New research from Drinks Ireland finds that 54% of the Irish public are drinking less alcohol than they were a year ago. Non-alcoholic beers are becoming more popular with Irish consumers: 0.0 sales increased 25% in 2024, with production increasing by 77%.
Alcohol-free beers now make up over 2.5% of the beer market, which is a 150% increase in just 5 years. Since launching Heineken 0.0 in Ireland, Heineken has invested more than €30 million into the alcohol-free category. The brand now boasts a market share of more than 43%.
This moderate approach to alcohol seems to be more than just a trend – in June of 2025, Irish alcohol consumption levels were at their lowest in decades. While this is a healthy step for the Irish public, it is not so healthy for Irish nightlife – over 2,100 pubs have permanently closed across Ireland since 2005. There has also been an 84% decline in Irish nightclubs – There are now only 83 active nightclubs across the country, down from a staggering 552 in the year 2000. Covid also acted as a catalyst for this, with over 450 pubs closing during 2019-2022 alone.
These shifts reflect a significant cultural shift across the nation – alcohol consumption has fallen by 34% over the last two decades. 63% of Irish consumers also agree that there has been a clear movement toward ‘less but better’, where customers are opting for quality over quantity.
