depend on the pub trade. Around 82% of members’ production is packaged in cask and keg formats for the on-trade, although brewers report they cannot sell to around 60% of their local pubs on average. Meanwhile, 79% say beer lines permanently allocated to large brewers are the biggest barrier to growth.
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Throughput and quality pressures
The mechanics of selling cask also influence quality and consumer confidence. Speaking at the launch of the SIBA report, CGA’s Nick Riley said the category suffers from a throughput problem. “Cask as a category definitely has a throughput issue, which in turn leads to a quality issue. It seems to be harder for pubs to sell good cask than it is to sell good keg.”
According to CGA data cited at the event, non-craft cask beer declined by around 2% in 2024, while craft cask fell 5.7%. Riley added that rapid rotation of beers in specialist pubs and taprooms can make accurate tracking of sales more difficult.
Younger drinkers and price dynamics
Despite these pressures, cask is not without advocates among younger consumers, with whom authenticity, tradition and above all, value for money, are increasingly important selling factors. A YouGov survey found that 36% of 18 to 24 year olds say they never drink alcohol, a trend that is helping drive growth in alcohol free beer. However, report author Caroline Nodder said younger drinkers are also discovering cask, partly because of its pricing.
“Cask generally tends to be a cheaper option on the bar,” she said, suggesting that value plays a role for consumers facing economic pressure.
Some brewers are also expanding into the format, Devon-based Utopian Brewing has begun producing cask beer and opened its first venue, Arcadia in Exeter, at the start of this year.
What exactly counts as a bitter?
Even defining bitter can be surprisingly contentious; “I think that the definition of a ‘Bitter’ has always been open to interpretation,” Mason tells db. “e.g. Is Timothy Taylor Landlord a bitter or a Pale Ale. St Austell Tribute. Different folks [drinkers and brewers] have different ideas and call the same beer different things.”
He pointed out that Timothy Taylor describes Landlord as a pale ale, though many drinkers view it as a bitter. At Five Points Brewing, the style remains central to the brewery’s portfolio. “Five Points Brewing is proud to brew a ‘Five Points Best’ which is a modern best bitter, mixing traditional British beer values with a modern, clean, refreshing hop approach,” Mason said.
He added that demand is rising within the company’s own range; “Certainly for us, our Best Bitter remains in growth and is an ever larger % of the beers that we brew. As well as cask format, we are increasingly selling best in 500ml bottles into supermarkets that are looking for a modern take on this classic style.”
A uniquely British tradition
For supporters of cask, the category retains both cultural and commercial importance. Andy Slee of SIBA said, “Cask beer is unique to Britain. To a global drinks company, Europe as a whole is a region. If they’re producing loads of beers, and only one country in the region is selling this fiddly cask thing, they’re not interested.”
He argued that global brewers are primarily driven by international lager brands, which generate larger returns.
At the same time, Slee believes the future of cask will depend on independent brewers and local pubs. “There’s strong demand for well-brewed, regional cask beers, as well as consumers wanting to support local, independent businesses,” he concluded.
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