Gen Z isnt nixing booze this summer theyre just redefining how theyre drinking: survey shows

Young Americans aren’t opting out of summer drinking — they’re redefining how they do it, according to new data.A recent survey of 2,000 21+ Americans who drink alcohol found that Gen Z respondents were the most likely to say they plan to consume alcohol when celebrating at summer events and socializing with friends this summer, but they also plan to take the most intentional and moderate approach when doing so.The vast majority of respondents (86%) plan to drink during summer celebrations and occasions, suggesting that alcohol consumption isn’t going away, it’s just being done with forethought and intentional behavior meant to prioritize well-being.When socializing at summer gatherings, libations are often top of mind, with Gen Z (89%) being the most likely to say they plan to partake in drinking when socializing this summer, compared to millennials (87%), Gen X (87%), and baby boomers (81%).However, nearly half of respondents (49%) also said they’ve become more intentional when it comes to drinking, once again with young Americans leading this uptick in moderate drinking (Gen Z 64%, millennials 49%, Gen X 43%, baby boomers 39%).The survey was commissioned by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking and conducted by Talker Research to explore Americans’ drinking habits, their motivations for moderation, and how these things will come into play this summer.According to the findings, for those who choose to drink, there was a strong sentiment that the behavior is being driven by how people want to feel versus social pressures.The top reason for mindful drinking cited in the study was emotional well-being (30%), followed by consumers simply preferring quality over quantity (28%).Desiring better sleep was also a major reason people said they drink in moderation (28%), with women more likely than men to rank it as the number one reason (43% to 30%).

And a quarter of respondents felt like mindful drinking is just “the right approach” (26%).T...