The year of fruit beer: Tracking consumer appetite for fruit-infused flavours in the UK

Key findings:

• Younger adults are leading fruit beer adoption, with regular consumption reaching 6% among both 18–24 and 25–34-year-olds.
• Berry flavours 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.

Fruit beer is receiving increased attention from brewers and retailers, with new product launches reflecting efforts to broaden the appeal of beer through fruit-forward flavours. Industry coverage has highlighted growing investment in the category and raised questions about whether fruit beer from brands like Jubel and BrewDog Elvis Juice, among others, can attract new consumers and expand its presence within the wider beer market.

New YouGov Surveys data shows that fruit beer remains a niche category among UK adults. Regular consumption is limited, but younger adults are more likely than older generations to have tried fruit beer, drink it regularly and expect to increase their consumption in the future.

How many people in the UK drink fruit beer regularly?

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.

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. Regular consumption reaches 6% among both 18–24-year-olds and 25–34-year-olds. Trial is also more common among younger groups, with 19% of adults aged 18–24 saying they have tried fruit beer once or twice.

Most popular fruit beer flavours among UK consumers

When asked which fruit beer flavours would be most interesting to choose, berry flavours such as strawberry and raspberry rank highest, selected by 36% of UK adults.

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.

What would drive fruit beer purchases? Flavour leads consumer decisions

Among UK adults who drink alcohol, 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.

When are consumers most likely to drink fruit beer?

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 findings suggest that fruit beer is strongly associated with warmer-weather drinking occasions, with interest highest during summer and lower during autumn and winter.

Fruit beer blockers: What stops aware consumers from drinking fruit beer more often?

The most common reason why UK adults do not drink fruit beer more often is a preference for other alcoholic drinks, cited by 31%.

A further 19% say they do not like beer in general, while 17% say they are trying to reduce their alcohol consumption overall.

Taste-related concerns are also evident. Around 15% say fruit beer is too sweet, 14% do not like the taste, and 9% feel it tastes too artificial.

Price and availability are less commonly cited, at 10% and 11% respectively.

The data shows that fruit beer remains a relatively small category within the UK alcoholic drinks market.

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.

Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online between 22-25 May 2026, with a nationally representative sample of 2,093 adults (aged 18+ years) in the United Kingdom, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education, region and social grade to be representative of all adults in the United Kingdom (18 years or older) and reflect the latest ONS population estimates.

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