A recent account from entrepreneur Oliver Dawnay challenges the common perception that Generation Z is largely abstaining from alcohol. Dawnay, who turns 30 and sits on the cusp between millennials and Gen Z, describes a social landscape where drinking remains a central feature of celebrations and social gatherings among his peers.

Dawnay highlights a friend's 30th birthday weekend themed around the Battle of Hastings, which included multiple drinking events spread over several days, ranging from pub visits to a banquet with an open bar. Such extended festivities, he argues, contradict the narrative that younger generations are turning away from alcohol.

Reflecting on his own experiences, Dawnay traces his introduction to drinking back to age 15, when he and his friends would sneak pints of cider or beer near their school. While their tastes have matured over time, their enthusiasm for social drinking has persisted. He notes that Thursday evening drinks have become an informal but widely accepted occasion, particularly as many people work from home on Fridays, making Thursday the preferred night to meet.

Dawnay does acknowledge some shifts in drinking habits, such as a reduction in binge drinking compared to earlier years, partly due to the decreasing tolerance for hangovers. Nonetheless, drinking remains integral to social events like barbecues, pub gatherings, and music festivals. He points to the considerable effort among his friends to secure tickets for festivals such as Glastonbury as evidence that they remain engaged with nightlife and social experiences.

Influenced by his time living in Brazil, Dawnay developed a fondness for caipirinhas—a cocktail made with cachaça, lime, and sugar—and identified a gap in the UK's ready-to-drink canned cocktail market. Unable to find a canned caipirinha that met his standards, he created his own product, Caipi, aiming to offer a convenient and tasty option for social occasions. Despite logistical challenges delaying its initial launch, the product debuted informally at Dawnay’s wedding, before being sold at events such as Notting Hill Carnival and through a limited number of retailers.

While Dawnay runs Caipi alongside his full-time job, managing sales and marketing personally, he views celebrity-backed brands as complementary rather than competitive. He references the launch of Savano, a canned caipirinha by Olivia Attwood—a reality TV personality with a substantial social media following. Dawnay welcomes the increased attention to the drink category, suggesting it could expand the overall market.

Through his entrepreneurial efforts and personal observations, Dawnay offers a nuanced perspective on Generation Z's drinking habits, highlighting that while patterns may have evolved, alcohol consumption remains a vibrant part of younger adults' social lives in the UK.