With the latest heatwave coming to an end but another on the horizon, consumers are turning to particular styles to quench their thirst. And for many, that means fruit-forward lagers and pale ales.
With the World Cup in full-flow, consumers are contributing to major revenue boosts in the on-trade. Figures from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) indicated that an additional £22.5m would be spent during England’s last group game against Panama. While Scotland’s earlier group game against Morocco was expected to be worth around £2.6 million to the trade, according to analysis by the Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA).
And when it comes to the on-trade, flavoured lager is the fastest growing category delivering 30% volume growth in 2025, and now accounting for more than 2% of all lager sales in the off-trade.
According to new findings from YouGov, younger adults are leading fruit beer adoption, with regular consumption reaching 6% among both 18–24 and 25–34-year-olds.
Berry flavours, they said, have the strongest appeal, with 36% of UK adults saying they would be most interested in strawberry, raspberry and similar fruit beer options.
Flavour is the biggest purchase driver, with 43% of alcohol drinkers saying an appealing taste would encourage them to try or buy fruit beer. Fruit beer has a strong seasonal opportunity, with 55% of alcohol drinkers saying they are likely to drink it during the summer months.
Around 2% of UK adults say they drink fruit beer regularly. A further 9% have tried fruit beer but do not drink it regularly, while 20% have tried it once or twice.
According to the YouGov research, around a quarter (26%) have heard of fruit beer but never tried it, while 40% say they had not heard of fruit beer before taking part in the survey.
Younger adults are more familiar with fruit beer, the company added, with regular consumption reaching 6% among both 18–24-year-olds and 25–34-year-olds. 19% of adults aged 18–24 have also said they have tried fruit beer once or twice.
From their findings, berry flavours such as strawberry and raspberry rank highest, being selected by nearly 40% (36%) of UK adults.
They added: “Citrus flavours and orchard fruit flavours such as apple and pear follow at 26% each. Tropical flavours appeal to 24%, while mixed fruit flavours attract 19%.
“Women are more likely than men to select berry flavours (41% vs. 31%). Tropical flavours show particularly strong appeal among younger adults, reaching 35% among 25–34-year-olds compared with 15% among those aged 55 and over.”
And among UK adults who drink alcohol, the findings revealed that 43% say an appealing flavour would encourage them to try or buy fruit beer.
Recommendations from friends and family rank second at 30%, followed by good value for money (28%) and availability in pubs, bars, or restaurants (24%).
Brand-related factors carry less influence. Around 15% say a well-known or trusted brand would encourage purchase, while 10% mention eye-catching packaging or branding.
Among alcohol drinkers, 55% say they are likely to drink fruit beer during summer, including 19% who say they are very likely. This compares with 40% in spring, 22% in autumn and 15% in winter.
The YouGov findings suggest that fruit beer is strongly associated with warmer-weather drinking occasions, with interest highest during summer and lower during autumn and winter.
But for those that do not drink fruit beer more often was a preference for other alcoholic drinks, cited by 31%.
The company added: “A further 19% say they do not like beer in general, while 17% say they are trying to reduce their alcohol consumption overall.
“Flavour is the key factor influencing interest, berry and citrus profiles have the broadest appeal, and consumption is strongly associated with summer occasions. While most consumers do not expect their consumption habits to change, younger adults are more likely than older groups to anticipate increasing their fruit beer consumption over the coming year.”
