Episode 115 - Gen Z Is Drinking More Than You've Been Told

I tell you this reporting on Gen Z's are drinking.

Millennials aren't drinking.

These people are not drinking.

They're never going to drink.

They're never going to drink wine.

They don't drink alcohol at all.

They only drink spirits.

It depends, I guess, on how you twist your report, right? So anyway, James Bailey, writing for the drinks business, reports on a new IWSR research that takes a wrecking ball to the – assumption in the industry that Gen Z does not drink.

It basically is saying that 74% of all Gen Zers drink, and the overall people who drink is 76%, so it's almost the same, whereas just three years ago, it was at 66%.

So if you follow me, Gen Z, only 66% of Gen drinkers used to drink three years ago, and now... 74% drink.

So I went from two-thirds to three-quarters over the course of three years.

Give it another three years, 100% of all Gen Zers will be drinking.

Time to invest in rehab centers.

That's what I say.

From the article, speaking about the findings, IWSR president and managing director Martin Lodowicz said the narrative that Gen Z is is the generation of moderation is now conclusively debunked.

While Gen Z consumers are creating new patterns for engaging in beverage, alcohol, the evidence demonstrates that Gen Z consumers enjoy drinking at roughly the same levels as the rest of society.

Boomers recorded the lowest participation rate of any generation at 71%, down two percentage points over the last three years because they're dying and they can't drink anymore.

And if they're there too old, their doctor said you can't drink anyway.

Millennials remain the industry's biggest drinking cohort with an 81% participation rate, followed by Gen X at 77, Gen Z at 74.

Seems like nothing changes.

Boomers drinking has been tailing off for several years.

The latest BevTrack results, however, show bigger than expected drops in boomer drinking across all major metrics.

If this trend continues, it may actually be the boomers, not Gen Z, who deserve the title Generation Moderation.

Good Lord.

No, you can't become a moderate.