Drinking in the Daylight: How Shifting Habits Are Reshaping Menus and Brand Strategy

For decades, the drinks industry has lived and died by how much booze you can sell from 5pm onwards.

Pubs filled after work, restaurants hit their stride at dinner and cocktails were the late-night ritual.

But the status quo is changing fast.

Consumers in the UK, USA, and Australia are drinking differently – earlier in the day, more intentionally and a macro wellness trend is influencing behaviours.

In short, consumers are socialising differently now and the lines have been blurred. There’s a new normal for venues to navigate.

This shift is forcing hospitality venues to rethink their menus and opening hours, and it’s creating a fresh challenge (and opportunity) for drinks brands: how to own the day part.

The Rise of Daytime Drink Sales

In Britain, venues are rethinking their entire model, opening earlier and filling with brunch-goers, remote workers or increased numbers meeting for a lunches/drinks.

In the US, brunch culture has become a dominant weekend ritual where cocktails are the stars of the show.

In Australia, the relaxed “Sunday session” has evolved into a spritz-fuelled aperitivo moment.

Behind this shift is the broader moderation movement. Recent UK research shows one in three pub visits are now alcohol-free. In the US, on-premise non-alcoholic beer sales rose +22% in 2024 and are already +26% YTD in 2025. Globally, no/low alcohol volumes are forecast to grow at +4% CAGR through 2028 so we are not dealing with a small, plateaued category, it is one that is demonstrating continued growth.

What People Are Drinking?

The data tells the story:

• Prosecco dominates the UK lunch trade, accounting for 22% of daytime orders compared to just 7% for spirits.
• Spritz has gone global. Aperol and its pretenders have become the icon of daytime drinking, refreshing, lighter in alcohol, and perfectly Instagrammable.
• Low/no is exploding. One in three UK pub visits are now alcohol-free, with 96% of venues offering alcohol-free beer. In Australia, no-alcohol beer sales grew 60% in 2022 alone.
• Functional twists are edging in. Kombucha spritzers, adaptogenic cocktails, CBD infusions, and isotonic no-alcohol beers are appearing on menus, aligning with wellness-driven consumption.

 A decade ago, daytime drinks meant coffee, supermarket softs or tap water, now the opportunity exists to make day part menus vibrant, diverse and profitable.

How Venues Are Responding?

Bars, pubs, and restaurants are moving fast to capture this demand.

• Brunch is big business. UK pubs bundle bottomless Prosecco or 0.0% beer into packages; US restaurants push Bloody Mary flights and espresso martini “trees”; Australian venues lean into spritz flights and aperitivo-hour specials.
• Menus are being redesigned. A 2024 audit found that venues that signpost their low/no range clearly see better dwell time, because non-drinkers and moderators influence where the whole group goes (5).
• Coffee + cocktails. Espresso martinis and spiked cold brews have moved from late-night indulgence to brunch staple.
• Staff training. Operators report higher sales when zero-proof drinks are showcased with the same pride as their boozy counterparts.

For operators, daytime drinks extend hours, boost food sales, and keep groups together longer.

How Brands Are Seizing the Opportunity?

The smartest drinks brands aren’t waiting for venues to adapt – they’re driving the shift.

• Innovation in portfolio. Heineken 0.0, Guinness 0.0, Gordon’s 0.0, Four Pillars “Bandwagon” gin, and Fever-Tree’s 5% Blood Orange Spritz can are all designed with daytime drinking in mind (3).
• Occasion-led marketing. Aperol’s 2023 Australia campaign literally bought people their first Spritz of the season, positioning it as the rooftop lunch or long afternoon drink.
• On-trade partnerships. Athletic Brewing’s deal with Arsenal F.C. put alcohol-free beer on tap throughout Emirates Stadium, a venue dominated by afternoon occasions.
• Menu placement. Brands that secure signature serves on brunch or aperitivo menus are winning mindshare of consumers. With often reduced menus in the day part, visibility matters more than simply being stocked.

The playbook is simple,  design serve strategy with low to mid-strength abvs, be aware of trends and focus on occasion.

What It Means for Brands?

If you’re only targeting evening occasions, you’re missing half the picture.

To capitalise, brands should:

1. Innovate in format & flavour. Design products for sociable, sessionable consumption – 0.0% beers, mid-strength spirits, functional spritzes.
2. Market the occasion. Build campaigns around brunch, lunch, aperitivo. The when is as important as the what.
3. Partner with the on-trade. Support venues with training, menu development, and promotions that embed your brand in daytime rituals.
4. Normalise moderation. Present low/no as equal choices, not alternatives. Make them aspirational. Demand a clear menu hierarchy.
5. Agile Serve Strategy. Build a wider more inclusive serve tool kit that has the agility to cover multiple bases.

The Future Is Bright And Bubbly

If the last decade was about premiumisation in the evening, the next is about diversification in the daytime. Consumers want drinks that let them socialise without derailing the rest of their day. Venues want to fill rooms outside of peak hours. Brands want new growth channels.

The answer is the same: own the daypart.

The spritz may be the icon, but the principle is bigger, lighter, more functional, more flexible and is all about drinks that make daytime socialising inclusive and rewarding.

For brands willing to adapt, the opportunity is huge.