Spirit levels up: Bold and boozy options are luring in a new generation of drinkers

You can tell a lot about a generation by the contents of its cool boxes: nowadays the barbecue ice bucket is likely to be filled with hard seltzers, non-alcoholic beers and fluorescent BuzzBallz - a particular favourite for Gen Z.

- Mabel Banfield-Nwachi Zoe Wood

Two decades ago, it was WKD, Bacardi Breezers and the odd Smirnoff Ice bobbing in a puddle of melted ice. And while nostalgia may have brought some alcopops back, the new wave of ready-to-drink (RTD) options looks and tastes noticeably different.

It is not just drinks that have changed, but drinking habits too, driven in part by more health-conscious consumers and demand for variety, said Marten Lodewijks, US president of the drinks market analysts IWSR.

"A decade ago, hard seltzers turned the ice bucket on its head. With less sugar and a lower ABV [alcohol by volume], they appealed to a new, more health-conscious consumer that didn't want quite as much sweetness. Lower calories also meant less flavour, however, and, as with any trend, a countertrend soon emerged."

As consumers began looking for more flavourful, higher ABV options, companies responded with a "much wider range of ABVs, flavours, sweetness levels and even carbonation", Lodewijks said.